Unleash your talent and take a thrilling step in your musical journey with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra’s prestigious competition!
Designed to spotlight and support emerging young artists, this is your chance to shine on a grand stage.

Calling all string players: 2026 is your year! Join us for the exciting semi-final and final rounds on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at First United Methodist Church Richardson in Richardson, TX.
Compete, connect, and perform with fellow aspiring musicians.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to elevate your career and inspire others with your passion and skill!

Eligibility
- Open to strings musicians aged 14 to 27 as of January 10, 2026.
- Professional and pre-professional musicians, including students and those with advanced music degrees, are encouraged to apply.
- International participants must obtain a visa to enter the United States.
- Previous first-place winners and current students of this year’s jury panel are ineligible.
- The first-place winner must be available for rehearsals on March 6 & 7, 2026, and the performance on March 7, 2026

Fees & Application
- Applications are completed online. A completed submission includes the competition’s online form, a valid URL link to an unedited video of a concerto performance from memory (the concerto on video must be the same concerto you intend to perform in the semi-final round), a resume or curriculum vitae, and a non-refundable entry fee of $100.
Note: For semifinalists, an additional $175 accompanist fee will be required and payment must be received by December 20, 2025.

Timeline
- Application Opens: June 2, 2025, at Noon CT
- Application Deadline: November 1, 2025, by 5 pm CT
- Notification of Semi-Finalist Selection: December 2, 2025
- Semi-Finalist Rehearsal: January 9, 2026 (9 am – 5 pm CT)
- Semi-Final Round: January 10, 2026 (starting at 9 am CT)
- Final Round: January 10, 2026 (starting approx. 4 pm CT)
- First Place Winner’s Concert: March 6 (Rehearsal), March 7, 2026 (Performance)

Competition Repertoire
- Competitors must perform from memory all movements of a major concerto (or similar large work for strings and orchestra).
- Excluded Repertoire for 2026 competition:
- Sibelius: Violin Concerto
- Schumann: Cello Concerto in A minor
- Barber: Violin Concerto
- No substitutions or changes are allowed once the application is submitted.

Awards & Concert
- First Prize:
$5,000 Cash Award
Concerto performance with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra on March 7, 2026
Flight & Hotel Accommodations (up to 2 nights) for travel during the March rehearsal and performance (March 6th & 7th.)

- Second Prize:
$2,000 Cash Award

- Third Prize:
$1,000 Cash Award

Audition Submission:
- Submit an unedited video of a standard concerto (or similar large work for piano and orchestra), including all movements, performed from memory.
- Upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo, including your name and repertoire (composer and title) in the title or description. This link must be included with your online application.
- ONLINE APPLICATION HERE: https://bit.ly/2026YAC4Strings
- A resume or curriculum vitae.
- Competitors will be notified by email about their acceptance into the semi-final round by December 2, 2025.

Accompanist (semi-final & final rounds)
For the in-person semi-final and final rounds, the RSO provides a professional accompanists for a fee of $175. This includes a one-hour rehearsal the day before the semi-final round and an accompaniment during the competition.
Semi-finalists must mail an original piano score (no photocopies) for the accompanist to use during the rehearsal and performance.

If a competitor withdraws after December 19, 2025, the accompanist fee is forfeited.

General Information
Round 1: preliminary online submissions are judged on technical proficiency, musicianship, repertoire, and stage presence by professionally qualified musicians at the RSO’s artistic team.
Round 2: in-person and consists of a Semi-Final and Final round, judged by nationally recognized master teachers, and is open to the public.

Semi-finalists will receive 30 minutes to warm-up before their scheduled audition time. Three finalists will be announced after the Semi-Final round, with the Final round begins shortly after the judges deliberate.

Judges may choose not to declare a winner if performance standards are not met.
All decisions by the judges are final.

Participants are responsible for their food, travel, and lodging costs for all competition rounds (semi-final and final).
For additional questions, email Shanna Morin, Director of Audience Development, at shanna@richardsonsymphony.org