1. Eligibility
The Concerto Competition is divided into two divisions: Undergraduate and Graduate. It is open to only full-time music majors currently studying with a member of the OU applied faculty in the undergraduate (junior or senior in academic standing) or graduate division at the OU School of Music.
Eligibility Requirements
Contestants must:
- Be a full-time music major
- Maintain a required cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for undergraduates and 3.0 or higher for graduates as of their most recent Fall semester.
- Be making normal progress toward completion of their degree and remain enrolled in the School of Music through both the competition and the winner's performance.
- Be enrolled in applied lessons during the semester of the competition and semester of the winner’s performance.
- However, Music Education students who are in their student teaching semester may be allowed to compete if they do the following:
- Get permission from their applied teacher.
- Are available for any rehearsals that the director of the ensemble needs from the performer.
Undergraduate Division
Contestants must:
- Be enrolled in 12 or more credit hours
- Be a junior or senior in class standing or above.
- Have their primary teacher's permission to compete.
- An email will be sent to the applicant’s teacher, which will count as permission unless the teacher and/or applicant contacts the Concerto Competition committee afterwards informing them of their withdrawal due to lack of permission.
Graduate Division
Contestants must:
- Be enrolled in 5 or more credit hours if holding a Graduate Assistantship (GA)
- Be enrolled in 9 or more credit hours if not holding a Graduate Assistantship.
- Graduate students not meeting these enrollment requirements may petition the Concerto Competition Committee for eligibility.
Previous Winners
Previous winners selected to perform are not allowed to compete in the same division but can compete in a different division if eligible.
2. Application Requirements
Applicants are responsible for submitting all required materials by the published deadline. The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm on January 23, 2027.
Accompanist
Contestants are responsible for securing an accompanist who is available for all required rounds of the competition.
Scheduling accommodations will not be made and the competitors will perform with their accompanist at whatever time is assigned to them.
Performance Materials
Applicants must verify, with their applied teacher and the appropriate ensemble conductor, that full score and orchestral/wind ensemble parts are commercially available for purchase or rental before submitting an application. Works whose materials are unavailable or impractical to obtain may be deemed ineligible.
Submission of Score(s)
- Applicants will submit a PDF file of a piano reduction or score.
- If the final performance duration is longer than the semi-final round time limit (6 minutes for undergraduate, 9 minutes for graduate), you will need to submit 2 different versions of your score: one for the final competition round (full performance length), and one for the semi-final round.
- In the uploaded score(s), all proposed cuts must be clearly marked and any extraneous pages should be removed.
3. Repertoire Requirements
General Requirements
- Repertoire must have been originally composed for instrument(s)/voice(s) and orchestra or wind ensemble.
- Students wishing to compete with a chamber concerto (2+ featured instruments) must obtain approval from the Concerto Competition Committee before applying. One member of the chamber group should contact the chair of the committee no later than 6 weeks before the application deadline to verify repertoire eligibility.
- Competitors applying with a chamber group cannot apply separately as a soloist, and vice-versa.
- Repertoire with electronic amplification/components is permitted for harp and guitar. It is also permitted if the proposed repertoire expressly requires amplification. Applicants will be asked to describe the nature of electronic amplification (if applicable) when they apply.
- All cuts must be clearly marked in the submitted piano reduction. Cuts may not alter the musical integrity of the work.
- Memorization requirements are determined by the student's applied area. Contestants are responsible for following the expectations established by their applied faculty.
Time Limits
- Undergraduate Division: Maximum performance time of 12 minutes
- Graduate Division: Maximum performance time of 20 minutes
Timing does not include entering or exiting the stage or tuning.
Instrumental Repertoire
Instrumental entrants may perform one or more complete movements or approved excerpts that do not exceed the prescribed time limit.
Vocal Repertoire
- Undergraduate Division: Voice competitors may perform any aria or art song with orchestral accompaniment.
- Graduate Division: Voice competitors should select a substantial work for voice and orchestra, such as a concert aria or song cycle.
Any students with questions regarding repertoire should consult their department chair.
4. Preliminary Round
Each department determines the procedures for its own preliminary round, provided those procedures do not conflict with these guidelines.
If the number of applicants is below the established departmental quota, a preliminary round is not required. Departments are nevertheless encouraged to recommend only highly prepared performers.
Departments must submit the names of approved semifinalists to the Concerto Competition Committee Chairs (Matthew Reynolds and Jeongwon Ham) by 11:59pm on Saturday, January 30, 2027.
5. Semi-Final Round
Date: Sunday, February 7, 2027
Audition Time Limits
- Undergraduate Division: 6 minutes
- Graduate Division: 9 minutes
Repertoire
Contestants must perform the semifinal excerpt submitted with their application. Any changes must be approved by the Concerto Competition Committee prior to the competition.
Considering time constraints, orchestral/wind band tutti should be kept to a minimum.
Judging
Each division will be judged by eight faculty members:
- One representative from each of the seven Performance Departments
- One representative from the combined areas of Musicology, Ethnomusicology, General Education Studies, Theory, Composition, and Music Technology (MEGE/TCT)
Finalists will be announced by email before the end of the day.
6. Final Round
Date: Sunday, February 21, 2027
Audition Time Limits
- Undergraduate Division: 12 minutes
- Graduate Division: 20 minutes
Repertoire
Finalists must perform the final round work that they submitted on their application. Changes of repertoire after the application deadline are not permitted without approval of the Concerto Competition Committee.
Judging
The final round will be judged by three guest musicians from outside the University of Oklahoma.
Competition winners will be announced by email before the end of the day.
7. Competition Winners
- The decision of the judges is final.
- There will be two winners chosen for each division.
- In the event of a tie, the judging panel will deliberate until a final ranking is determined for any division.
- If the judges are inclined, they may pick an alternate/runner-up from either/both divisions.
- Anyone chosen as an alternate/runner-up will not perform with any of the large ensembles unless one of the winners is unable to perform.
- However, this is ultimately up to the large ensemble directors.
- Winners are expected to perform in the Concerto Aria concert or on a designated concert under the appropriate ensemble directors discretion.
- Winners whose repertoire involves wind band accompaniment may perform with either the Wind Symphony or the Symphony Band at the directors’ discretion.
- The ensemble conductor reserves the right not to program a selected work based on programming considerations, instrumentation, rehearsal demands, budget, or the availability of rental materials or performance parts.
8. Policies
Submission of an application constitutes the contestant's agreement to abide by these Competition Guidelines and all decisions of the Concerto Competition Committee.
The Concerto Competition Committee reserves the right to interpret these rules, determine eligibility, resolve situations not specifically addressed herein, and make administrative decisions necessary for the successful operation of the competition. All committee decisions are final.
9. Questions
If you have any questions, please contact one of the following members of the Concerto Committee, beginning with a chair / co-chair of the committee:
Myles Boothroyd
Justin Cook
Lorraine Ernest
Jeongwon Ham, Co-chair
Hyun Kim
Matthew Reynolds, Co-chair
Anthony Stoops
