High School Competition for Strings
in memory of Gustave E. Johansen, Jr.
Apply Online
Application Deadline
- Application Deadline: November 2, 2024, at 11:59pm
- Video and Score Submission Deadline (via email): November 9, 2024, at 11:59pm
Competition Details
Our 2024 competition will be virtual, due to the success of last year’s virtual competition. We are asking all participants to submit a video and score (PDF) to serve as their entry to be judged. Participants must apply by November 2, 2024, at 11:59pm and then email their video and score to Jeongseon Choi, Strings Competition Chair, at highschoolstrings@fmmc.org. Please see below for all video requirements.
Winners will be announced no later than November 16, 2024.
Fees
A $35 non-refundable application fee is required by the deadline. Apply online using a credit card.
Eligibility
Students currently enrolled in Grades 9 – 12 who play violin, viola, cello, or bass within a 50-mile radius of the DC metropolitan area.
Awards
- First Prize: $1,500
- Second Prize: $1,000
- Third Prize: $700
The winners have opportunities to perform in the FMMC Student Recitals throughout the season at various venues and receive a membership for the full 2023-24 Season.
Repertoire
Choose three works, each from a different period:
- A fast movement from a standard concerto.
- One work in a challenging, contemporary idiom (see suggested examples), employing such characteristic devices as atonality, polyrhythms, non-traditional notation, etc. No works drawn from film scores. The degree of the stylistic/aesthetic challenge of the work will be a factor in the judging. The work need not be memorized; though doing so will obviously increase the contestant’s score.
- A composition in a style that contrasts with the other two works.
Requirements
- All selections, except sonatas with piano, must be performed from memory. An exception may be made for a new piece in a contemporary idiom.
- Only one sonata with piano may be included on your program.
- Contestants must provide their own accompanist. Any music with accompaniment must be performed with an accompanist.
- Repertoire must be approved by the Competition Committee prior to submitting application. Please email highschoolstrings@fmmc.org to confirm your repertoire selection.
Video Requirements
- Your video must be submitted via email as a link, uploaded to YouTube (unlisted). Please send it to Jeongseon Choi, Strings Competition Chair, at highschoolstrings@fmmc.org. It must be received by November 11, 2023 at 11:59pm.
- The video should be one full recording of all three works without breaks in-between. Introduce yourself at the beginning, and before playing each piece, please state the title of the work and the composer. Do this for the start of each piece.
- You can record these videos at home using your own setup or at a recording studio.
Contact
Jeongseon Choi, Strings Competition Chair
301-461-2176
highschoolstrings@fmmc.org
2024 Winners
- First Prize: Yixuan Li, violin
- Second Prize: Caleb Fan, cello
- Third Prize: Daisy Wang, violin
- Honorable Mention: Eleanor Marx, violin