Welcome to the Young Musicians Voice Festival page. Click a topic below to learn more.
Saturday & Sunday, April 6 & 7 2024
Saturday & Sunday, April 13 & 14 2024
- The 2024 Voice YMF will be held at First Presbyterian of Greenwich, 1 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830
- January 31st is the registration deadline
- Please contact Caroline Worra with YMF Voice questions.
What is the Voice Festival?
Information for Teachers, Parents and Students
The purpose of the Young Musicians Festival is to provide a non-competitive performance environment for students of public school age. Students benefit by hearing other students at a similar level perform while practicing their performance skills. The students are encouraged to perform two contrasting selections from our list of suggested pieces in the YMF syllabus. These performances are adjudicated by 2 professionals who give written comments and a rating (1-5 points) on the student’s performance. Each performer receives a certificate according to their achievement rating. Points accumulate annually and are noted on the student’s records. When 15 points have been acquired, the student receives a gold cup. Further points are accumulated toward additional cups.
Who May Enter?
Entrants must be under 19 years of age as of June 1st of the Festival year.
Entrants may participate up to and including the senior year of high school.
What are the Requirements for Solo Performance in voice? (singers may enter applications in one or both of the categories listed below)
MUSICAL THEATRE
Each participant will perform 2 contrasting pieces (not the same composer).
ART SONG
Each participant will perform 2 contrasting pieces. The first piece (Required piece) must be selected from the YMF repertoire list (link to the required list). The contrasting piece (Choice piece) should be a different style, or from a different periods of history, or from a composer of a different nationality, etc. The 2 pieces should be generally of the same level of difficulty, but both may be from the required list if desired.
How is a Gold Cup Earned?
Up to 5 points are earned annually and are duly recorded and accumulated on individual student records. When 15 points have been earned in a given event (e.g. solo, duet, concerto) the student receives a Gold Cup award for that event. Further points are accumulated toward a second or third gold cup. (It takes a minimum of 3 years to be awarded an engraved gold cup.)
What is the Purpose of Festival?
Students have the opportunity to perform in a non-competitive setting.
The performers have the opportunity to work with professional accompanists.
Festival gives music students the opportunity to hear performances by other young people studying at their own level.
Festival develops performance poise.
Festival encourages further study by providing recognition for achievement at each level of musical progress and a further incentive to continue as outlined above in the Gold Cup program.
How Does the Festival Operate?
Students will perform with professional accompanists at First Presbyterian of Greenwich. The performers will be divided into recital classes, based on the number of participants in a given year, the student’s level of performance and the student’s time availability. Solo performances and chamber ensembles may be on the same program. A typical class is made up of about six performances and lasts approximately one hour. Classes are open to family and friends. Anyone is welcome to attend as many recitals as we have scheduled. “Dressy attire” is recommended for all performers (no jeans, flip flops or sneakers, please!).
Two adjudicators preside over each class writing comments and evaluating each performance. These adjudications may contain constructive criticism as well as praise for the musical achievements of each performer at his or her stage of studies. These comments are sent to the student’s teacher and will be distributed in the weeks following Festival.
Finally, points (up to a possible 5) are awarded for each performance. These evaluations are based on average ability, quality of preparation and excellence of the individual performance. Each performer receives a certificate indicating the number of points awarded.
Student and Teacher Fees for Participation
The Voice Festival consists of a variety of performance including solos and ensembles. The entry fee for each performance is $30.
The music teacher must be a member in good standing of the Schubert Club or may become a new member of the Schubert Club here:
For further information TEACHERS MAY CONTACT (parents should please contact their teacher and not the Festival Registrar)
Festival Registrar
Marjie Brake
46 Glenarden Road
Trumbull, CT 06611
1673727985
Festival Rules
ALL VOICE EVENTS
Revised 1/9/2023
Replaces all previous versions; In effect until replaced by a later version
GENERAL RULES FOR VOICE FESTIVAL
SPONSOR ELIGIBILITY
Every student must be sponsored annually by an individual teacher. Music schools may not be sponsors. The sponsoring teacher must be a paid-up member of THE SCHUBERT CLUB of FAIRFIELD COUNTY, INC. as of the deadline for Festival applications.
The YMF is a non-profit, volunteer enterprise that relies on the active participation of all teachers involved.
Teachers entering students are encouraged to volunteer some time to serve as room monitors or assist as needed.
STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Entrants must be under 19 years of age as of June 1st of the Festival year.
Entrants may participate up to and including the senior year of high school.
FEES & PAYMENT
The cost for each VOICE performance is $30. Fees are not refundable.
Only one check will be accepted from each teacher for all students (regular or special request)
All teacher checks must be postmarked no later than January 31.
REGISTRATION APPLICATIONS
Applications (and the appropriate fees) with special requests must be received not later than January 31. Incomplete applications will be returned. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify entrants for infractions of these rules.
One application must be completed for each soloist and one for each ensemble of two or more performers.
In a given year, entrants may enter only one class in any one event.
Include one check or money order payable to The Schubert Club. Multiple checks from individual families will be returned.
No exceptions will be allowed for late registration nor will changes be made after the registration deadline.
