Rules & Regulations

Repertoire Requirements

• All works must be performed by memory (including preliminary round audition VHS/DVD).
• Repertoire from the preliminary recording may be repeated in the semi-final or final rounds. Repertoire performed in the semi-final round may not be repeated in the final round.
• Any changes to an applicant's submitted program must be communicated to the competition committee no later than Nov. 21, 2008 and are subject to approval.

The 4^th Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition

Preliminary Round
Performance duration: 20-25 minutes

• A videotape or DVD recording of the applicant's free choice repertoire with an obligatory performance of a first movement from a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert

Semi-final Round
Performance duration: 20-25 minutes

• One virtuoso etude by Chopin or Liszt
• Free choice repertoire

Final Round
Performance duration: 35-40 minutes

• One complete work of the classical period by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert
• Free choice repertoire covering at least one other style period

The 4^th Schimmel USASU Young Artists International Senior Piano Competition (ages 16-18)

Preliminary Round
Performance duration: 15-20 minutes

• A videotape or DVD recording of the applicant's free choice repertoire with an obligatory performance of a first movement from a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert

Semi-final Round
Performance duration: 15-20 minutes

• One virtuoso etude by Chopin or Liszt
• Free choice repertoire

Final Round
Performance duration: 25-30 minutes

• One complete work of the classical period by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert
• Free choice repertoire covering at least one other style period

The 4^th Schimmel USASU Young Artists International Junior Piano Competition (ages 13-15)

Preliminary Round
Performance duration: 10-15 minutes

• A videotape or DVD recording of the applicant's free choice repertoire with an obligatory performance of a first movement from a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert

Semi-final Round
Performance duration: 10-15 minutes

• One virtuoso etude by Chopin, Liszt or Moszkowski
• Free choice repertoire

Final Round
Performance duration: 15-20 minutes

• One complete work of the classical period by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Schubert (this may include a movement from a sonata)
• Free choice repertoire covering at least one other style period

General Information

• Bösendorfer USASU & Schimmel USASU International Competitions are open to pianists of any nationality.
• Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition, ages 19-32.
• Schimmel USASU International Senior Piano Competition, ages 16-18.
• Schimmel USASU International Junior Piano Competition, ages 13-15.
• The age-qualifying date for all categories is Jan. 1, 2009.
• Former first-prize winners of the Bösendorfer/Schimmel International Piano Competitions may not re-enter.

Competition Performances

• All performances are open to the public.
• Each competition will consist of three rounds: preliminary taped audition; semi-final round*; final round.*
• The order in which competitors appear in the semi-final round will be determined by drawing lots and will remain in effect through the final round. All competitors will be notified of the date of the drawing, which will take place on the eve of the first day of the competitions. The drawing will be followed by an informational meeting that is compulsory for all competitors.
• The order of works to be performed in any of the rounds may be determined by the competitor.

*held at the School of Music at Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, Jan. 4-10, 2009.

Entrance Procedures

• All applicants must use the official competition entry form to enter the competition. Apply Now. The application form must be mailed with accompanying materials.
• Changes in the repertoire will not be allowed after Nov. 21, 2008.
• Each entry must be accompanied by:
• Proof of age - photocopies accepted (e.g., birth certificate; passport; driver's license; government-issued photo ID).
• Short curriculum vitae with three subheadings: musical education (including list of institutions attended and teachers, in chronological order); concerts performed; prizes and awards received.
• For the Bösendorfer and Schimmel Senior Competitions, please provide a list of complete concerti or other works for piano and orchestra that are ready for performance.
• Copies of any published references to musical activities, if available, such as press material.
• Two copies of a high-quality recording labeled with applicant's full name and competition in DVD or VHS (NTSC-North American format). Stereo sound must be recorded directly with no post-production editing.
• Recent color photograph in a high-quality jpeg format, sent electronically to pianocompetition@asu.edu. Alternatively, a glossy photograph, minimum size 5"x7" (13x8cm) vertical, may be sent by mail along with other application materials. No application or supporting materials will be returned.
• Application fee of $100 (U.S. dollars) must be mailed with the application package.

*Please write competition applicant’s name on the check, money order, or cashiers check.
WIRE TRANSFERS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.

• Completed application packages must be mailed to:
  
  Attention: Herberger College Box Office
  International Piano Competition Registration
  PO Box 872102
  Dixie Gammage, Room 132
  Tempe, AZ 85287-2102
  USA
  
  Competition packages must include all requirements listed above and be received by Nov. 3, 2008. Any application received after this date will not be accepted.
• All applications and preliminary recordings will be reviewed by the competitions' screening committee. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the semi-final rounds by e-mail, no later than Friday, Nov. 14, 2008. If a competitor wishes to withdraw from the competition, he/she must notify the competition staff immediately. We regret that entry fees cannot be refunded.

