The Middlebury College Orchestra
2010 Alan and Joyce Beucher Concerto Competition
The Middlebury College Orchestra presents the 2010 Alan and Joyce Beucher Concerto Competition Award
The winner of the 2010 Alan and Joyce Beucher Concerto Competition will receive:
a $200 cash award;
his or her name engraved on a plaque on display in the Middlebury College Center for the Arts;
and the opportunity to appear as a featured soloist with the Middlebury College Orchestra on its spring concert on Friday, April 30, 2010.
Qualifications
Any currently enrolled Middlebury College student is eligible to audition. Both vocalists and instrumentalists are welcome. Previous winners are not eligible to audition again this year.
Audition
Auditions will take place on Monday, January 11, 2010, between 3:30 and 7:00 p.m. No later than December 15, any interested student must schedule an appointment by contacting MCO conductor Andrew Massey — amassey@middlebury.edu.
Vocalists must audition with piano accompaniment. Instrumental candidates must audition unaccompanied. Vocalist candidates must make their own arrangements for accompanists. Candidates must demonstrate rhythmic stability, and the ability to respond to others. Mr. Massey may conduct during part of the audition, as if an orchestra were present.
Selection Process
Candidates will be ranked by the audition panel (consisting of MCO conductor Andrew Massey and a prominent musician from outside the Middlebury College community),
based solely on their level of performance during the audition, both technical and artistic. One candidate will be named winner of the competition, based solely on the ranking by the panel. Only in the case of a tie, preference may be given to students who have previously played as members of the Middlebury College Orchestra.
Repertoire
Candidates must perform a single movement or selection, not to exceed 15 minutes total
duration. (Vocalists may perform up to three selections, as long as the total length is 15
minutes or less.) Longer works are not acceptable for this competition. The audition
selection must also be a work for which orchestral accompaniment is both available and practicable. Consideration will be given to whether or not the selection offered is suitable for inclusion in the Middlebury College Orchestra concert.
Memorization at performance is required in all cases. In the case of a longish complex work, candidates may offer a work that is not yet completely memorized, but they must be able to play at least 5 minutes’ worth of the music from memory. Full memorization at the audition is strongly advised.
Questions?
Any questions about the 2010 Alan and Joyce Beucher Concerto Competition should be
directed to MCO conductor Andrew Massey — amassey@middlebury.edu
Alan Carter Middlebury College Music Department 2010 Chamber Music Competition
The 2010 Middlebury College Alan Carter Music Department Chamber Music Competition is open to all currently enrolled Middlebury College students. Groups must consist of between three and eight musicians.
Auditions will take place on Monday, February 15, 3:00 - 6:30 pm. Any group wishing to audition must schedule an appointment by contacting Middlebury College Orchestra conductor Andrew Massey no later than January 25, 2010 - amassey@middlebury.edu. He can also be contacted with any questions.
As with the Concerto Competition, winning is not a coronation, but an opportunity to develop a performance to full concert readiness. The winning group(s) will commit to a rehearsal schedule and coaching, which will be set up through the department after the winners are announced. After satisfactory completion of the coaching and rehearsal, the winners of the competition will be featured in a performance and reception in the concert hall at the Mahaney Center for the Arts in mid to late April - date to be announced soon. They will also receive a cash prize ($50 per musician).
Candidate groups must perform between 8 and 15 minutes of music in the audition, indicative of the nature and quality of the final intended performance. Individual students can perform in more than one group, if they would like. A panel of judges will select the group(s) who will be named as the winner(s) of the competition. The coaching schedule will thereupon be agreed between the winners and the Music Department.