SCORES, PHOTOCOPYING AND CHOICE OF MATERIAL
Published scores of the required and choice pieces (not photocopies) must be provided for the judges. Permission must be sought from the publisher for music that is out of print, not just unavailable or temporarily out of stock.
Downloaded music must contain “Purchased for use by (the student performer)” or a receipt must be presented to comply with copyright laws.
REPEATS, OMISSIONS AND TIME LIMITS
Teachers are asked to observe a time limit of 10 minute total for each performer or ensemble.
ENSEMBLE PARTNER SUBSTITUTION
In unavoidable circumstances a teacher or other student may substitute for an ensemble performer (with no score being awarded to that performer).
VIDEO RECORDING
Video recording will be allowed during Festival performances. Parents will be guided by the Room Monitors to set up equipment in advance of the class performances and to operate cameras from the back of the room to keep disruption at a minimum. YOU MAY ONLY VIDEO OR PHOTOGRAPH YOUR OWN CHILD.
AWARDS & CERTIFICATES
Each performance will receive a rating from the presiding judges: A certificate recording the points earned will be issued to each Festival participant for each event entered. Points will be accumulated for each Category-Event. When 15 points have been earned the first Gold Cup will be awarded, pending points going toward a second cup, etc.
In ensemble events, points are awarded separately to each performer.
GOLD CUP PLAN
All points counted toward a Gold Cup must be earned in the same event, with one exception. High school seniors may aggregate points across performance events on a given instrument (i.e. Piano Solo, Piano Concerto and Piano Duet) and with composition.
For FURTHER INFORMATION teachers may contact:
Voice Chairperson: | Festival Registrar: |
Caroline Worra | Marjie Brake |
APPLICATION
You will need to specify the following information to complete the application:
Instrument (if you teach more than one)
Performance (Musical Theatre/Art Song: solo, duet, trio, quartet)
Student or students (full name with middle initial, birthdate, years of study)
Siblings of the student or students
Name and email address for one (or two) parent(s)
Titles and composers of pieces
Checks should be payable to The Schubert Club and mailed to:
Marjie Brake, Registrar
46 Glenarden Road
Trumbull, CT 06611
Suggested Pieces
ART SONG
For a PDF version of this document, including the rules, please click here
- There is no age limit attached to a division. Teachers should consider ability and years of study when deciding in which division to enter their students. Entrants in the Art Song category who receive a "5" rating are not required to progress to a higher class in the follow year. Teachers should use their best judgment to choose repertoire suitable for the student’s age and skill level.
- In the Art Song category, all students are required to sing one piece from the “Required Pieces” List, which are all written or arranged by American composers, plus a contrasting “Choice Piece” of comparable difficulty and musical quality that is not included at any level of the YMF “Required Pieces” List. All songs must be memorized
- Required pieces may be performed from any published edition. If you do not use the editions suggested on this list, please be sure to check that the repertoire is exactly the same music as that in the recommended editions.
- For both the Required Piece and the Choice Piece, the teacher may choose any key which best suits the student’s voice. The music provided to the judges may be in the original key, as long as the performance key is noted on the page.
- TIME LIMITS – ART SONG: Teachers are asked to observe the following time limits (combined required and choice compositions). If the two pieces will exceed these limits, please EMAIL Elizabeth Russo.
Primary Division | 5 minutes |
Elementary & Junior Division | 6 minutes |
Senior Division | 8 minutes |
Musically Advanced Division | 10 minutes |
MUSICAL THEATER
REPERTOIRE
- Teachers may choose any two contrasting songs by that are written at an appropriate level for the student. The two pieces must be by different composers and should be in contrasting styles, e.g. Ballad and Up-Tempo or one contemporary musical theatre selection and one 'classic' musical theatre selection, e.g. a piece from a modern show like Jekyll and Hyde and then a second piece by Gershwin or Rodgers & Hammerstein.
- Pieces may be from any popular American musical genre: Music Theater, Pop, Movies, Country, Disney, etc. However, entrants are discouraged from singing in a heavy ëbeltingí voice.
- The teacher may choose any key which best suits the studentís voice.
- All music must be memorized.
- TIME LIMITS - MUSICAL THEATER
Elementary and Middle School Students | 8 minutes |
High School Students | 10 minutes |
VOCAL ENSEMBLE
- Student may enter in one or both categories for VOCAL ENSEMBLE: DUET or TRIO/QUARTET.
- Teachers may choose any two contrasting pieces that are written at an appropriate level for the students. The two pieces must be by different composers and should be in contrasting styles (e.g. Ballad and Up-Tempo or Musical Theatre and Classical).
- Teachers are encouraged to assign pieces originally written for vocal ensemble but arrangements and transcriptions will be accepted. The pieces may be chosen from any musical style. (For example, students may sing one classical ensemble and one popular style ensemble or may sing 2 classical pieces or 2 contemporary pieces, as long as they are contrasting.)
- Entrants are discouraged from singing in a heavy ‘belting’ voice.
- The teacher may choose any key which best suits the students’ voices.
- All music must be memorized.
- Vocal ensembles may be comprised of students from more than one teacher’s studio, as long as all teachers are members of the Schubert Club or have paid a non-member entry fee.
- TIME LIMITS - VOCAL ENSEMBLE
Elementary and Middle School Students | 8 minutes |
High School Students | 10 minutes |