For more details on Musical Life Competition and to apply, please log into the portal below.

About Musical Life Competition

First place winners will be invited to perform in world renowned Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Second and third place winners will be invited to perform at another reputable hall in New York, including Victor Borge Concert Hall. Young musicians 18 years old and under. All applicants will receive the jury’s comments, and may receive further media exposure.  Piano, violin, viola and cello in solo or small ensembles may apply!

• Live auditions will be held at Opera America on March 2nd and 3rd, 2024 (if unable to audition live, a virtual audition is accepted).
• Virtual (youtube) auditions are due on February 26th, 2024.
• Musical Life Competition First Place Winners Performance; April 30th, 2024, 7:30 p.m.
• Victor Borge Concert Hall 2nd and 3rd Place Winners’ Performances; May 11th, 2024
• Specific dates are listed in the calendar and in the portal upon logging into your account to register.
• Concerts may be added.

Eligibility and Requirements

1. One OR two pieces are allowed for the audition within the time restrictions based on age category.
2. At least one piece from the Baroque, Classical or Romantic periods is required.
3. If an applicant is auditioning with a 20th or 21st century piece, they must still adhere to rule 2 for their second selection.
4. An applicant cannot enter though the Musical Life Competition and Composers in Residence. Please pick an appropriate track to enter.
5. Selections from method books such as Faber and Faber and Bastien and simplifications are not accepted.

Additional Information

The application fee for Musical Life Competition is $150 per solo, $100 per ensemble member. If an applicant is selected as a First Place Competition winner by the jury, the solo performance fee is -$285, ensemble member -$150. The performance fee includes 4 tickets to the concert at Carnegie Hall for solo, (2 per ensemble member), rehearsal time in the hall the day of the concert, a certificate or trophy, 2 digital photos, and recognition through the Musical Life Foundation website.

If an applicant is selected as a Second or Third Place Competition winner by the jury, the solo participation fee for Victor Borge Hall (Scandinavia House) is $195, ensemble member – $100. The solo fee includes 4 tickets for solo, (2 per ensemble member), rehearsal time the day of the concert, and a certificate or trophy.

• Concert performers do NOT need a ticket
• Musical Life Foundation provides a complimentary ticket for the winner’s teacher to attend the concert.
• The Musical Life Competition Jury reserves all rights to decide who is chosen as Musical Life Competition winners, and which repertoire from the auditions is performed in the winners’ concerts.
• Solo applicants must perform for memory. (music is only allowed for ensembles and modern music).
• Age categories are based on the calendar year (December 31st), not the date of the competition auditions.
• The jury’s decisions are final.
• Piano 4 hands are considered ensemble entrees.
• Sibling Performance Fee (discount) – siblings that are chosen to perform in the same winners’ concert will receive a 20% discount deducted from the 2nd performance fee.
• The Musical Life Competition scholarship is granted to a special participant, who has trouble playing the fees. If you think you may qualify, please send us a short paragraph with a description of need to info@musicallife.org.

Musical Life Competition and Composers in Residence Pairing Program (Optional)

Musical Life Competition 1st Place Winners in age categories 2 and 3 have the option to partner with our Composers in Residence to premier their works in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Each Musical Life Competition applicant will indicate if they are interested in this partnership on their application form. This program is for advanced players, includes a rehearsal run – through with the Composer in Residence whose work you will be premiering. Musical Life Competition winners that are chosen for this honor by the jury are agreeing to premier the work of a Composer in Residence in lieu of  their audition piece at Carnegie Hall.

For more details on Composers in Residence and to apply, please log into the portal below.

About Composers in Residence

Composers in Residence is a unique and special opportunity for rising composers selected by the jury to have their original works premiered at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and may be selected for other performances. Composers in Residence will be featured on the Musical Life Foundation website and may receive additional media exposure. Up to FIVE rising composers will be selected for this honor by the jury. All applicants will receive the jury’s comments pertaining to the original work they submitted.

• Composers in Residence works are premiered at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall – April 30th, 2024, 7:30 p.m.

Eligibility and Requirements

• Composers who wish to have their works premiered, 20 years old and under may apply.
• Instruments for the submitted works must be limited to: piano, violin, viola, cello. Solo or duet is preferred.
• Time limit: 7 minutes or less.

Additional Information

To apply for the Composers in Residence, please submit an application together with an application fee of $95, a fully realized digital score in PDF format (no handwritten submissions please), a midi audio recording of the original work, and the composer’s bio and headshot. If selected as a Composer in Residence, the participation fee is $170. This fee includes two tickets to the winners’ concert at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on April 30th (where the Composers work will be premiered), a certificate or trophy, and exposure through the Musical Life Foundation website.

• Composers in Residence will receive a certificate or trophy to mark this significant achievement, and a professional picture onstage of Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
• The Composers in Residence are required to attend and participate in a collaborative rehearsal with their Musical Life Competition partner, prior to the premier of their work in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
• Composers in Residence DO need a ticket to attend the performance.
• One complimentary ticket is provided by Musical Life Foundation for the teacher of Composer’s in Residence.
• The submissions are presented in an anonymous fashion to the jury, whose decisions are final.
• An applicant cannot enter through Composers in Residence AND Musical Life Competition. Please pick an appropriate track to enter.
• Composers in Residence Scholarship is reserved for a deserving applicant who has trouble playing the fees. If you think you may qualify, please send us a short paragraph with a description of need to info@musicallife.org.