BCMS Piano Competition 2026
- Award levels in each category: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Honorable Mention. All will receive certificates.
- Competition age groups and prizes:
- Age 16-18: 1st prize winner receives a Young Starlight performance opportunity as part of the 2026-27 Blue Candlelight Music Series concert season plus $500; 2nd prize winner receives $250; 3rd prize winner receives $100; Honorable Mentions will receive certificates.
- Age 12-15: 1st prize receives a Young Starlight performance opportunity as part of the 2026-27 Blue Candlelight Music Series concert season plus the Sonja Bilger Romanowski Young Artist Award of $300; 2nd prize winner receives $150; 3rd prize winner receives $75; Honorable Mentions receive certificates.
- Age 8-11: 1st prize a Young Starlight performance opportunity as part of the 2026-27 Blue Candlelight Music Series concert season plus the Alexander Rom Award of $200; 2nd prize winner receives $100; 3rd prize winner receives $50; Honorable Mentions receive certificates.
- If selected to perform as a Young Starlight, performances will be held in Dallas, Texas, USA; all travel is the responsibility and expense of the contestant. Winner will provide photo and bio for inclusion in BCMS promotional materials.
- Private master classes will be available to the winner in each category at no cost to them by the BCMS main stage pianist performing on the weekend of the Young Starlight performance.
- Repertoire by age group
- There will be two rounds (preliminary and final) of competition, each requiring a single video submission (2 video’s in total for each competitor)
- Each video should display on screen the competitor’s name, age, piece, composer, and either “preliminary” or “final”; the competitor should begin their video recording by clearly speaking their name and performance piece to the video camera.
- All pieces must be performed from memory. Videos must include full view of performer’s face, hands and feet. Performance at a grand piano is suggested but not required.
- Pieces in the preliminary round may not be repeated in the final round.
- Age 8-11 – requirements:
- Preliminary round: One selection from the Baroque period.
- Final round: The first movement from any classical sonatina or sonata by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.
- Maximum time inclusive for both rounds is 15 minutes; you may exceed the maximum time limit in your videos but only 15 minutes will be viewed by the jury.
- Age 12-15 – requirements:
- Preliminary round: 1st movement of a classical sonata (Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven).
- Final round: A piece from the romantic period (may be Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Liszt or another romantic composer).
- Maximum time inclusive for both rounds is 20 minutes; you may exceed the maximum time limit in your videos but only 20 minutes will be viewed by the jury.
- Age 16- 18 – requirements:
- Preliminary round: Bach Prelude and Fugue from either book 1 or 2 of the Well Tempered Clavier; any first movement of a classical composer sonata; and a substantial piece from the romantic period (may be Chopin, Schubert, Schumann,Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Liszt; examples are ballades, scherzos, impromptus, intermezzos, etc.).
- Final round: A piece of competitor’s choosing from the 20th or 21st century.
- Maximum time inclusive for both rounds is 30 minutes; you may exceed the maximum time limit in your videos but only 30 minutes will be viewed by the jury.
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- if a competitor wishes to play a piece by a composer suggested for an age level older than them, they may do so.
- Competitor age for category determination must be as of the day they submit their application.
- Multiple winners may be chosen from each category. Jury reserves the right to award more or fewer (if no contestant meets the expected standard) prizes than stated in each category.
- Jury will include members of the Blue Candlelight Music Series Board of Directors and independent professional musicians chosen by the Board. Should a jury member have their personal students participating in the competition they will recuse themselves from voting on those students. The deliberations of the jury will be private and no comments will be provided to competitors.
- Prizes will NOT be awarded in any age category where there are no applicants.
- Application fee is non-refundable.
- Winners will be announced via email and posted to the Blue Candlelight Music Series website and social media pages (FaceBook, Instagram, LinkedIn). All competitors will receive notification of results; winners will receive separate notification(s) with details specific to their awards as necessary.