MSU Honors Concerto Competition

Rules and Regulations

(Updated: November 2025)

The Honors Concerto Competition provides MSU music students an opportunity to showcase their exceptional talents. The final round is a public event, and selected winners will perform as soloists with the MSU Symphony Orchestra in a featured concert. Interpretation of these rules and regulations will be determined by the Honors Concerto Chair (Director of Orchestras) in consultation with the College of Music applied Area Chairs.

Eligibility

Areas Featured by Year

• Spring of Even years: Percussion, Piano, and Woodwinds, plus the winning composition for Band or Choir.
• Spring of Odd years: Brass, Strings, and Voice, plus the winning composition for Orchestra.

Student Eligibility

• All full-time music majors in the areas featured that year may audition with approval from their applied professor:
• Undergraduate: 12 credits
• Master of Music (MM): 9 credits
• DMA: 6 credits

Requests for exceptions may be submitted to the applied Area Chairs. Full-time Performance Diploma students are also eligible.

Enrollment Requirement

• Candidates must be in residence during the semester of auditions and the performance and must be in good standing with the College of Music.

Limit on Awards

• Students may win once as an undergraduate and once as a graduate student.

Procedure

• Each area, under the supervision of its chairperson, will organize and conduct its semifinal round and select finalists.
• Selected repertoire must be performed in full during both the Final Round and the Honors Concerto concert. Works must include ensemble accompaniment (orchestra, wind ensemble, or choir) and must be readily available for rental or purchase.
• Finalists will be selected by each area during the 2025–26 academic year.
  Final Round: Sunday, January 25, 2026, Cook Recital Hall.
• Once selected, all finalists must email the following information to the Director of Orchestras at masaroca@msu.edu:
  • • Name
    • Degree
    • Applied professor
    • Repertoire title and publisher information
    • Accompanist name
• Area chairpersons must forward their list of finalists to the Director of Orchestras before the end of the Fall Semester.
• The Director of Orchestras will coordinate all Final Round logistics, including performance order and communication with the judges.

Repertoire Requirements

• Eligible repertoire includes full concertos, solo works with accompaniment, and operatic or concert arias and might include works for multiple soloists. All repertoire must have ensemble accompaniment and must be readily obtainable.
• All finalists must perform with a live accompanist, secured by the participant.
• Repertoire must be approved by both the applied professor and the Director of Orchestras. Approval must be obtained before the end of the Fall Semester.
• If performing a multi-movement work, all movements in their entirety must be presented in both the Final Round and the winners’ performance.

Number of finalists by Area

(2025–26 features Winds, Percussion, and Piano)

• Brass: up to 4 finalists
• Strings & Harp: up to 4 finalists
• Voice: up to 4 finalists
• Piano: up to 4 finalists
• Woodwinds: up to 4 finalists
• Percussion: up to 2 finalists

Areas are encouraged to advance only their most accomplished performers.

The Distinguished Jury

• The Jury will include three external judges. Faculty will nominate potential judges through their Area Chairs early in the Fall Semester. Final selections will be made by the competition chairperson in consultation with the Dean. When possible, judges may be invited to offer master classes before or after the competition.
• The Director of Orchestras will serve as competition chairperson (ex officio).
• Winners will be announced from the stage immediately following the judges’ deliberations.
• All judges’ decisions are final.
• Judges’ comments may be available upon request at the discretion of each judge.