Rules and Requirements

Please note that submissions that are determined to fail to meet all requirements will be disqualified.

Submission Deadlines

Piano: October 10, 2020
Violin: October 24, 2020

Divisions and Prizes

Violin and piano categories are divided into the following age divisions:

• Senior division (grades 9-12): first ($500), second ($400), third ($300), best interpretation of Korean music ($300)
• Junior division (grades 6-8): first ($300), second ($200), third ($100), best interpretation of Korean music ($100)
• Elementary division (up to grade 5): first ($150), second ($100), third ($75), best interpretation of Korean music ($75)

Rules and Regulations

General Rules

• This competition is open to all pre-college violin and piano students residing in the United States, regardless of ethnicity or nationality.
• From each of the six divisions the judges will select the student(s) with the best interpretation of their required repertoire. These winners are selected independently of the overall winners and will also receive an award (Best Interpretation of Korean Music award).
• Students may compete in higher divisions than their normal group. All students must perform a required piece appropriate for the division in which they will compete.
• First place winners may not compete in the same division again.

Repertoire

All students must perform two pieces:

• One piece of their choice (performed from memory and without repeats)
• Piano division: one solo piece of the student's choice
• Violin division: one unaccompanied solo piece or the first or third movement from any concerto
• One piece from the required repertoire list found on our website (music allowed)

Applications

• Students must submit a PDF file of the solo part for the piece of their own choice. This should be a clean, unmarked copy or scan of the music.
• The application fee is $50 and non-refundable. Fees are payable on our website via Stripe.
• All applications must be submitted online through our website.

Video Submission Guidelines

• The video must be recorded horizontally and show the competitor’s full height, from head to toe, and remain stationary.
• Piano contestants must set the camera on the student’s right side.
• Both pieces must be performed in their entirety and in one continuous, uninterrupted take. Please play your Korean piece first and chosen piece second.
• Korean piece (required repertoire): music allowed, repeats required
• Chosen piece: memorization required, no repeats
• There are no time restrictions on recording length.
• Neither violin nor piano submissions should include accompaniment of any kind.
• Absolutely no audio or video editing or manipulation of any kind—including splicing, cutting, or sound enhancements—is permitted. The source of both audio and video should be the same (i.e., the microphone should not be separate from the camera).
• Submission videos should be posted to YouTube or Vimeo. Please make sure your video’s privacy setting is set to unlisted. If it is set as private, we cannot see it. Do not set it to public.
• Learn how to upload your video to YouTube: Click here
• Learn how to upload your video to Vimeo: Click here

Submission Tips

• It is not necessary to record in a studio. Plan to use the best available technology you have. You may use a smartphone, tablet or iPad, computer with a webcam, camcorder, camera, or any other device that can record both audio and video.
• Please use a tripod or stand to securely set your recording device. The video should be stable and motionless.
• For the PDF of your music, you may use free mobile or tablet apps to convert pictures of your music into a single PDF document, such as Adobe Scan, Office Lens, or Scanbot. We recommend using Adobe Scan (available for free for iOS and Android).

Sponsoring Organizations

• Korea Times of Chicago (co-host)
• Doosan Yonkang Foundation
• Seoul National University Alumni Association in Chicago Area

Please feel free to email any questions to sejong@sejongculturalsociety.org.