Piano Ensemble Festival and Competition
November 23
| $25Application Requirements
Please register at new.mtfest.com.
Fee is $25 per student, per performance.
Duet/Duos are $50. Trios are $75. Quartets are $100.
Pay fee online through new.mtfest.com. Click on Billing, then click on the $ next to the event. Pay with Visa or Mastercard. After payment is made, you may print a copy of the invoice for your records. You do not need to mail anything to the Chair. No late applications will be accepted. All fees are non-refundable.
Levels and Time Limits
Levels are determined by the average age of the ensemble team. Average age will be rounded to the higher whole number. Ensembles with an average age below 7 or over 18 must play in the Festival division.
| Level 1 | Age 7-8 | 4 minutes |
| Level 2 | Age 9-10 | 5 minutes |
| Level 3 | Age 11-12 | 6 minutes |
| Level 4 | Age 13-15 | 8 minutes |
| Level 5 | Age 16-18 | 10 minutes |
Repertoire Requirements
Any piano composition written or arranged for one or two pianos is acceptable. Concertos are not accepted.
Ensembles may comprise of DUETS (one piano four hands), DUOS (two pianos four hands), TRIOS (one piano six hands), or QUARTETS (one piano eight hands or two pianos eight hands).
Festival participants must play no more than one or two selections.
Competition participants must play two selections.
Partners may switch Primo/Secondo positions between compositions. A complete set of Theme and Variations (in its entirety) is considered one composition; therefore, partners may not switch positions between variations.
A single movement of a sonata, sonatina, or suite qualifies as one composition.
Any question regarding repertoire must be approved by the Piano Ensemble chairperson.
Ensembles may play from a same-titled work for more than one year but must play a different movement at each year of entry.
All pieces must stay within the given total time limit for the appropriate age level.
Memorization is not required.
Entrants must abide by all copyright laws and shall use music (for performers and judges) as outlined here.
Eligibility
An ensemble team must choose only one division they will perform in: Festival or Competition. That team may not enroll in both. Any individual student, however, may be associated with any number of different ensembles and may participate in both the Festival and Competition divisions.
This event is held in recital format. A competitive team must be present by the start of their recital time and must remain for its entirety. If not, they will receive judges’ comments only.
The previous year’s First Place winner ensembles must enter either the next higher competitive age level or the Festival division.
Awards
All performers receive a certificate of participation and comment sheets. In the Competition division, First, Second, Third, and Honorable Mention ribbons will be awarded. Awards are announced and presented immediately after the completion of each age group level.
Teacher Guidelines
If enrollment is high, this event could run two days (Saturday and Sunday). Teachers and students should keep both days open when registering, until the schedule is announced.
Ensembles must either turn their own pages or provide their own page-turners. Ensembles must provide an original, non-zeroxed published score to the judges for each work they will be performing. All measures must be numbered. The scores should not bear the student’s nor the teacher’s name.
All participating teachers will be required to fulfill duties among which include judging, monitoring, or providing refreshments.
Teachers must agree to abide by the Rules for Competitive Events as well as the Teacher Responsibilities.