PROGRAM DETAILS AND INFORMATION:

FALL FESTIVAL

The Fall Festival is open to any age or difficulty level. Repertoire may represent any historical period.

The Fall Recital usually takes place on October.

WINTERFEST COMPETITION

This competition is open to any age or difficulty level. Any one composition or one movement may be chosen for performance, except for compositions by J.S. Bach. Categories are divided according to age: 8 and under, 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 17 and over. Trophies are presented to winners.

Monetary awards are presented to two Grand Prize Winners (Junior – 12 and under and Senior – 13 and over)

Winners from the previous year’s competition compete in a separate Winners Program.

The Winterfest Competition usually takes place at the beginning of December.

SONATA/SONATINA COMPETITION

This competition is open to any age group. Repertoire is restricted to any one movement of a sonata or sonatina from standard repertoire. No arrangements and no repeats allowed. Adjudication will be based on the following age categories: age 8 and under, 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under, age 17 and over. Performance time is limited to 5 minutes.

Trophies are presented to the winners. Winners from the previous year’s competition compete in a separate Winners Program. Monetary awards are presented to two Grand Prize Winners (Junior – 12 and under and Senior – 13 and over)

The Sonata/Sonatina Competition usually takes place in January or February.

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT EVALUATIONS

This prestigious evaluation program is conducted online through the MTAC State Office. It takes place in February or March. Refer to the Certificate of Merit menu for registration details.

Certificate of Merit® is a music evaluation program that was created and developed by the Music Teachers’
Association of California® (MTAC) in 1934. The Certificate of Merit® (CM) evaluation program provides a solid
foundation for music study through a sequential progression of eleven (11) Levels, from Preparatory through
Advanced (Level 10). Students perform musical repertoire, technique, sight reading, ear training, and theory based
on requirements set forth in an applicable instrument Syllabus (e.g. Harp, Piano, Winds, Strings, Voice, Guitar).

BACH FESTIVAL

This festival is administered by the Southern California Junior Bach Festival and is open to students of all M.T.A.C. teachers. Application forms and more detailed information are available online: www.scjbf.org The Southern California Bach Festival consist of various consecutive and competitive performance opportunities; starting with the Branch Bach Festival, followed by the Regional Festival, the Complete Works Audition, a Special Concerto Audition and concluding with the Los Angeles Bach Festival Honors Program.

At the branch level, pianists may play any original music of J. S. Bach or compositions of other Baroque composers. However, to be eligible to be considered among the 50% chosen to qualify for performing in the Regional Festival, the following exceptions must be kept in mind: # 1. No music from the Anna Magdalena Bach Notebook, ANH 113-132. # 2. No transcriptions other than those made by J. S. Bach himself from his own works. #3. No works by other Baroque composers. Regional winners are eligible to perform in the Complete Works Competition if performing a complete work as categorized on the Complete Works Audition list (see www.scjbf.org).

Students of strings, woodwinds and voice will be judged in an all Branch Regional Festival. These instrumentalists may play transcriptions at the Branch as well as their Regional Festival.

The Hollywood Branch Bach Festival usually takes place in April.

BAROQUE FESTIVAL

This recital is open to any age or level of difficulty. Repertoire will be limited to composers from the Baroque era. The Baroque Festival takes place on the same day and at the same venue as the branch Bach Festival, but whereas the Bach Festival registration takes place through the SCJBF website, registration for the Baroque Festival will be through our branch website.

SPRING FESTIVAL

This festival is open to any age or level of difficulty. Repertoire may represent any historical period. Compositions by students and teachers are encouraged.

The Spring Recital usually takes place in May.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS RECITAL

This is the final recital of the academic year. This recital was established to encourage participation in all branch recitals and competitions throughout the year and to encourage the study of music from a variety of musical eras. Branch Awards and Scholarship recipients are presented with their trophies or scholarship checks on this day.

Pianists are required to perform a total of four pieces during the academic year, each representing a different musical era (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic and Contemporary). One or two of these pieces must be performed at the Achievement Awards Recital and the remaining pieces must be performed at recitals/competitions of the Hollywood Branch throughout the year leading up to the Achievement Awards Recital. One movement only is allowed with no repeats.

String students are required to perform 3 pieces throughout the academic year, one of which one must be a Concerto or Variations written for a string instrument.

Trophies are presented to all participants in recognition for their achievement of participation throughout the year.
The Achievement Awards Recital usually takes place at the beginning of June.