Concerto Competition

Sponsored by:

The Concerto Competition is held annually in the fall and is open to members of the Symphony Ensemble in the Youth Orchestra. The Concerto Competition is used to select soloists to perform with the Youth Orchestra at the scheduled winter and/or spring concerts.

Concerto Competition Recital

Sponsored by Bernhardt House of Violins

Sunday, November 2, 2025

2:00 pm

Daniel Recital Hall, Converse University

For the 2025-26 season, the Spartanburg Philharmonic Youth Orchestra is pleased to announce that the Concerto Competition will move to a recital format with a live audience.

The Symphony ensemble conductor must approve your intended repertoire before your audition. The conductor will let you know when if your pieces has been approved and you can proceed to registration.

The Concerto Competition is only open to Symphony SPYO members.

Before Registration

Register

After your piece has been approved, complete the online registration.

Audition Fee: $15

Concerto Competition Registration

What to Expect

  • Participants must perform a single-movement piece or a movement of a standard concerto for their instrument.

  • Pieces must be timed accurately, including all tuttis (measures where the soloist doesn’t play), and submitted on the entry form.

  • Works do not need to be memorized for your audition, but must be memorized for performance if selected.

  • Original music must be provided for the adjudicators on the day of the competition.

  • Piano accompanists must be used. For the purpose of the audition, accompanists must cut long orchestral tuttis. If you need assistance finding a piano accompanist, contact the SPYO Team.

  • Each audition should last approximately 15 minutes, allowing for entering, tuning, and exiting. The only music that will be performed for the judges will be the concerto movement. The panel of judges may interrupt musicians if the piece lasts longer than about 10 minutes.

  • The audition schedule, once finalized, will be strictly adhered to.

Winners

  • Multiple winners may be announced and each will perform with the Symphony ensemble at the spring concert.

  • Previous winners cannot perform as soloists with the Symphony in consecutive years.

  • If chosen to perform with the orchestra, the winner(s) will write program notes for the piece and provide their biography.

  • Winners are expected to perform all programmed music on the concert, not just their concerto.