PREVIOUS WINNERS

Aria/Concerto Competition Rules

1. The Competition is open to any UConn junior, senior, or graduate student in any music degree program who is currently registered for applied study (MUSI 1221, 1222, 3222, 5323) during the Fall Semester, when the Competition takes place.
2. Any person who has won the competition in the previous academic year is ineligible.
3. The Competition will take place on Friday, November 6, 2026 from 12pm-3pm.
4. Submit your entry form. The approval of the applied instructor, and conductor of the relevant ensemble (Symphony Orchestra or Wind Ensemble) are required for an entry to be accepted. Entrants must provide a link to purchase information for scores and parts to their selection, or a quote from a publisher for rental.  See performance and rental information below for guidelines on sourcing parts. Submissions will be accepted beginning on September 28 and end on Oct. 16.  Entries received after the deadline will not be eligible for one of the eighteen (18) audition time slots available. Time slots will be assigned by the Music Office and communicated to all applicants.  It is the student's responsibility to communicate their audition time slot to their accompanist. 

Contestants’ selected works:

Vocalist contestants will prepare and perform at the audition and the concert a selection or selections that are no more than fifteen minutes in total length.

Instrumentalist contestants will prepare and perform at the audition and the concert one selection that is at least ten minutes in length and not longer than fifteen minutes.

While the judges will make an effort to strike a balance between vocalists and instrumentalists as well as graduates and undergraduates, quality will be the main consideration for determining the winner and/or winners. A maximum of three winners for the entire competition will be selected. Judges have the right to select no winners if no performance is deemed of winning quality.  Judges may also award honorable mentions.

The maximum audition time in the Competition is eight minutes exactly. Entrants should select for the audition an excerpt from the entire work(s) that best represent both their abilities and significant features of the music to be performed. Vocalists should be prepared to perform the entire selection.

5. The planned audition time in the Competition is eight minutes exactly.  Entrants should expect to at the end of their phrase at the 8-minute mark.
6. Works for soloists with an orchestral or wind ensemble accompaniment are acceptable for performance. Suitable genres include concert/operatic arias, songs, and concerti. Budget, time constraints, instrumentation, and ensemble technical demands may render some works unsuitable. Dr. McShee and Dr. Kim will be the sole judges of suitability. Potential entrants are advised to consult with them, and to have purchase/rental information in hand well before committing to a work. 
7. The music must be memorized for the performance and the competition. The memorization requirement can be waived only if the work is relatively new and the student has approval from both their studio teacher and the conductor (refer to item #6 regarding suitability). 
8. Winners will perform with the orchestra or wind ensemble on March 4th, 2027, at 7:30PM or Symphonic Wind Ensemble on April 8th, 2027, at 7:30PM.  Any accepted contestant who is unable to attend the Competition on November 6th, 2026 or the performance will be disqualified. Arranging an alternative audition day and time or an alternative performance time is not possible. 
9. Students must upload a piano score of their selection. An upload link will be sent out well ahead of the competition.
10. The competition will be open to students and faculty. Designated seating will be available in von der Mehden Recital Hall. Contestants should be prepared for quiet circulation in and out of the hall during the Competition. 
11. The results of the Competition will be announced by the Music Department Office soon after the competition.
12. Score/Part Sourcing: Entrants must include in their entry materials purchase or rental information for score and parts for their selected work. Students may consult the Ensemble Library Catalog for music department holdings. Links to common sources for parts are linked below. If a selection is Rental-Only, students will need to submit a copy of an estimate for the rental with their entry form. For arias, the parts must be excerpted, and not the full opera. Entries whose rental or purchase costs exceed $750 will be deemed ineligible. In the interest of equity, students may not pay for rentals themselves. 

Common Purchasing Sources  

• sheetmusicplus.com
• www.emsmusic.com  
• www.lucksmusic.com  
• www.jwpepper.com  
• https://www.pocket-publications.com (for opera selections that don’t exist in excerpted form) 

Rental Sourcing 

• www.zinfonia.com 
• You will need to create an account 
• For the quote request specify March 4th at 7:30PM in von der Mehden and the conductor of the relevant ensemble. 

N.B: Make every effort to obtain this information early so as to have enough time to select alternative repertoire if necessary.