CIMF Concerto Competition

We are pleased to invite all youth musicians applying to the Summer 2025 Chamber & Orchestra Performance Program (COPP) to participate in the festival’s concerto competition. Open to all instruments, the winning musician will perform their piece with the CIMF Orchestra, led by conductor Eric Mahl, on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The winning musician will rehearse with the orchestra during the COPP program and receive instruction from CIMF artist-faculty and guest artists throughout the week. This competition will be a wonderful experience, not just for the winner, but for all applicants who go through the process of putting together a concerto movement, performing it publicly with an accompanist, and receiving feedback. We look forward to hearing all the musicians who choose to enter the competition and to the winner’s performance with the CIMF Orchestra.
 

To apply for the competition, you must have submitted an application to the Summer 2025 Chamber & Orchestra Performance Program (COPP).  The concerto competition will take place on Sunday, May 18, 2025 from 3:00-6:00 PM at Jesse Lee Church in Ridgefield, CT.  The deadline to apply to the competition is Friday, May 9th.

Concerto Competition Guidelines:

• Musician must have his/her piece “performance ready” in order to participate in the competition.  

• Maximum time length of a piece or movement of a concerto played for the competition is 20 minutes.

• Musician must have a piano accompanist for the competition.

• Musician does not have to have music memorized, but it is encouraged.

• Musician should dress appropriately for the competition performance.

• Musician must send a copy of his/her music to cimf@wctyo.org by Monday, May 12th.

• A performance time will be assigned in the afternoon of Sunday, May 18, 2025.  Please check your calendar before you submit your application to be aware of possible conflicts with this date!

• Participants should plan to arrive at the competition location 20 minutes prior to the assigned time to tune and warm-up.  Participants who arrive late and are not ready to perform at their assigned time will be skipped and all owed to perform at the end of the competition IF time allows. Please note:  There are no accommodations to warm-up with your accompanist at the competition location the day of the competition.

• The decision of the judges with respect to a winner is final.

• The winner of the competition will appear as a soloist with the CIMF Orchestra in concert on Thursday, August 7, 2025.