Welcome to the Young Musicians Strings Festival page. Click a topic below to learn more.
What is the Strings Festival?
Information for Teachers, Parents and Students
The purpose of the Young Musicians Festival is to provide a non-competitive performance environment for students of public school age. Students benefit by hearing other students at a similar level perform, while practicing their performance skills. The students are encouraged to perform two contrasting selections from our list of suggested pieces in the YMF syllabus. These performances are adjudicated by 2 professionals who give written comments and a rating (1-5 points) on the student's performance. Each performer receives a certificate according to their achievement rating. Points accumulate annually and are noted on the student's records. When 15 points have been acquired, the student receives a gold cup. Further points are accumulated toward additional cups.
Who May Enter?
- Entrants must be under 19 years of age as of June 1st of the Festival year.
- Entrants may participate up to and including the senior year of high school.
What are the Requirements for Solo Performance?
Each participant is encouraged to perform 2 contrasting pieces. The first piece (Required piece) can be selected from the YMF repertoire list, or the list can be used a guideline to help the teacher and student choose an appropriate level piece. The contrasting piece (Choice piece) should be a different style, or from a different periods of history, or from a composer of a different nationality, etc. The 2 pieces should be generally of the same level of difficulty. Extra consideration will be made if one or both pieces are performed from memory. Concerto and ensemble classes have somewhat different requirements. The class level entered is ascertained by the teacher according to the student's ability and years of study.
How is a Gold Cup Earned?
Up to 5 points are earned annually and are duly recorded and accumulated on individual student records. When 15 points have been earned in a given event (e.g. solo, duet, concerto) the student receives a Gold Cup award for that event. Further points are accumulated toward a second or third gold cup. (It takes a minimum of 3 years to be awarded an engraved gold cup.)
What is the Purpose of Festival?
- Students have the opportunity to perform in a non-competitive setting.
- The performers have the opportunity to work with professional accompanists.
- Festival gives music students the opportunity to hear performances by other young people studying at their own level.
- Festival develops performance poise.
- Festival encourages further study by providing recognition for achievement at each level of musical progress and a further incentive to continue as outlined above in the Gold Cup program.
How Does the Festival Operate?
Students will perform with professional accompanists in a beautiful Concert Hall at the Emmanuel Church in Weston, Connecticut. The performers will be divided into recital classes, based on the number of participants in a given year, the student's level of performance and the students time availability. Solo performances and chamber ensembles may be on the same program. A typical class is made up of eight to twelve performances and lasts approximately one hour. Classes are open to family and friends. Anyone is welcome to attend as many recitals as we have scheduled.
Two adjudicators preside over each class writing comments and evaluating each performance. These adjudications may contain constructive criticism as well as praise for the musical achievements of each performer at his or her stage of studies. These comments are distributed by the student's teacher in the weeks following Festival.
Finally, points (up to a possible 5) are awarded for each performance. These evaluations are based on average ability, quality of preparation and excellence of the individual performance. Each performer receives a certificate indicating the number of points awarded.
Student and Teacher Fees for Participation
The Festival consists of a variety of events including solo, concerto and ensemble classes. The solo entry fee is $20. An additional charge of $50 is added if the solo performer needs piano accompaniment. The ensemble entry fee is $40 (per group); quartet entry fee is $50.
The music teacher must be a member in good standing of the Schubert Club or may become a new member of the Schubert Club here:
Festival Rules
ALL EVENTS
Revised 2/24/2021
Replaces all previous versions; In effect until replaced by a later version
GENERAL RULES FOR Strings FESTIVAL
SPONSOR ELIGIBILITY
- Every student must be sponsored annually by an individual teacher. Music schools may not be sponsors. The sponsoring teacher must be a paid-up member of THE SCHUBERT CLUB of FAIRFIELD COUNTY, INC. as of the deadline for Festival applications.
- The YMF is a non-profit, volunteer enterprise that relies on the active participation of all teachers involved.
Teachers entering students are encouraged to volunteer some time to serve as room monitors, day chairs or assistant day chairs.
