Eligibility

Age

Applicants must be age 26 or under on the day of the application deadline.

Residency

Applicants must be residents of the state of California at the time of application submission.

Repertoire

Concerto Selection

Any concerto for your instrument may be selected for the competition. Major works not in concerto format may be considered as substitution but must be approved by our artist board. Works must have parts available in the public domain or by rental. If you are unsure if your repertoire qualifies, we recommend reaching out to our office for confirmation before submitting an application.

Preliminary Round (Recording, Blind Round)

1. The entire first or last movement of your concerto (with cadenza if applicable).

2. The required compulsory works for your instrument.

* Each work may be submitted as a separate video or as one continuous video.
* Each video must be recorded between January 1st and the application deadline on the year of the competition.
* No editing is permitted (no audio or video splicing, or alteration of speed).
* Each work must be recorded in a single take without pauses or cuts.
* Professional-level audio recording and mixing is highly recommended (but not required).
* The performer’s face, instrument, and hands must be visible in the recording.
* Videos must be submitted through YouTube with privacy set to “Unlisted.” 

Semi-Final Round (Live Concerto Audition)

Semi-finalists will be given a 25-minute slot to perform for the competition jury:

1. The entire first or last movement of your concerto (with cadenza if applicable).

2. An excerpt of between 2 to 3 minutes in length of each of the remaining movements.

* Item 1 must be the same as selected in the Preliminary Round.

Final Round (Live Recital)

Finalists will perform in a live recital for the competition jury as well as an audience and live broadcast:

1. The entire first or last movement of your concerto (with cadenza if applicable).

2. A selection of ONE of the compulsory pieces from the Preliminary Round.

3. A selection of any other work(s) to complete the recital program.

* Piano: Recital must be 40 to 50 minutes in length. Brass: Recital must be 30 to 40 minutes in length.

* Concerto movement and compulsory work must be the same as selected in the Preliminary Recording.

* Additional Final Round works may be solo or accompanied works.

Compulsory Works: Piano

1. A prelude and fugue from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier OR two movements from a Bach Suite

2. An Etude from Chopin’s op. 10 or op. 25

Compulsory Works: Brass

1. One movement of a Baroque of Classical period work.

2. One movement of a work composed after 1940.

* At least one of these works must be composed for unaccompanied instrument.

** All works must be performed by memory.


Location

Semi-Final Round

Semi-final round will be held at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center Audition Room in Thousand Oaks

Piano Division: 9 AM to 2 PM
Piano Division Results: 4 PM
Brass Division: 2:30 PM to 6 PM
Brass Division Results: 8 PM

Final Round

Final round will be held live and open to the public at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center Scherr Forum in Thousand Oaks

Piano Division: 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Brass Division: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Awards Ceremony 7 PM

Prizes and Soloist Engagement

Cash Prizes

Cash prizes are distributed immediately at the awards ceremony, with the exception of first prize winners. 50% of the first prize will be paid immediately at the awards ceremony, and the remaining half as a performance fee upon performance of your concerto with CYAS in the upcoming season.

Soloist Engagement – Recording

Recording engagements are offered finalists selected by the jury and are not restricted to first-prize winners. Recordings are scheduled throughout the season between the artists and partnering studios.

Soloist Engagement – Concerto

Contestants agree to be available to perform their full concertos (all movements) with orchestra during the upcoming CYAS season. Specific dates will be available as soon as possible after the competition, but are usually released in June.

If for emergency reasons you are unable to perform, your artist fee will go towards your replacement artist. Other finalists may be offered the opportunity to perform if the first prize winner does not perform.


Additional Information

Accompanists

Contestants are responsible for their own accompanists for the competition. If you require a staff accompanist, we will help you coordinate ahead of the semi-final and final rounds. Staff accompanists will be available to rehearse the week of the semi-final rounds.

Jury

The jury is selected from members of our artist board as well as distinguished performers and educators with a national platform. Jury members are required to have musicians immediately studying with them as contestants of the competition.

CYAS Members

Application fees for CYAS Fellows and Alumni are waived.

Performance Criteria
Jury members consider the following criteria when judging applicants:

– Quality of performance
– Artistry and interpretation
– Audience effect and presentation
– Technical and artistic difficulty of repertoire
– Strength of resume and CV, professionalism
– A portion of the preliminary round will be judged “blind.”

Jury’s Decision

The decisions of the jury is final. The jury reserves the right to award the soloist engagements to any or no finalist.