The Complete Guide to ICA Performing Competitions

Are you a top-flight high school clarinetist, a young artist seeking to test your skills, or an aspiring orchestral player? If so, the International Clarinet Association has a competition for you!

There are three annual performance-based competitions offered through the International Clarinet Association, the High School Competition, Orchestral Audition Competition, and Young Artist Competition.

Here are some details about each of the 2020 competitions:

High School Competition

• Eligibility: Competition participants must be 18 years old or younger as of June 30, 2020.
• Application: Deadline for the submission of application and other application materials is Monday, April 1, 2020.
• High School Solo Competition Coordinator: Elizabeth Gunlogson
• Application Fee: $75 USD
• Repertoire: Monolog 3 by Erland Von Koch; Sonatina by Antoni Szalowski
• First Prize: $1,000 USD
• Second Prize: $750 USD
• Third Prize: $500 USD

For additional information about the High School Competition, click here.

Orchestral Audition Competition

• Eligibility: The competition is open to clarinetists of all ages who are not employed full-time as salaried members of a professional symphony orchestra.
• Application: Deadline for the submission of application and other application materials is Monday, April 1, 2020.
• Orchestral Audition Competition Coordinator: Todd Waldecker
• Application Fee: $75 USD
• Repertoire (1st Clarinet)
  1. Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 – Mvt. 1, mm. 418-438 and 474-492; Mvt. II, mm.68-77; Mvt. III, mm. 114-133
  2. Brahms: Symphony No. 3 – Mvt. 1, mm. 36-46; Mvt. II, beginning to (B)
  3. Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night’s Dream – Scherzo; beginning to (B)
  4. Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf – rehearsal (20) (Nervoso) until (21)
  5. Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 – Mvt. III, Beginning to (47)
  6. Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé Suite No. 2 – Beginning to three measures after (157); three measures after (212) to end
  7. Respighi: Pines of Rome – Mvmt. III; one measure before (13) until (15)
  8. Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherezade – Mvt. II, cadenzas from (F) to (G); Mvt. III, opening until (A); Mvt. IV, (I) to (K)
• First Prize: $1000.00 USD and a Chedeville clarinet mouthpiece
• Second Prize: $500.00 USD and a Chedeville clarinet mouthpiece

For additional information about the Orchestral Audition Competition, click here.

Young Artist Competition

• Eligibility: The competition is open to all clarinetists who shall not have reached the age of 27 by January 1, 2021 (i.e., born on or after January 1, 1994) and are not currently under major artist management.
• Application: Deadline for the submission of application materials is Monday, April 1, 2020.
• Young Artist Competition Coordinator: Denise Gainey
• Application Fee: $75 USD
• Repertoire: Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622, Mvt. 1, Allegro – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Bärenreiter); Gryphon for Solo Clarinet – Theresa Martin (www.theresamartin.net); Sonata for Clarinet and Piano (all) – Carlos Guastavino (Melos Musik)
• First prize – $2,500 USD and a professional clarinet to be announced
• Second prize – $1,000 USD
• Third prize – $500 USD

For additional information about the Young Artist Competition, click here.

Keep in mind that all applicants must be current members of the ICA, so please make sure that your your membership is up to date. Read through the links for each competition for detailed instructions addressing application requirements, materials, deadlines, and updates.

Check out the ICA Blog next week for tips and advice to help you prepare for these competitions.