Bolz Young Artist Competition Signup - The Madison Symphony Orchestra

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Bolz Young Artist Competition

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The Bolz Young Artist Competition is a highly regarded statewide competition in which Wisconsin’s young musicians compete for scholarships and the opportunity to perform as soloists with the Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The third and final round of the competition will be broadcast to audiences statewide in partnership with PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR). Each winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship and the Marian Bolz Prize for Distinguished Musical Achievement or the Steenbock Youth Music Award. The first place winner will perform at the Spring Young People's Concert for an audience of their peers on Thursday, March 6, at 10:00 a.m. Two Honorable Mention scholarships of $1,000 will also be awarded.

The competition is open to Wisconsin residents in grades 9-12. Previous winners may not compete in consecutive years on the same instrument. Contracted musicians of the MSO are ineligible. Throughout all rounds of competition, the judges’ decisions are final.

A $35 non-refundable entry fee, payable to the Madison Symphony Orchestra, MUST accompany the submission and be received before or on the submission deadline. Applicants should fill out the form below in its entirety to make a submission for the Bolz Young Artist Competition. Applicants will receive an automated confirmation email upon successful submission of the form below. With any questions, contact Lisa Kjentvet at lkjentvet@madisonsymphony.org. The deadline to make a submission is Friday, December 13, 2024.

Soloist Information

Name*

First Last

Current Age*

Birth Date*

Instrument*

Years of Study

Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code

Telephone*

Parent Email*

Student Email*

School*

Grade Level*

Parent(s)/Guardian(s)*

Musical Selection

Musical Selection*

Movement (if applicable)

Composer*

Duration*

Music Publisher/Edition*

Accompanist Information

Name*

First Last

Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Telephone*

Email*

Private Teacher Information

Name*

First Last

Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Telephone*

Email*

Special Requests?

Special Requests

Please enter any questions, comments, or other special requests you may have about your registration here.

Payment Information

Registration Fee of $35*

Select a payment option from below

Deliver check to Lisa Kjentvet at 222 W. Washington Ave., Suite 460, Madison, WI 53703 (must be received on or before deadline for submission)

Pay by Credit Card

Bolz Young Artist Competition Fee

Credit Card*

American Express

MasterCard

Visa

Card Number

Expiration Date

Security Code Cardholder Name

Rules

PRELIMINARY ROUND

Saturday, January 4, 2025

Total performance time shall not exceed 15 minutes, with allowable cuts to the appropriate tutti sections. No cuts may be made to the solo part. In the final performance, any and all cuts must be approved by the MSO.
During all rounds of the competition auditions must be accompanied by the piano reduction of the score. It is the applicant’s responsibility to secure his or her own accompanist.
Memorization is required.
Applicants may audition on one instrument only.
Approximately eight musicians will advance to the Semi-Final round.
Written comments from the Preliminary Round, only, will be mailed to participants.

SEMI-FINAL ROUND

Thursday, January 9, 2025 (evening)

Semi-finalists must perform the same repertoire as in the Preliminary Round.
Cameras from PBS Wisconsin may be present to record this round of competition for The Final Forte broadcast. PBS Wisconsin representatives may request one-on-one interviews with semi-finalists.
The four musicians who advance to the Final Round will be notified immediately following the Semi-Finals.

FINAL ROUND "THE FINAL FORTE"

On Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 7 p.m., the four finalists will perform with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in Overture Hall. This performance will also be broadcast on PBS Wisconsin and WPR to statewide audiences.

The four finalists MUST be available for rehearsals on March 3 and 4 from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The first place winner must be available to perform at the Spring Young People's Concert on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. They will also be invited to perform at other symphony events, such as Symphony at Sunset (date TBD).
The winners and honorable mentions will be announced during the live performance and broadcast.

Acknowledgement*

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Parent/Guardian Electronic Signature*

Name

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A special thank-you to Farley’s House of Pianos for providing the pianos for our Young Artist Competition auditions.

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