WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO’S

NEALE-SILVA YOUNG ARTISTS’ COMPETITION

                                                                       

March 19 & April 2, 2006

 

Competition Information

                                                                                                           

Wisconsin Public Radio’s Neale-Silva Young Artists’ Competition was established to recognize young Wisconsin performers of classical music who demonstrate an exceptionally high level of artistry.   This concert is made possible by a grant from the estate of the late University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Eduardo Neale-Silva, a classical music enthusiast who was born in Talca, Chile and came to the United States in 1925.  A dedicated listener to Wisconsin Public Radio, he left a portion of his estate to help fund community outreach programs at the network.

 

Prize

 

As many as five soloists or ensembles will share a cash award and a 90-minute winner’s recital to be broadcast live on the NPR News & Classical Music Network of Wisconsin Public Radio.

           

Eligibility

 

Auditions are open to soloists, duos, trios, quartets and quintets who are residents of Wisconsin or who attend a Wisconsin college or university.  (Wisconsin residency is determined by the applicant's permanent legal address.)  All instrumentalists and vocal performers are invited to audition.  The age of the contestants must be from 17-26 years as of March 19, 2006.   An accompanist for soloists will be provided for the final stage.

 

 

Entrance Requirements

 

Application materials must be received at the following address no later than 5:00pm Friday, January 27, 2006:                                  

                                    WPR/Neale-Silva Young Artists’ Competition

                                    Wisconsin Public Radio

                                    821 University Avenue

                                    Madison, WI  53706

                                    608-265-4891

 

All applications must include:

 

            1) Completed and signed application form (attached).

            2) List of piece(s) you plan to play for the competition, with movements if

                 applicable, and precise timings.

            3) 12-15 minute recording of proposed piece(s).  See Recording Guidelines.

            4) Proof of age and proof of residency for each musician.

                (photocopy of birth certificate, passport, or driver's license)

            5) A biographical paragraph of each musician.

            6) Non-refundable application fee of $20.00 per soloist (ensembles: $15.00 per each player)

                  payable to Wisconsin Public Radio Association (ensembles may send one group check)

 

Preliminary Round                        

 

Each soloist/group will submit an unedited recording, representing the proposed performance piece(s) for the concert program.  Recordings will be evaluated by a panel of judges, who will give each one a numerical rating.  Performers with the highest scores will be chosen for the competition finals -- no more than fifteen entrants will be chosen for the final round.  Finalists (group spokespersons) will be notified of their acceptance by phone no later than February 24, 2006.  Should any of the chosen finalists be unable to play in the final round, the entrant with the next highest score will be invited to play.

 

Final Stage

 

Each soloist/group will perform a 12-15 minute audition before a panel of distinguished judges on Sunday, March 19, 2006, at the Wisconsin Public Radio Buck Studio (Vilas Communication Hall, 821 University Ave., 7th Floor, Madison) from 10:00am-3:00pm.  Judges may start and stop competitors at their discretion.  Competitors will be notified of the specific time of the audition before their arrival in Madison.

 

Competitor(s) will be identified to the jury by performance number only.  Competitor(s) will not be allowed to identify themselves to the jurors in any way or at any time prior to the announcement of the finalists.

 

Judges will independently rank the finalists, using a numerical scale.  They will choose the winners by averaging scores and by consultation.  Winners will be notified by phone the following day, Monday, March 20.  The winners will perform in a concert at the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison on Sunday, April 2, 2006 at 12:30pm.  The concert will be broadcast live over the stations of the NPR News & Classical Music Network of Wisconsin Public Radio.  The cash awards will be mailed to the winner(s) within a few weeks of the finals.

 

Should any winners be unable to perform at Sunday's broadcast recital  (due to serious emergency), they will forfeit the cash award.

 

Repertoire Requirements

 

Entrants should select music demonstrating the range of their musicianship, stylistic awareness and technical mastery.  The choice of repertoire is solely at the discretion of the entrants, piece(s) totaling 12-15 minutes in length.

 

Contestants should provide at least two copies of the scores of each piece to be performed at the competition finals.  Each provided score must be legal under the USA copyright laws.

 

If there are pieces your group wishes to perform which require any additional instrument (i.e., harpsichord, timpani, harp, organ, etc.) please contact us regarding availability before programming this work.

 

Travel/Food/Practice Rooms

 

Contestants will be responsible for their own travel arrangements and expenses to and from Madison; however, the winners will be reimbursed for mileage, within the state of Wisconsin, at the current state rate.

 

Snacks and beverages will be furnished throughout the day.

 

Practice rooms will be available throughout the day at the UW-School of Music in Madison.

 

Recording Guidelines

 

The preliminary round audition recording may be submitted on a compact disc, a cassette, or in MP3 form.  Technically poor recordings will be rejected.  The submission should consist of an unedited recording of the piece(s) proposed.  Cassettes should be sent rewound to side A.  All submissions should be labeled with repertoire.  The applicant's name should NOT appear on the recording, either in spoken or printed form. 

 

Entrants wishing to have their recordings returned should include a self-addressed mailing bag with the correct postage affixed in their application materials.