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Entries are invited to the IAO/RCO Playing Competition for Young Organists, closing date Saturday 29 February at 1300.
A joint IAO and RCO promotion, the competition will be held during the next IAO Music Festival in Edinburgh in July 2020. The semi-finals will be held in St Cuthbert's Church on Saturday 25 July, and the final will take place on Sunday 26 July.
Applicants should be no younger than 18 and no older than 26 on 1 July 2020.
Adjudicators:
Prizes:
With recitals available to prizewinners courtesy of:
HOW TO ENTER
For the IAO-RCO Organ Playing Competition 2020, six competitors will be chosen from recordings to participate in the semi-final round. From there, three competitors will be selected to go through to the final. To enter, applicants must complete the Competition Application Form [click here to download] and return it, with appropriate proof of age, to Andrew Macintosh at andrew.macintosh@rco.org.uk
In addition, applicants should submit (on the same day the Competition Application Form is sent) a single unedited sound file (video is not required) lasting 7–10 minutes. The recording must include one of J. S. Bach’s trio movements (a chorale prelude or a movement from a trio sonata) and any other work(s) of choice. The recording should be sent to Andrew Macintosh at andrew.macintosh@rco.org.uk using a file transfer service such as wetransfer.com
The entry charge is £50, to be paid on the same day the Competition Application Form is sent. Payment should be made by phoning RCO Bookings on 020 3865 6998.
Closing date for applications: Saturday 29 February 2020 at 13:00
Recordings will be passed to the adjudication panel for shortlisting and successful applicants will be contacted no later than Friday 13 March 2020. Applicants selected to go through to the semi-final round will be offered free bed and breakfast accommodation in Edinburgh from 24 to 26 July inclusive. Unsuccessful applicants will have £25 returned to them.
REPERTOIRE
Semi-final
A balanced programme of the applicant’s choosing, lasting around 20 minutes. The programme should consist of at least three contrasting pieces and include a work or movement by Louis Vierne, the 150th anniversary of whose birth falls in 2020. As a guide, the repertoire should be of Diploma level.
The semi-final rounds will be held on Saturday 25 July. Three competitors from the semi-final will go through to the final, which will take place on Sunday 26 July.
The specification of the instrument can be found on NPOR.
Arrangements for practice will be made at a later stage.
Final
A balanced programme of the applicant’s choosing, lasting around 40 minutes. Some repertoire from the semi-final round may be included. The final will be held on Sunday 26 July. Arrangements for practice will be made known at a later stage.
INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS
Before completing the Competition Application Form, applicants should note the following Conditions of Entry:
Are you ready to apply? Please make sure you fill in all sections of the Competition Application Form, including the signed statement from a professional musician. Your recording should be submitted, and your entry payment made, on the same day. Please remember that the deadline for the receipt of applications is 13:00 on Saturday 29 February.