Competitions have many moving parts, from schedules and eligibility rules to application fees, jury members, and travel arrangements.

We've collected all the salient details for the top competitions around the world and put those details through our filter to make them as clear and usable as possible.

COVER PHOTO: Angela Sin Ying Chan, Hong Kong, and Matthias Well, Germany, at The Remarkables mountains above Queenstown, New Zealand, during a recent Michael Hill International Violin Competition.
CREDIT: ⓒ Sheena Haywood Photography

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The Azrieli Music Prizes—the brainchild of Sharon Azrieli CQ—celebrate excellence in composition through four prizes, each valued at $200,000 CAD: The Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music, the Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music, the Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music, and the Azrieli Commission for International Music.

Cedille Records, acclaimed nonprofit Chicago-based classical music label, announces its second Emerging Artists Competition. The competition will be open to vocalists, individual musicians, and ensembles of up to six people that reside in or hail from the Chicago metro area. The winner will record and release an album on Cedille Records.

The NATS Art Song Composition Award program's purpose is to stimulate the creation of quality vocal literature through the cooperation of singer and composer. The performance of the first-place winning composition will be premiered at a national NATS event.

The biennial NATS Artist Awards competition (NATSAA) is designed to assist classical singers prepared to launch a professional career.

The National Musical Theatre Competition awards prizes to the best of musical theatre's emerging career, performing artists. Enter the premier solo singing competition for musical theatre's singing actors, presented by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Past winners are finding success on Broadway and in prominent national productions.

The exciting experience of NATS Student Auditions continues in 2024 with a national round for classical, musical theatre, commercial music, and spiritual categories. These diverse NATS auditions offer categories for children, youth, high school, post-high, advanced, and adults.

Panama City Symphony's inaugural competition will identify, adjudicate, and celebrate the talents of young artists. A prestigious competition in which eligible high school and college students will compete for monetary prizes and professional awards, including recordings, solo recitals, and a featured performance with Panama City Symphony Orchestra.

The Stulberg Competition was founded in 1975 in memory of Julius Stulberg, beloved teacher and conductor of the Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestras. The Stulberg provides performance and educational opportunities for young musicians as they prepare for their college studies and launch their performance careers.

Promote the vocal repertoire of Czech and Slovak composers for young singers, raise the awareness and appreciation of the rich heritage of Czech and Slovak music to the singers and to audiences, create unique performing opportunities for promising young singers, and further the artistic growth of these young singers.

Entrants will submit a videotaped performance of two contrasting movements of a J.S. Bach work written for unaccompanied string instrument (Sonatas, Partitas or Suites). Finalists will perform complete work at the finals on October 17, 2024. Grand Prize is $5,000 and several performing engagements; second place is $1,000.

Founded in 1949, the Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition is rich in both tradition and innovation and is regarded as one of the most successful institutions of its kind. Its biennial structure includes the Glocal Piano Project and final stages that are both intensively followed by audiences worldwide.

The William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition was started by William C. Byrd, conductor of the Flint Symphony Orchestra, for the purpose of helping launch careers for young musicians. Following his untimely death, the St. Cecilia Society of Flint, MI has continued to sponsor the annual classical music competition. The upcoming competitions are: strings, 2025; winds and brass, 2026; voice, 2027; and piano, 2028.

Now in its 40th Anniversary season, the Colorado College Summer Music Festival is an intensive three-week program for 54 advanced student musicians, including violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, piano, and conducting. The participants are chosen from a field of hundreds of applicants to take part in this unique program of learning and public performances.

Founded in 1939, the Concours de Genève is one of the world's leading international music competitions. It aims at discovering, promoting and supporting young talented artists, giving them the necessary tools to launch an international career. Next Competition: Voice and Composition 2024.

The Cooper International Competition for young musicians, ages 13 to 18, alternates annually between piano and violin; the next competition focuses is in 2025 and focuses on violin. Rounds are open to the public and streamed live. Finals feature the top three competitors in a full concerto with orchestra. Prizes total $40,000 cash, career consulting, concerts, and two-year loan of rare violin.

The 51st Annual Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition takes place May 10-12, 2024, in South Bend, IN, at The University of Notre Dame. The competition is open to ensembles with 3 to 6 members and includes both senior and junior divisions. More than $50,000 in prize money will be awarded.

The mission of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition is to encourage and support excellence in the performance of classical piano music by showcasing the talents of young pianists on the threshold of their careers in competitions adjudicated by internationally acclaimed judges, and to offer additional performance opportunities.