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
- Entrants must be under 19 years of age as of June 1st of the Festival year.
- Entrants may participate up to and including the senior year of high school.
FEES & PAYMENT
- The cost for a solo or concerto application is $20; for a duo/duet application, $40, and for a quartet, $50.
- An accompanist fee of $50 is added if you employ our accompanists. This fee includes a rehearsal and the festival performance.
- Fees are not refundable.
- Only one check will be accepted from each teacher for all students (regular or special request)
- All checks must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2021.
REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS
- Applications (and the appropriate fees) with special requests must be received not later than March 1, 2021. Incomplete applications will be returned. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify entrants for infractions of these rules.
- One application must be completed for each soloist and one for each ensemble of two or more performers.
- In a given year, entrants may enter only one class in any one event.
- Include one check or money order payable to The Schubert Club. Multiple checks from individual families will be returned.
- No exceptions will be allowed for late registration nor will changes be made after the registration deadline.
SCORES, PHOTOCOPYING AND CHOICE OF MATERIAL
- Published scores of the required and choice pieces (not photocopies) must be provided for the judges. Permission must be sought from the publisher for music that is out of print, not just unavailable or temporarily out of stock.
- Each performer is encouraged to play one selection from the suggested current YMF Syllabus, and a contrasting piece of your choice. Separate Syllabi are available for woodwind and brass instruments.
- Entrants in all solo events are encouraged to perform two contrasting pieces: one from the Syllabus of suggested pieces and one contrasting selection that represents a comparable level of difficulty.
- Entrants in the concerto event are not required to play a choice piece. Only one movement of one concerto from the Syllabus of Required Pieces should be played.
- Entrants in all ensemble events are encouraged play a choice composition in addition to the required piece. The choice piece may be selected from the same collection or be composed by the same composer as the required piece.
REPEATS, OMISSIONS AND TIME LIMITS
- Teachers are asked to observe the following guidelines for time limits (combined required and choice compositions). If pieces are likely to exceed these limits (perhaps the required piece or concerto is a long one), please attach a note to the application for the Registrar.
Moderately Difficult - Difficult 8 minutes Very Difficult - Musically Advanced 10 minutes Concerti 15 minutes - Repeats should generally be omitted.
ENSEMBLE PARTNER SUBSTITUTION
In unavoidable circumstances a teacher or other student may substitute for an ensemble player (with no score being awarded to that player).
VIDEO RECORDING
Video taping will be allowed during Festival performances. Parents will be guided by the Room Monitors to set up equipment in advance of the class performances and to operate cameras from the back of the room to keep disruption at a minimum.
PROGRESSION
Entrants who receive a Gold rating should progress to a higher class in the following year except in the following cases:
- A new required piece at the old level works best for that student.
- The highest level class in an event may be entered repeatedly with a different required and choice piece
- Concerto entrants may stay in the same category (see Special Rules for the Piano Concerto Event below).
AWARDS & CERTIFICATES
- Each performance will receive a rating from the presiding judges: Gold (5 points), Blue (4 points) , Red (3 points), Green (2 points) or Yellow (1 point). A large certificate of the appropriate color will be issued to each Festival participant for each event entered. The number of consecutive Gold ratings earned will be noted on the Gold certificates. Points will be accumulated for each Instrument-Event. When 15 points have been earned the first Gold Cup will be awarded, pending points going toward a second cup, etc.
- Points in Senior Concerto classes are awarded on a different scale: Gold (8 points); Blue (7 points); Red (5 points), Green (3 points) or Yellow (1 point). A Gold Cup is awarded each time 15 points are accumulated. Second, third and fourth Gold Cups are successively larger.
- In ensemble events, points are awarded separately to each performer.
GOLD CUP PLAN
All points counted toward a Gold Cup must be earned in the same event, with one exception. High school seniors may aggregate points across performance events on a given instrument (i.e. Piano Solo, Piano Concerto and Piano Duet) and with composition
FURTHER INFORMATION
| Strings Chairperson: | Festival Registrar: |
Moira Schur Craw |