ELIGIBILITY

The Klein Competition is open to violinists, violists, cellists and bassists. All prizes are intended for instrumental studies; therefore persons under professional management are not eligible. Contestants must be aged 15 to 23 as of June 8, 2013. Judges will have the final decision on all prize awards, and details of concert appearances are subject to change.

ENTRY PROCEDURES/APPLICATION

Contestants may submit an online application by clicking the Application button below. Entries must be submitted by February 9, 2013. There is a non-refundable entry fee of $85 (payable by credit card, check or money order; checks made payable to California Music Center).

In addition to the online application, contestants must submit the following (postmarked by the February 9, 2013 deadline):

A high-quality CD recording of three contrasting selections of approximately 10 minutes each (with clock timings - please include complete movements, even if they are longer than 10 minutes):

one or more movements of a Bach unaccompanied work
one movement of a Classical, Romantic, or major 20th/21st Century Concerto with piano accompaniment only (not orchestra)
one 20th/21st Century work (excluding Debussy, Ravel, and Ysaÿe)

A photocopy of proof of age (valid driver’s license, passport, or birth certificate)

The CD and proof of age may be mailed to:

California Music Center
PO Box 460095
San Francisco, CA 94146-0095

If you choose to use a service (such as Federal Express) that does not deliver to PO boxes, please send to the following address (please waive the recipient signature requirement if possible):

California Music Center
1329 Noe St
San Francisco, CA 94131

CD GUIDELINES

Summary
The CD you prepare for your application is the Jury’s first opportunity to experience you as an artist. While conforming to the requirements, you should also strive to give those who will hear it a comprehensive picture of your musical personality, in addition to demonstrating technical mastery of your instrument.

Your CD must have 3 separate works represented, appearing in this order (please include complete movements, even if they are longer than 10 minutes):

Unaccompanied Bach (approximately 10 minutes)
Major concerto (approximately 10 minutes)
20th-21st century work (approximately 10 minutes)

Each work may fulfill only one category requirement. A Prokofiev Concerto, for example, can fulfill the concerto requirement, or the 20th-21st century requirement, but not both. Do not include anything other than these 3 works on your CD.

Your application will be best served by using the highest quality recording equipment, environment, and CD media that are available to you. In addition, please make certain that it is formatted as an audio CD and not mp3 or any other format, so that it is readable by the widest range of playback equipment. Be sure to include clock timings (e.g., 9:45) for each work or movement submitted.

All recordings submitted must have been made within the last 12 months. You may not perform on two instruments within a single application (e.g. both violin and viola).

Bach
Choose one or more movements of unaccompanied Bach appropriate to your instrument, approximately 10 minutes in total, although a longer selection is certainly fine, particularly if you are submitting the Chaconne or one of the longer fugues. Violists are welcome to choose from either the cello Suites or the violin Sonatas and Partitas. If you wish, you may submit movements from more than one work; be sure that this is clear when you submit the CD.

Concerto
Choose one movement of any Classical, Romantic, or major 20th-21st century concerto for your instrument. Submit a recording of approximately 10 minutes with piano accompaniment only. Submissions of concertos with orchestral accompaniment will be disqualified.

20th-21st Century
This requirement is intended to demonstrate to the Jury how you handle the challenges presented by music of your own time, in a modern compositional language. Compositions by Debussy, Ravel, and Ysaÿe are specifically excluded and may not be used to fulfill this requirement. Additionally, works such as Franz Waxman’s Carmen Fantasie and the Sibelius Violin Concerto, while technically written after the beginning of the 20th century, do not meet the spirit of this requirement and are not acceptable. If you have any questions as to the suitability of a particular work, you (or your teacher or other representative) may submit your question to info@kleincompetition.org and it will be passed on to the Jury anonymously for a determination. As with the concerto requirement, this approximately 10 minute selection should be submitted with piano accompaniment. Unaccompanied works are also acceptable in this category. Movements from multiple 20th/21st C works are not acceptable; all movements must be from the same composition.

DO NOT INCLUDE:

Works that do not fulfill one of the 3 specified requirements (e.g. encore pieces, sonata movements unless in fulfillment of the 20th-21st century requirement). The jury will not listen to them.
Recordings of concertos with orchestral accompaniment. Your entry will be disqualified.
Biographies, letters of recommendation, performance reviews, or photos. Contestants remain anonymous to the jury during the CD review process.