56th Annual Young Artist Award
Piano
Rules of the Concerto Competition, 2025–2026
Eligibility:
Open to piano soloists born after April 1, 2002. An applicant may not be employed full time as a professional musician. Documentation of age and/or employment may be required at the discretion of the coordinator.
Requirements:
1. Applicants must submit a video recording of a memorized concerto of the applicant’s choosing, with an accompanist, for possible selection to participate in the final round on January 11, 2026.
2. At the competition finals, the entire piece must be performed from memory with an accompanist provided by the applicant.
Registration:
Send the $25 application fee, the completed application form, and link to YouTube video recording to the competition coordinator.
Deadline:
The application must be postmarked no later than December 1, 2025. File uploading of the YouTube recording must also be completed by December 1, 2025.
Schedule:
The recordings will be reviewed to determine which applicants qualify for the competition. Checks of applicants not selected will not be returned. Competition acceptance will be announced in December 2025. A scheduled time for each contestant will be mailed at that time.
Competition:
The final round of the competition will take place at [5] p.m. on January 11, 2026, at the Steinway Gallery, 1605 Bonanza Street, Walnut Creek. The Diablo Symphony cannot provide accompanists, so contestants must bring their own.
Judges:
The judges’s decision is final.
Awards:
First Prize: $1500 Honorarium, and a contract to perform the previously auditioned composition in three concerts in Walnut Creek (March 24 and March 29 at the Lesher Center for the Arts, and March 27 at Rossmoor).
Second Prize: $750.
Audience:
Contestants are encouraged to invite friends and relatives to the competition. No one may enter or leave during performances.
For further questions about the competition, please e-mail Christine Hsia at christinehsia@gmail.com.