The 2025 Guide covers a vast range of competitions, with cash prizes from zero to big bucks, low to high visibility, and small to substantial application fees. But a win will often bring more than cash—performances, for example, or career guidance or a recording.

We take months to collect and sift all the critical details for the top competitions so you can make your best decisions.

COVER PHOTO: Prize winners of the International Singing Competition NEUE STIMMEN 2024, October 11, 2024, Gütersloh, Germany. Left to right: Trevor Haumschilt-Rocha, Seray Pinar, Lin Fan, Brian Dickie, Anita Monserrat, Magdalena Lucjan, Alejandro Baliñas Vieites, Teona Todua, Finn Sagal, Ian Rucker
CREDIT: Besim Mazhiqi, photographer

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Created by Sharon Azrieli CQ for the Azrieli Foundation, the Azrieli Music Prizes celebrate excellence in composition through four prizes, each valued at CA$200,000: 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.

Hailed by musicians, media and critics as one of the world's most important competitions for launching a professional career in violin, The Indianapolis will celebrate its 12th Quadrennial Competition in 2026, searching the globe for the finest young talents and propelling them onto the concert scene.

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.

Entrants will submit a videotaped performance of contrasting movements of a J.S. Bach work written for unaccompanied string instrument (sonatas, partitas, ors). Finalists will play complete work at the finals on October 16, 2025. Grand Prize is $10,000 and five performing engagements; second place is $2,500.

The William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition was started by the late 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 Competition in the coming years will focus on winds and brass (2026), voice (2027), piano (2028), and strings (2029).

The 52nd Annual Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition takes place May 9-11, 2025, in South Bend, IN, at The University of Notre Dame. The competition is open to ensembles with three to six members and includes both senior and junior divisions. Over $60,000 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 thresholds of their careers in competitions adjudicated by internationally acclaimed judges, and to offer additional performance opportunities.

The International Alliance for Women in Music (IAWN) advocates for women in music around the globe and promotes their music through concerts, competitions, conferences, and grants.

Since 1982, the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition has been one of the world’s best networked singing competitions, with qualifying rounds in more than 50 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.

La Maestra is an International Competition and Academy for Women Conductors co-directed by the Paris Mozart Orchestra and the Philharmonie de Paris. In 2026, La Maestra will provide a high-profile platform for 16 outstanding women conductors who will compete in front of an international jury.

The Ljubljana Festival International Competition - Piano 2026 will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from February 21 to March 1, 2026. It will be organized with the aim of encouraging young, talented pianists and rewarding their excellence. The competition will be held in three rounds, round 1, semifinals, and finals.

The Music Teachers National Association competitions are the most successful and prestigious student competitions in the country. The purpose of the MTNA 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 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 and two years of performance bookings. Additional competitions are sponsored by the Federation in a wide range of categories. NFMC also sponsors more than 38 annual and biennial awards for students desiring to attend the 20 sponsored Summer Music Centers.

For three decades, The Parkhouse Award has been discovering outstanding young ensembles of piano with strings worldwide, presenting them in London and across the United Kingdom for the best possible start to their careers. Support and advice are offered over a two-year period with continuing support thereafter.

The Competition began in 1997 following a bequest to the Allentown Symphony Association from Edwin H. and Leigh W. Schadt. The Competition alternates biennially between violin and cello. The first prize is $12,000 and a solo concerto with the ASO; second prize is $5,000 and a solo recital engagement. Third Prize is $2,500.

The Ralph Votapek Young Artist International Piano Competition at Michigan State University offers pianists, 14 to 18 year old, the chance to compete for over $10,000 in prizes, including $5,000 for first place. Held August 14-17, 2025, it features live-audience performances, master classes, program tours, and access to advanced facilities.

The Washington International Competition for piano, voice, strings, and composition occurs annually each spring in three-year rotation: 2025 Strings & Composition, 2026 Voice, 2027 Piano. Semifinalists receive feedback from distinguished jurors. Winners receive substantial cash awards and the opportunity to perform in recital or as soloist with orchestras in prestigious Washington venues.

The Competition celebrates the art of the song recital and honors 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 prize winners.