Young Artist Competition 2025

For over 40 years, the WIS has hosted the Young Artist Competition, giving our area youth the opportunity to compete for the chance to perform with the Washington Idaho Symphony along with a cash price and commemorative plaque.

Each fall the WIS starts collecting applications from local musicians in High School and College. Those applications are reviewed by a panel of WIS orchestra members, including WIS Music Director, Dr. Danh Pham. The finalists are then invited to perform their piece to a panel of adjudicators. Two winners (one from the High School Division and one from the Collegiate Division) are chosen and given the opportunity to perform during the WIS Young Artists Concert in the Spring.

2025 competition dates:

Applications Due: December 31, 2025

Final Round Competition/Recital: January 26, 2025

Winners’ Concerts: May 4, 2025

*Please review the above Competition rules before submitting your application below

Please complete the below application. Once you have completed the below form, you will be redirected to the Application Fee Payment Page.

If you have any questions you can call us at 208-874-4162 or by emailing info@wa-idsymphony.org

The WIS is committed to supporting music education and is proud to highlight the talent we have right here in the Northwest!

THE YAC IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DOMEY GILLESPIE YOUNG ARTISTS FUND. DONATIONS TO THE FUND CAN BE MADE BY THROUGH THE INNOVIA FOUNDATION.

The YAC is Open to students and residents of eastern and central Washington, eastern and northern Idaho, and eastern Oregon.
Entrance Fee: $50.00
The competition will have THREE performance categories, and ONE composition category:
- HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION: Students attending high school (or home schooled) aged 18 and younger at the time of the application deadline. o UNDERGRADUATE DIVISION: College students ages 18 to 22 at the time of the application deadline, with a high school diploma.
- GRADUATE DIVISION: College/University students above age 22 at the time of the application deadline, and an earned (1st) degree of any sort.
- COMPOSITION: all entrants must be either high school student, college student, or college graduate student studying at a college/university. Compositions should be written for full symphony orchestra.
Winners will receive a cash prize of $500 each and the opportunity to perform twice or have his or her piece performed twice on a Washington-Idaho Symphony Orchestra subscription series concert. (Dates listed above)

Description and Rules:

Entrants should prepare a movement of a concerto or an aria (operatic, oratorio, or mass selection, or from the standard orchestral lieder repertoire) not to exceed 15 minutes in length. Concerti/Arias should be chosen from the standard orchestral repertoire. ***All repertoire not in the public domain (E.g., music only available by rental) is subject to the final approval of the Music Director.***

The selection of finalists will be by recorded audition. Recordings can be submitted electronically (E.g., mp4 file emailed to info@wa-idsymphony.org) or a website link (E.g., personal website, YouTube) submitted online at https://wa-idsymphony.org/youngartist-competition or by email. The recorded audition should be of the same work you intend to perform if you were selected as a competition winner. Instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers selected for the final round of competition to be held in Pullman on January 21, 2024, are required to provide their own accompanist. (There are many available through both Washington State University and the University of Idaho). Recordings and application forms/ fees must be received at the Washington Idaho Symphony Office NO LATER than end of the day, December 31, 2024.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Washington Idaho Symphony office at (208) 874-4162, or by email at info@wa-idsymphony.org.

Entrants will be notified of the results of the recorded auditions via email. Winners will be selected at the Young Artists’ Competition Finalists Recital on January 26, 2025, and announced publicly by the Washington Idaho Symphony via press release shortly thereafter. Music must be memorized and the time limit for the live performance is 15 minutes.

Each contestant (including pianists) must provide:

His/her own accompanist,
a copy of his/her music for the adjudication panel,
and audition with the music that he/she proposes to perform with the orchestra.

The Washington Idaho Symphony will make every effort to present the winners of the

Competition in the best possible manner. Individuals named as winners are expected to perform with the orchestra on May 4, 2025, and to attend at least one rehearsal in consultation with the Music Director, and the dress rehearsals on May 3, 2025. The Washington Idaho Symphony reserves the right to make performance adjustments concerning rehearsal time and availability of musicians.

Please note that the decisions of the Jury will be final. The Jury will have the sole right to not give an award in any category if the entries in said category are deemed to have insufficient artistic merit.