Rules of the Iowa Piano Competition

Competition Rules and Procedures (this information can be downloaded here)
The Iowa Piano Competition is an intense three-day competition hosted by the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra in Sioux City, Iowa. The sixth biennial Competition will be held March 31-April 2, 2011. Twelve pianists from all entries received will be chosen by a Preliminary Selection Panel to compete in the Competition.

The competition consists of three rounds:
First Round Round (March 31, 2011) - each of the twelve competitors will perform a 30-minute solo recital of their own choosing from memory. Six semi-finalists will be announced that evening at a gala event.

Semi-Final Round (April 1, 2011) - each of the semi-finalists will rehearse an assigned movement(s) from a piano quintet to be performed with local musicians for an evening performance open to the public. Three finalists will be announced following the performance.

Final Round (April 2, 2011) - each of the finalists will rehearse an assigned movement(s) from selected piano concerti with the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra in preparation for a performance that evening. At the conclusion of the performance, the Iowa Piano Competition winner will be announced.

AWARDS
The 2011 Competition will offer $14,000 in prize money, including: $7,500 first; $2,750 second; $1,500 third; $1,000 fourth; $750 fifth; $500 sixth. All twelve competitors will also receive a $250 stipend for travel expenses.

COMPETITION JURY
TBA

ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotel accommodations will be provided for all twelve competitors in Sioux City from Wednesday, March 30, through Sunday, April 3, 2011. Ground transportation to and from the hotel and the Competition venue, practice rooms, and some meals will be provided. Transportation to and from Sioux City for the Competition shall be the sole responsibility of the competitors.

ELIGIBILITY
The Iowa Piano Competition is open to pianists of all nationalities between the ages of 18 and 35 (including 35) at the time of the Competition, March 31 - April 2, 2011. A photocopy of the entrant’s birth certificate, valid driver’s license, and a passport or equivalent proof of age must be submitted with the entry form. All competitors must be on site and available by 4:00PM Wednesday, March 30, 2011, through Sunday, April 3, 2011.

PERFORMANCE/REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS
First Round - Solo Recital: The competitor’s choice in repertoire must be music written for solo piano only. Program length must be no less than 25 and no more than 30 minutes in length. Repertoire should include a variety of styles and must be memorized. No original compositions by competitors or prepared piano works will be accepted.

Semi-Final Round - Chamber Music: Each semi-finalist will be required to perform with members of the Symphony’s piano trio one (1) or more assigned movements (approximately 15 - 20 minutes) from one of the following piano trios listed below. Candidates must select and prepare two (2) of the following four (4) piano trios. At the conclusion of the First Round, the Jury will announce the six (6) competitors that will advance as well as which movement/movements they will perform.

      Brahms - Piano Trio No.1 in B major, Op 8
      Dvorák - Piano Trio No.4 in E minor, Op. 90, “Dumky”
      Mendelssohn - Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
      Schubert - Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, D. 898

Final Round - Each finalist will be assigned to perform from memory one movement from one of the concerti listed below with the Sioux City Symphony. Candidates must select and prepare from memory one (1) concerto in its entirety selected from the list below. The movement to be performed for the final round will be assigned by the Jury from the concerto selected by the candidate in his/her application.

      Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
      or
      Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

COMPETITION RULES
1. A Preliminary Selection Panel will review all audition CDs received with complete applications by the application deadline in a blind selection process. Twelve (12) candidates will be selected from all valid entries according to the following procedures:
      a.) Candidate CDs will be identified by number only. The Preliminary Selection Panel will receive no personal information about the applicant.
      b.) Each audition CD will be evaluated and scored individually by each member of the Panel based on commonly accepted musical criteria, with a focus on the technical and musical abilities and the interpretive talents of each applicant.
      c.) The twelve candidates with the highest cumulative scores will be invited to the Competition.
      d.) An alternates list will be formed in case any of the twelve initially invited are unable to travel to the Competition.
2. A formal letter of invitation will be issued to all accepted candidates no later than November 19, 2010. Candidates will have until December 10, 2010, to formally accept the invitation to compete.
3. The Competition will consist of one (1) day for the first round, one (1) day for the semi-finals, and one (1) day for the finals, including:
      a.) One hour of scheduled rehearsal time with the trio members prior to the semi-final performance
      b.) 45 minutes of scheduled rehearsal with the Sioux City Symphony prior to the final round
4. The order of appearance of competitors for the first round will be determined by a random drawing. The order of appearance for the semi-final and final rounds will be determined by the jury and the Sioux City Symphony. Competitors may be required to perform earlier than their assigned time due to any cancellations or reassignments
5. All works must be performed from memory, except the semi-final chamber music round.
6. While in the Competition, competitors shall not make contact nor speak with Competition jurors. Violation of this rule may be grounds for disqualification from the Competition.
7. Individual Competition jurors will remove themselves from evaluating any candidate that presents a reasonable possibility of conflict of interest, such as a pre-existing relationship with the competitor, including being related to or is or has been a mentor/teacher/instructor of the competitor.
8. All awards are subject to U.S. tax laws in effect at the time of the Competition.
9. Completed and signed application to the IPC constitutes acceptance by the competitor of all published rules and procedures.
10. All decisions by the Preliminary Selection Panel and the Competition jury are final.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES
1. The official application form may be downloaded from this site. Completed applications must be received no later than October 29, 2010. Incomplete or partial applications will be considered invalid. Application forms may also be requested by sending a letter of request to

e-mail: info@iowapianocompetition.org
Mail: Iowa Piano Competition
520 Pierce St, Suite 375
Sioux City, IA 51101
Fax: (712) 252-0224

2. Applications must be printed or typed in English.

3. Completed applications shall be considered those that meet all of the following:
- One CD, recorded within the last 12 months, not edited, not to exceed thirty (30) minutes in length, meeting the following requirements:

a) The CD recording must be of sufficient quality so that the performance can be clearly evaluated.

b) The CD recording must contain no more than 30 minutes of music, compositions or parts of compositions, of applicant’s choice reflecting contrasting styles and periods; and, in one or more selections, demonstrating applicant’s virtuosic and lyrical capabilities.

c) The CD recording must contain only solo work (no orchestral accompaniment).

d) The CD recording must be properly marked with the compositions recorded, the order in which they are recorded, and the length of each selection. Applicant’s name should NOT be on the recording.

- A photo copy of the applicant's birth certificate, passport, driver’s license or other similar proof of age.
- A non-refundable application fee of $50.00 (US dollars),by check or money order payable to Iowa Piano Competition.

4. The application form must be completed in its entirety, signed and mailed with all required enclosures to the Iowa Piano Competition at the address included on the application form. All entries must be received by Friday, October 29, 2010.

5. The Competition is not responsible for lost CDs applications. Applicants should retain copies of all materials submitted. All application materials become the property of the Competition and will not be returned.

CRUCIAL DATES
May 31, 2010 - Opening date for Application Acceptance
October 29, 2010 - Application Deadline
November 19, 2010 - Notification of Acceptance
March 30, 2011 - Competition Orientation Meeting (4:00PM)
March 31 - April 2, 2011 Competition

INFORMATION
e-mail: info@iowapianocompetition.org
Mail: Iowa Piano Competition
520 Pierce St, Suite 375
Sioux City, IA 51101

The Iowa Piano Competition is an intensive three-day competition hosted by the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra in Sioux City, Iowa. For more information visit the Symphony website or call 712.277.2111.