Bach/Baroque Festival and Competition

Festival – Video Submission / Competition – In-person

Application Requirements

1. Please register at mtfest.com.
2. Pay fee online through 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
3. Non-NVMTA members have to pay the $50 fee (per student per event) plus registration fee.

Levels and Time Limits

Festival
Grades K-4	4 minutes
Grades 5-8	7 minutes
Grades 9-adult	10 minutes
Competition
Little Preludes and Two-Part Inventions	4 minutes
Three-Part Inventions (Sinfonias), Mvt. from French or English Suite, Partitas	7 minutes
Prelude and Fugue	10 minutes

Repertoire Requirements

Festival

• Format:  video submission.  Playing both pieces in one continuous video is optional.  However, they still will submit only one video.
• Repertoire:  Play 2 memorized pieces, one by J. S. Bach and a second piece by J. S. Bach or another Baroque composer.  Any piece with a BWV number, including all pieces in the Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook, is acceptable as the first piece.
• Adults:   memory optional

Competition

Piano:

• Format: In-person, 2 rounds and an Honors Recital. The first round will be in recital format. Judges will write critiques. The second round will be a private audition.
• Repertoire: Play 2 memorized pieces. Choose the first piece (by J S Bach) from the following list:
  1. A Little Prelude (BWV 899-900, 902, 924-928, 930-931, 933-941, 943, 999, 902a);  4 minutes total playing time
  2. A 2-part Invention;  4 minutes total playing time
  3.  A 3-part Invention (Sinfonia);  7 minutes total playing time
  4. A movement from a French or English Suite or from a Partita;  7 minutes total playing time
  5. One Prelude and Fugue set (both with the same BWV number) from either volume of WTC;  10 minutes total playing time
• In categories 1 through 4, the second piece may be by any Baroque composer or by JS Bach, except for pieces from the Anna Magdalena Bach collection.
• In category 5, no additional piece is needed.

Strings:

• Format: Students submit one video (an unedited video made in one take like an actual performance) that will be reviewed by judges who will write a critique.  Students with worthy performances who might otherwise have been advanced to the Second Round will be acknowledged by the First Round judges and awarded the Second Round ribbon.

• Open to pre-college students grades K through 12, and adults

• Repertoire: Play 2 memorized pieces, one by J. S. Bach and a second piece by J. S. Bach or another Baroque composer. Published arrangements from Suzuki books or other anthologies are accepted.

Voice:

• Format:  Students submit one video (an unedited video made in one take like an actual performance) that will be reviewed by judges who will write a critique. Students with worthy performances who might otherwise have been advanced to the Second Round will be acknowledged by the First Round judges and awarded the Second Round ribbon.

• Open to pre-college students grades 9 through 12, and adults

• Repertoire:  Sing 2 memorized arias, one by J. S. Bach and a second piece by J. S. Bach or another Baroque composer. Any piece with a BWV number, such as aria from mass and Magnificat (BWV 232–243) or aria from Passions and Oratorios (BWV 232–243) accepted. For second piece, aria in Italian, German, English or French from standard Baroque repertoire is accepted.

Copyright Release Forms: NVMTA supports the use of published musical scores. If a photocopy must be used, the NVMTA Copyright Release form, signed by a parent or teacher, must be submitted to the chairman by email or postmarked at least a week prior to the event. Please submit this form also for music purchased or downloaded from the internet. Students using photocopies (or anything resembling a photocopy) either for themselves or the judges, without having provided the Copyright Release Form by this deadline, may play for comments but will not be eligible to compete. Copyright Release Form

Eligibility

Festival

• Open to pre-college students grades K through 12, and adults

Competition

• Open to pre-college students grades K through 12.
• A student who is chosen for the Honor’s Recital one year, cannot participate in the Competition the next year.  The student can participate in the Festival and then return to the competition the following year.

Awards

Festival and Competition

Certificate of Participation

Trophies awarded at the 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 12th years of participation.

Honors Recital

All second round performers, whether or not they are chosen to play in the Honors Recital, will be recognized at the Honors Recital. A select number of students from the second round will be chosen to perform in the Honors Recital on Sunday, February 27 at 2:00pm at the Cherrydale United Methodist Church. 3701 Lorcom Lane, Arlington, VA 22207.

Teacher Guidelines

Teachers who enroll 1 to 10 students are obligated to judge for 3  hours; teachers who enroll 11 or more students are obligated to judge for 6  hours.  Teachers must be available to help in other capacities at the discretion of the chairman.

Your work obligation is based on your chosen registration format:

∙       If you enter students in Competition, you fulfill your work obligation in person.

∙       If you enter students in Festival you fulfill your work obligation virtually.

∙       If you enter students in both categories, the committee will assign your work obligation based upon the requirements of the event.

Video Recording: Students are welcome to record both pieces in 1 take but this is not obligatory. They may record their videos at separate times but must submit only 1 video to the event.

Masks: the church requires all those in the building to wear masks at all times.

Check-in:

∙      Students should check-in at the front desk 15 minutes before their performance time. Check-in desk is in the lobby directly in front of the only entrance door to the church.

∙      Each student may be accompanied by only 1 parent.

∙      Teachers working in person should check-in 15 minutes before their judging assignment at the same desk.

Teachers must agree to abide by the Teacher Responsibilities.

If a participating teacher needs to hire a substitute, they must inform the chairman no later than two weeks prior to the event.

Please let the chairman know if you are willing to work extra hours as a judge at the rate of $60/hour.

Judging Workshop notes