This competition is on hiatus for the 2021-2022 school year.
We welcome piano students to participate in our Annual Martha B. Sosman Concerto Competition, supported in part by the Martha B. Sosman Fund, by recommendation of Christine Roach.
2020 Competition Winners
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
- 1st Place – Henry Tushman
- 2nd Place – Robyn Wessman
How does the competition work?
Applicants in grades 12 and under may record a live video performing the selected competition piece and upload their videos to YouTube (past 1st Place winners are not eligible to compete again). Finalists will be chosen in early January, and will perform the selected piece in person for adjudicators in the Finals Round. The 1st Place winner will perform with the Powers Youth Orchestra at their Spring Concert in May.
2020 Application Deadline:
Received by Friday, January 3, 2020
Questions?
Contact Dr. Daniel Acsadi, Director of Music, at (617) 484-5750 or dacsadi@powersmusic.org.
2020 Competition Details
Prizes
1st Place: $250 cash prize, perform a selected piece with the Powers Youth Orchestra and Conductor Steven Lipsitt in their Spring Concert in May 2020!
2nd Place: $100 cash prize
The 2020 Competition Selections
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, KV 414
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 16 in D major, KV 451
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, KV 453
- Haydn: Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII:11
- Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto in G minor, op. 25
- Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor, op. 40
- Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, op. 15
The 1st place winner will work with the conductor of the Powers Youth Orchestra to decide how much of the concerto will be performed at the live performance in May. Contestants will not be judged on the level of preparedness on the remaining movements beyond the 10-minute selection for the preliminary/final round.
Preliminary Round Application
Must be received by Friday, January 3, 2020.
Application Form & Entrance Fee: Please fill out the application form in its entirety and pay your $25.00 application fee. No refunds are available in case of withdrawal or no-show at the Finals Round. (The competition entrance fee will also cover the Mildred Freiberg Piano Festival application if any student wishes to participate in the festival as well.)
YouTube entry: Competitors must include in your application an active link to a YouTube recording of your selection (listed above). Please triple-check the spelling of the link and make sure it loads and plays properly on several different devices! To shorten and simplify your YouTube link, try Tinyurl.com or Bitly.com
Use the buttons here to submit your application and pay your fee online!
Want to submit your application and pay your fee by mail instead? Contact Dr. Daniel Acsadi at dacsadi@powersmusic.org for a hard copy application.
Finals Round
Evening of Friday, February 7, 2020, in Belmont.
Notification: Applicants will be notified by January 6 if they have been chosen for the Finals Round.
Winners Announced
Week of February 10, 2020
Notification: 1st and 2nd Place winners will be notified by phone and email, and announced on the Powers website and through email during the week of February 10. Cash prizes will be awarded following the Powers Youth Orchestra Concert in May. Powers reserves the right to not select a winner.
Powers Youth Orchestra Spring Concert
Sunday, May 17, 2020 at Arlington Town Hall, 730 Mass. Ave.
Performance & Attendance: The competition 1st Place winner will perform their selected piece with the orchestra. The winner will work with the conductor to decide how much of the concerto will be performed at the live performance. Rehearsal times are listed on the application – attendance is necessary at all rehearsals.
