Contemporary Music Festival – Rules and Guidelines

1. All rules under “Branch Guidelines and Fees” apply to this festival unless they conflict with the specific rules for this Festival.

2. The purpose of the Contemporary Festival is for the exploration of new art music. This festival is for students in grades K-12. Repertoire should be Level III or higher. Students may play music composed after January 1, 1920; however all music composed by Sergei Prokofiev, Bela Bartok and Igor Stravinsky will be accepted regardless of the date of composition. Jazz, pop, show tunes, arrangements and method materials are not permitted. Piano transcriptions of the music of Astor Piazzolla are now permitted as they are in the Certificate of Merit Program.

3. Student entries must be accurate and with complete information given for the title, opus, date of composition, and timing of each piece. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Use the official Contemporary Festival Application form, one for each student, duo, or ensemble.

4. The festival fee is $22.00 per student, duo, or ensemble (Levels Prep, 1 & 2) and $27 per student, duo, or ensemble for Levels 3 – 10..

5. There are no restrictions concerning the number of students each teacher may enter. However, at the branch level, compositions are limited to six minutes for each performer. For compositions longer than six minutes, the teacher may make cuts or ask that the judges cut the performance at the six-minute mark. Tuning time must not exceed one minute.

6. A soloist may also perform as a member of an ensemble or duo team. In the case of piano duos, please clearly differentiate on the application form whether the piece is for one piano 4-hands or for two pianos.

7. All keyboard music must be memorized, with the exception of difficult avant-garde works (chairperson should be consulted to authorize this exception), pieces with non-conventional (modern) notation, and ensemble music. Memorization is not required for strings, woodwinds, or voice.

8. On the day of the festival, students must bring an original copy of their music for the judges, clipped open, measures numbered. Photocopies are not acceptable unless the music is out of print or an ensemble needs a page turn. If a composition is out of print, it is required that some form of documentation to that effect be given to the Festival Chair on the day of the festival before the composition is played.