Welcome to the Young Musicians Composition Festival page. Click a topic below to learn more.
Compositions, forms and recording links must be submitted by March 15, 2025
- January 31st is the registration deadline
- ALL YMF 2025 Compositions, forms and recording links must be submitted by 11:59 pm March 15, 2025 via the application form (not emailed to Composition Chairs)
- Please contact Marjie Brake ([email protected]) and Wendy Kerner ([email protected]) with YMF Composition questions.
Festival Rules
Updated 1/28/23
COMPOSITION FESTIVAL - GENERAL RULES
SPONSOR ELIGIBILITY
Every student must be sponsored annually by an individual teacher who has paid the $70 membership fee. Music schools may not be sponsors.
The YMF is a non-profit, volunteer enterprise that relies on the active participation of all teachers involved.
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Entrants must be under 19 years of age as of March 1st of the Festival year.
Entrants may participate up to and including the senior year of high school.
FEES & PAYMENT
The cost for each composition application is $30.
Fees are not refundable.
All checks must be postmarked no later than January 31
Teachers should submit only ONE payment (check payable to The Schubert Club or credit card) for all their students participating in the various YMFs.
Checks should be postmarked by January 31 and mailed to Marjie Brake, YMF Registrar, 46 Glenarden Rd., Trumbull, CT, 06611
APPLICATIONS
Online applications to the YMF site must be received not later than January 31 and appropriate fees postmarked or paid by credit card. Incomplete applications will be returned and all materials (Submission form, composition, audio recording) must be posted to YMF site in the student’s application by March 15. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify entrants for infractions of these rules.
One application must be completed on the YMF site for each composition. Only student information, the instrument and a title (“TBD” is acceptable if the work is still in progress) need to be entered into the application by January 31.
A pdf of the music, the signed music submission form and an AUDIO recording of the piece must be uploaded to the YMF site application by 11:59 pm March 15.
In a given year, entrants may enter only one composition.
Include one check or money order payable to The Schubert Club. Checks from individual families will be returned along with the entry.
No exceptions will be allowed for late registration nor will changes be made after the registration deadline.
SPECIAL RULES FOR THE COMPOSITON EVENT
Each student may submit one Composition per year.
The Composition submitted must be a completely original work by the student entrant.
The Composition can be for any instrument or combination of instruments
Required minimum length of the composition: Jr.1: age 9 and younger: minimum of 16 bars of music; Jr.2: age 10-12: minimum of 24 bars of music; Jr.:3 age 13 – 15: minimum of 32 bars of music; Jr.4: age 16-18: minimum of 40 bars of music.
The Composition submitted can be hand-written notation on manuscript paper, or it can be written in a computer program, but either format must be done by the student, not in any part by the teacher or parents or anyone else, and the student must sign the application form stating that they have notated the composition themselves.
On the Composition itself do not include the student’s name.
The Composition must include a title, what instrument(s) the work is written for and please include a tempo marking, dynamics, and articulations.
An audio recording (mp3 or .wav – not a video recording) of the work must be uploaded into the YMF application along with the composition pdf. It can be from a live performance, by the student or by other musicians, or it can be computer generated. The recording must be in an mp3, or .wav format.
The student will write one or two sentences about their composition and submit it with the composition on their Music Submission Form. This can be about their process of writing the work, about their inspiration for the piece, about their ideas for the performance of the work, or any other pertinent information about the Composition.
Composition, Music Submission Form, and the recording must be uploaded to the YMF site (in the student’s application) by 11:59 pm March 15. For any questions, TEACHERS may email the Composition Chairman: Wendy Kerner moc.l1687965682iamG@1687965682praHL1687965682KW1687965682
Late compositions or incomplete entries will not be accepted.
AWARDS & CERTIFICATES
Each performance will receive a rating from the presiding judges of 5 points, 4 points, 3 points, 2 points or 1 point. A large certificate displaying the points earned will be issued to each Festival participant for each event entered. The number of consecutive “5” ratings earned will be noted on the certificates. Points will be accumulated for each Instrument-Event. When 15 points have been earned in any one category, the first Gold Cup will be awarded, pending points going toward a second cup, etc.
GOLD CUP PLAN
All Composition points count towards a Composition Gold Cup, with one exception. High school seniors may aggregate points across performance events (i.e. Composition, Piano Solo, and Piano Duet) towards a Gold Cup in their senior year.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Festival Registrar:
Marjie Brake
46 Glenarden Road Trumbull, CT 06611
moc.l1687965682iamg@1687965682FMYek1687965682arbm1687965682