Frequently Asked Questions

If your question isn’t answered here, please email info@californiamusiccenter.org for help.

The Klein Competition is open to violinists, violists, cellists and bassists aged 15-23 at the time of the competition June 7, 2025. All prizes are intended for instrumental studies; therefore persons under professional management are not eligible.

Please visit our Competition Overview page and our Application Guidelines page for details. When you are ready to submit an application, please visit our Submittable page.

Please visit our application guidelines page for more information.

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 with orchestral accompaniment. Your entry will be disqualified.

  • Biographies, letters of recommendation, performance reviews, or photos.

  • Any identification (name, etc) in your uploaded audio file names. Contestants must remain anonymous to the jury during the review process.

Please reach out to us at info@californiamusiccenter.org with your question. You can ask us about composer, the piece itself, length, whether cuts are acceptable, etc.  We will submit it to the jury panel and get back to you promptly.  We're here to help you make your submission as strong as possible.

No.  But you must combine them into one file to upload.

A couple of pro tips:

  1. Check your file from start to finish for audio levels before you upload it - is each piece at approximately the same volume and EQ?  Listen for any distortion or drop-offs.
  2. Is each piece audible?  Don't be that applicant who uploads a blank file.

If we discover a problem, we will reach out to you and give you an opportunity to fix it.  This is a great reason to apply early!

Generally, we reach out to those selected as semifinalists around the beginning of April.  From the time of notification, you will have 48 hours to accept or decline.  If you decline, we will advance one of our two alternates. Once we have an accepted cohort, we will notify every applicant of their status.

Please don't ask about your application status prior to April 1st; we will be unable to respond to you. The screening process runs through the end of March.

Once applications are closed, a remote team of 7-8 screeners begin listening to the submissions. Screeners are selected for their expertise as players, conductors, or educators.  We strive for a balance of instruments among them.

All screening is blind; this is why we ask for no ID on the audio submissions.  Each submission is assigned a number, and at no time does a screener or listener know who they are listing to. This is to ensure complete anonymity of the applicants and eliminate any bias or favoritism.

  1. Screening Round 1: Each screener is assigned 15 - 20 applications in the first round, and completes a review that includes a simple numerical ranking and short comments, if desired.
  2. Screening Round 2: we swap the submissions among the screeners so they are heard 2x.  Again, they are reviewed.
  3. Ranking and first cut: After rounds 1 & 2, the rankings are compiled into groups. From these, the Artistic Director for the Klein brings forward approximately 25 submissions.
  4. Listening session: a second group of listeners reviews the final 25.  Listeners are asked to rank the applicants in order.  We compile this final vote and the final 8-9 are selected.  Only then is their identity revealed.

For the Semifinals: 
Assemble a no more than 25-minute program (actual playing time) including:

  1. An unaccompanied Bach work (at least one substantial movement)
  2. Movement from a  Classical, Romantic, or major 20th/21st century concerto (with cuts as necessary)
  3. The entire commissioned work (unaccompanied).  You will receive the score for your instrument shortly after your acceptance.
  4. Do not include the sonata movement in this program.

Cuts in tutti passages of the concerto are expected in both rounds.

For the Finals
Assemble a no more than 35-minute program (actual playing time) including:

  1. Additional movements of the concerto
  2. At least one substantial movement of a Classical, Romantic, or major 20th/21st century sonata with piano (unless the chosen sonata has only short movements, in which case more than one may be programmed)
  3. may also include more unaccompanied Bach and/or the commissioned work if time permits.

Again, cuts in tutti passages of the concerto are expected in both rounds.

Alll programs are submitted for approval and timing check in advance; the deadline for submission is fairly early; it is usually about two weeks after acceptance.

While semifinalists pay their own way to San Francisco, we make every effort to place them with home hosts, who house, feed, entertain, and chauffeur them around. We coordinate all airport pickups and departures with hosts or ground transport. If you choose to travel with a parent, we recommend that you opt to stay in a hotel together, as our hosts are generally unable to host parents.
If you received a fee waiver and advance to the semifinals round, your travel and housing will be covered.

Semifinalists should arrive in San Francisco no later than Thursday morning.  Many choose to arrive Wednesday evening to adjust to the time zone if flying.

You will check in on Thursday to our production office at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music between 2-4 PM before your piano rehearsal for orientation, information packet, and go over any questions or needs you may have. Light snacks, beverages and supplies will be on hand daily.

Semifinalists will receive a minute-by-minute master schedule for each day.

