WPR's Neale-Silva Competition

WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO’S

NEALE-SILVA YOUNG ARTISTS’ COMPETITION

Sunday, March 16, 2008

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 winners’ recital to be broadcast live Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 7pm at the Wisconsin Union Theater in Madison, 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 16, 2008. An accompanist for soloists will be provided for the final stage and winners’ recital. Previous winners may not apply.

Entrance Requirements

Application materials must be received at the following address no later than 5:00pm Friday, February 1, 2008:

WPR/Neale-Silva Young Artists’ Competition

WisconsinPublic 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 $25.00 per participant payable to Wisconsin Public Radio

(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 18, 2008. 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 16, 2008, at the UW-Madison School of Music (George Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Part St.) 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 Tuesday, March 25. The winners will perform in a concert at the Wisconsin Union Theater in Madison on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 7:00pm. 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 winners within a few weeks of the winners’ recital.

Should any winners be unable to perform at the broadcast recital 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.

If there are pieces you wish to perform which require a special instrument (i.e., harpsichord, timpani, harp, organ, etc.) please contact us regarding availability before programming this work.

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.

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 at the UW-School of Music in Madison.