Competition

The competition will be held Sunday, November 1st 2026 with times to be assigned between 12:00-5:00pm at The American Theatre in Phoebus, Virginia.

Registration 

Application & registration fee must be received by October 27th, 2026.  After registration closes, late applicants may be taken only as time and space allows or becomes available.  If we cannot accommodate your registration, your registration fee will be refunded.

Rules & Details

• Open to participants up to age 21.

• Limited to 15 participants. 

• With maximum entries, time on stage will be limited to 10 minutes.

• After registration is closed and we have received all applicants, you will be assigned an audition period for your performance.  We will make an effort to accommodate a time preference, but cannot guarantee any certain time.  Please make yourself available for the duration of the competition. 

• Participants must make arrangements for their own accompanist.

• Participants are expected to perform their selection from memory for placement.

• Participants must provide at least one published or legally printed edition of the music they are performing for the judges; participants are requested to provide (3) copies—one for each judge. This music is to be submitted to the judges immediately before competing and will be returned after you compete.  It is the participant's responsibility to follow copyright permission from the publisher.

• After each performance, please clear the hall quickly and quietly as the competitor leaves to allow for adjudication, deliberation, and to keep the schedule running smoothly.

• If necessary, the adjudicators may recommend multiple winners.  While not anticipated, the adjudicators may also determine that none of the participants' performances meet the requirements to perform with the HRP. 

• Grand Prize winners may not earn that placement in consecutive years.  

• The Music Director of the HRP will make the final programming decision for the Young Artist Competition Showcase concert in March.

Placement, Awards and Decision

A Grand Prize winner will be chosen by the judges for a $500 award and performance opportunity with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic.  At their discretion, the judges may acknowledge additional participants in the form of Runner Up or Honorable Mention placements. An Encouragement Award is reserved for an outstanding younger soloist. The HRP will send results via your registered email and through Facebook, website & social media. 

Performance

The winner must be available for the following dates to rehearse & perform with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic. 

2/9/27 - Read through with Orchestra (7-7:30)

2/16/27 - Rehearsal with Orchestra (7:00-8:00pm)

2/23/27 - Rehearsal with Orchestra (7:00-8:00pm)

3/2/27 - Dress Rehearsal @ American Theatre (7:00pm)

3/7/27 - YAC Performance @ American Theatre 

   1:30pm Call 2:30pm Performance

Runner-up and honorable mentions may be asked to perform if the winner becomes unavailable.

Repertoire

For the competition, participants are expected to prepare a movement of a concerto or appropriate concert piece.  Participants are encouraged to come prepared with additional movements, but stage time will be limited to 10 minutes.  Judges may stop you to ask for certain movements or selections during your time. 

In order to create a successful musical collaboration between the orchestra and soloist, it is strongly recommended that your piece fall within the following instrumentation & guidelines.  Ideally, a winner will be chosen with repertoire that is also a good musical fit for the orchestra. 

The instrumentation of your piece may include up to:

2 Flutes (1 Doubling Piccolo)

2 Oboes (1 Doubling English Horn)

2 Clarinets

2 Bassoons

4 Horns

2 Trumpets

3 Trombones

1 Tuba

Timpani

Snare Drum

Bass Drum

Cymbals

Triangle

Tambourine

1 Harp 

String Orchestra

Your piece should require no rental fees, and have a score, parts, and materials that are in print and readily available.

As you choose your piece, keep in mind the programming and musical concerns that the orchestra would need to accommodate in order to perform your piece such as length, overall difficulty,  unusual instrumentation, or other demands.

Recent successful collaborations have been well-known and accessible concerti from the standard repertoire such as:

• Mozart Piano Concerto in C, K. 415

• Haydn Cello Concerto in C Major Hob VIIb/1

• Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major K.218

• Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64

• Sibelius Violin Concerto, Op 47

• Weinawski Violin Concerto No. 2, Op 22

• Elgar Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85

• Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25

Location

The American Theatre

125 E. Mellen St.

Hampton, VA 23663

(757)722-2787

To Enter

Please submit the application and a $30 non-refundable registration fee. This fee compensates our guest adjudicators and covers operational costs related to the competition. Application mailable and checks made payable to:

Hampton Roads Philharmonic

PO Box 3428

Hampton, Virginia 23663

If we are unable to accommodate your application due to capacity or late registration, your registration fee will not be processed.

Online application and full details available online through hrphil.org/YAC or visit us at facebook.com/hrphil.

Please note: Online applications must be paid online.  Paper applications must be mailed with check.  Applications without an application fee will not be processed and you will not receive an audition time.

Hampton Roads Philharmonic

Our vision is to build a community where classical music serves as an integral and thriving art form.  Our mission is to strive for artistic excellence, increase community awareness and participation in the performing arts, program a diverse selection of repertoire, and create a variety of educational opportunities and performing experiences.