The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir announces its 15th annual Holiday Carol Commission Competition as part of its commitment to the future of choral music.

Since 1982, the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition has been one of the world’s best-networked singing competitions, with qualifying rounds in about 70 cities worldwide each year. The singers are judged by a jury consisting of artistic and casting directors from the world's most prestigious opera houses.

Total of up to $68,000 in prizes, with equal prizes for each instrument. The JIC is funded by a charitable trust established by Anna Storch Johansen, who wanted to encourage young musicians with significant prize awards at a time when they need it most.

Competition is open to professional brass chamber ensembles of all nationalities and to any of these ensembles:
-Quartets: four trombones; four horns; four tubas; three tubas and one euphonium; two tubas and two euphoniums
-Quintets: two trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba

The 2nd Ljubljana Festival International Piano Competition will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2026. It will be open to pianists of any nationality born between 1995 and 2009 and organized with the aim of encouraging young and talented pianists and rewarding their excellence.

International Music Competition with a Winners Concert at Merkin Hall in New York City. There will be the Grand Prix Award of $5,000, with thousands in other cash prizes and scholarships and an esteemed panel of judges. There will be video quarterfinals, live semifinals, and finals (Zoom available); three age categories (no age limit for adults).

The MTNA National Competitions are the most successful and prestigious student competitions in the country. The purpose of the Music Teachers National Association Performance competitions is to provide educational experiences for students and to recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in their pursuit of musical excellence.

The next National Chopin Piano Competition will be held in 2025. Open to U.S. citizens who perform at a professional level and held every five years, the National Competition follows the rules of the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw. U.S. top winners are automatically accepted to compete in Warsaw.

The National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) offers awards in several categories for ages 5 and up—more than $750,000 in competition and award prizes on the local, state, and national level. The Biennial Young Artist and Ellis Duo-Pianists competitions award a total of $92,000 in awards and two years of performance bookings. Additional competitions include voice, instrumental music, composition, dance, conducting, handicapped and visually impaired, and music therapy. NFMC also sponsors more than 38 annual and biennial awards for students desiring to attend the 20 sponsored Summer Music Centers.

A first in the world of competitions and a unique feature of the NYIPC: no participant is eliminated in the course of the competition. The Foundation presents a cash award to each of the contestants not receiving a major prize. The NYIPC includes seminars, master classes, ensemble playing, and concert and recital appearances. $60,000 in cash prizes.

PRISMA's annual Concerto Competition provides young, talented instrumentalists with an opportunity to showcase their musical prowess and win prizes. Participants chosen from the Preselection Round will perform during the Competition Round with piano. A winner from each category (Strings and Other) will play solo with the PRISMA Festival Orchestra.

Begun in 1997 following a bequest to the Allentown Symphony Association from Edwin H. and Leigh W. Schadt. Alternates biennially between violin and cello.

The first prize is $12,000 and solo concerto with the ASO. Second prize is $5,000 and a solo recital engagement; third prize is $2,500.

In addition to special features such as a top-class jury giving comprehensive feedback, which is extended during the finals with concert presenters, the competition offers a highlight in the category Lied with its commissioned work—to be performed after 36 hours of study time. The competition will involve: duo for voice and piano (Lied); trio for piano, violin and violoncello; piano duo; and composition piano trio.

The Claudette Sorel Piano Competition and Fellows Program is open to talented high school pianists of all nationalities. Designed to support and nurture young artists, we are looking for pianists with great artistic vision who are passionate about piano performance and repertoire; contestants will choose their own repertoire.

TROMP International Percussion Competition (WFIMC-member) is the leading competition for solo percussion worldwide. Investing in the future careers of the winners, TROMP provides concert engagements in internationally acclaimed concert halls and festivals, both solo and with renowned ensembles.

The Eighth TIBC welcomes pianists ages 8 to 28 from all over the world who pursue the musical ideals espoused by the late Mme. Rosalyn Tureck. The competition consists of eight categories divided by repertoire difficulty. Competitors may compete in up to three categories and are required to perform a contemporary work.

The Competition celebrates the art of the song recital and honours the Lied’s place at the heart of the genre. The Competition has grown in status and prestige since its foundation in 1997 and continues to attract international singers and pianists keen to embark on significant recital careers.

The Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition is one of the most prestigious quartet competitions in the world. The Competition is held under the auspices of Wigmore Hall, the leading venue for chamber music. It attracts the best young quartets and offers excellent career development opportunities to prizewinners.