Jury

• Semi-final competitors who do not advance to the final round will have the opportunity to meet with members of the jury to discuss their performance.
• The jury reserves the right to not award all prizes. The first prize of each category cannot be shared. Other prizes may be shared at the discretion of the jury. The decision of the jury is final and is not subject to challenge or any review. The committee reserves the right to make changes to the jury panel.
• Jury members will disclose any information about competitors who have studied with them in the past three years or who are going to study with them following the competition. Jury members will be asked to recuse themselves, when appropriate, in order to maintain the integrity of the voting process. If that is the case, a software application, which has proven itself in other competitions such as the Cleveland and Van Cliburn competitions, will be used in place of the recused juror.
• The Young Artist Committee chairman, executive director and the president of the competition will resolve any unexpected situations that may arise in the execution of these guidelines.

Winner's Concert and Award Ceremony

• All winners must perform at the winners' recital scheduled for Sat., Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m., in Katzin Concert Hall at the Arizona State University School of Music. The awards ceremony will follow the concert.
• Prizes may be subject to tax, according to U.S. tax laws in effect at the time of the competition. Awards will be mailed to prize winners approximately two weeks following competition.
• The program of the competition final concert will be decided by the competition jury.

Travel and Accommodations

• Foreign competitors are responsible for obtaining their own passports and visas. Competitors should contact the nearest American Embassy or consulate for advice.
• Competitors must pay their own travel expenses to/from Tempe, Arizona. A limited number of competitors may be accommodated with volunteer families in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Priority will be given to competitors with financial need arriving from overseas. Competitors requesting host families accommodation should indicate that on their application forms with the understanding that the competition may or may not be able to place them with host families. Tourist demand for hotel space will be high during this time, so competitors are urged to make hotel reservations to assure finding a room. There are many hotels located within close distance to the university (it is advised to look for a hotel within zip code 85281).
• Competitors will be notified of their acceptance and required arrival time for the semi-final round.

Selection of Pianos

• Competitors in the semi-final round of the Bösendorfer competition will be able to choose from two Bösendorfer grand pianos: Model 290 (Imperial) and Model 280 (9').
• Competitors in the Schimmel competitions will perform on a Schimmel 8'4" concert grand.

Practice Facilities

• Bösendorfer and Schimmel grand pianos will be available throughout the competition for a limited number of practice hours per day at the Arizona State University Herberger College School of Music.

Miscellaneous

• In the course of their careers, prize-winners may not undertake to claim to have won any prizes other than those they have actually been awarded.
• The competition has the right, without being obliged to pay any form of remuneration to either competitors or their managers, to:
  • Commission radio, television, video and film recordings and/or images of all the performances.
  • Produce and sell CDs, DVDs or video of all the performances, either in part or in their entirety, or to commission third parties with the production and sale thereof.

Jury Policies and Procedures

A COMPETITION OF UTMOST INTEGRITY
The voting procedure being utilized in the 4th Bösendorfer & Schimmel USASU International Piano Competitions was designed by John MacBain, PhD, who is both a mathematician and musician (violinist). Involving a sophisticated computer software program that calculates results based on numerical scores, this system had been previously designed for and used successfully by the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and later, the Cleveland International Piano Competition and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. There are two underlying premises of the system. The first is that the opinion of a juror is contained not so much in the actual scores given, but in the distribution and spacing of the scores. This is coupled with an assumption that each juror has only a certain amount of "opinion" to contribute to the final decision, much like sending someone on a purchasing trip with a fixed budget. In order to maintain the integrity of the voting process, jury members will abstain from voting for any competitor they have taught in the past three years or will teach in the immediate future, or competitors with whom they have a family relationship. Jury members may also waive their vote for personal or professional reasons. All declarations of abstentions will be made the night before the competition begins and will be maintained throughout the competition. Jury members will score each candidate on a range of 1 to 25 (except for declared abstentions). All voting will be by written ballot, without discussion. Jury members will sign their ballots with a number, picked at random, and known only to the executive director, statistician, and president. To balance the scores of a consistently high-scoring juror with a consistently low-scoring juror, the scores of all jurors are processed by computer software to the same statistical distribution. This scoring procedure overcomes a potential difficulty, because it eliminates the impact of any one juror's abstention. The decision of the jury is final and is not subject to challenge or review.

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