  • You will have a dedicated practice room Thu-Sun on the fifth floor open during the times on the schedule.
  • 45 minutes of rehearsal is scheduled on Thursday PM, with a 30-min dress rehearsal in the hall Friday. Finalist are provided one hour of additional rehearsal with the accompanists on Sunday.
  • Our mentor will be available to you for advice, and provide feedback on dress rehearsals/performances if requested. Take advantage of their expertise and counsel.
  • Semifinals take place on Saturday from 10AM - 4PM. Eight-nine semifinalists will perform 25 minute programs.  There is a 90-min lunch break midday.
  • Finals take place from 3-5PM on Sunday. Three to four finalists will perform 35 minute programs.
  • You are required to attend the entire Competition Sat and Sunday and be present in the concert hall for each Awards presentation, whether you advance to the Finals or not.

Yes. 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. Movements from multiple 20th/21st C works are not acceptable; all movements must be from the same composition. Please review the repertoire list for guidance. Do not worry if your piece is not on the list; simply reach out to info(at)californiamusiccenter.org and ask.

Yes!  We host a welcome dinner​ for semifinalists and their families at the home of a board director on Friday.  On Saturday evening, after the semifinals, we host a Chamber Reading Session and Dinner with the Competition Mentor and semifinalists not advancing to the finals.

At the competition, we provide a box lunch for contestants, their parent and hosts on Saturday.  There is a reception for all after the Finals.

That depends on how much you want to rehearse!  Many of our hosts love to share our beautiful city with you, and often squeeze in a dinner out or a little sightseeing in-between practice times.

Please honor the Competition with appropriate dress onstage.  The preferred dress for the Semifinals and Finals is “afternoon concert dress”. Typically, for men this is a suit and tie; for women a knee-length or longer dress or a pants outfit.

All voting is by written, secret ballot.

SEMIFINALS VOTING
• Judges will vote for three Finalists. Votes are tallied by staff.
• If the first ballot does not clearly identify three Finalists, a second ballot will be held to determine remaining places in the Final round.
• Judges will then vote to award the Allen R. and Susan E. Weiss Memorial Prize for best performance of the commissioned work; as well as the Pablo Casals Prize for best performance of the Bach.
• Judges will then vote for the two Fourth Prizes.
• The two fourth prizes will be awarded and the Finalists will be announced at the end of the semifinals.

FINALS VOTING
• Judges begin by voting for first place, then proceed to vote for second and third, etc.
• The Jury will consider performances in all rounds in determining the prizes.
• The primary criterion for judging is a determination of the best total artistic/musical realization of the music performed through both rounds of the Competition.
• Prize awards may be determined by plurality vote, but should be ratified by a motion approved by a majority.
• Additional rounds of voting may be necessary to achieve a clear mandate for a particular prize. These votes are made between/among the top vote getters in the previous voting round.
• Finals prizes and special prizes are announced.

Yes.

Judges whose students are competing in the Competition may not vote for their own students.  This is 100% enforced.  If a judge would otherwise have voted for his/her own student, that judge must abstain from voting for that particular prize level, to keep remaining votes properly weighted.

It is Competition policy that the judges make their decisions without regard to the age or career history of the performers: therefore, we give judges special programs without this information, and we ask them not to seek such information from any source either before or during the Competition.

  • First Prize: $15,000, includes a $5,000 cash prize as well as performances with the Peninsula and Santa Cruz Symphonies, Gualala Arts Chamber Music Series, Music in the Vineyards, and other appearances
  • Second Prize: The Elaine H. Klein Prize – $5,500, includes a $3,500 cash prize as well as a performance with the San José Chamber Orchestra, and other appearances
  • Third Prize: The Milton Preves Memorial Prize - $2,500 cash prize
  • Fourth Prizes: $1,500 cash each; two are awarded
  • Semifinals Round Prizes: The Allen R. and Susan E. Weiss Memorial Prize (best performance of the commissioned work) – $500 cash; The Pablo Casals Prize (best performance of the Bach) – $500 cash
  • All Semifinalists who do not win a named prize receive a Semifinalist Prize - $1,000 cash.

Each judge will have evaluation forms for each performer. We forward these evaluations to the performers after the Competition, unless the judge specifies otherwise.  Contestants ask for and find this feedback very valuable, so we encourage the jury to share their comments.

The judges will also have an opportunity to give in-person feedback to those competitors not advancing to the Finals prior to the finals.

Yes and yes.  You may request a high-resolution copy of a select still image.  The edited final video feed will be available mid to late June on our website and YouTube channel.