Young Artist Competition

Any student in grade 7-12 during the 26-27 school year who attends school in the state of Michigan that plays a string, wind (including saxophone), brass or percussion instrument. Pianists will not be considered. Harp will be considered.

Each applicant needs to fill out the Google Form on the Young Artist Competition page of the A2SO website, which goes live on Monday, August 3, 2026. The deadline to submit is 10 am on Friday, September 25, 2026. To fill out this form you will need:

• Your name and instrument.
• Your guardian’s name and contact information, including email, phone number and address.
• Your private teacher’s name and contact information, if applicable.
• Information about the work to be performed (composer’s full name, birth and death years, work and movement title, and year of composition).
• A YouTube link to your solo submission video. 

An application fee of $50. Instruction and a link to the payment page will be provided after the application form is submitted. If there is concern about being able to pay this fee, please reach out to Jennifer Pepper, Learning & Community Program Manager, at jpepper@a2so.org.

• Submissions must be one movement of a work for solo instrument and orchestra. Solos must be originally composed for solo instrument and orchestra. The recording must be a video, must be one take, and must be accompanied.
• Solos must be memorized for the live final audition and for the performance with the A2SO.
• Please note it is expected that the soloist performs the same work they auditioned with on the concert. New works will not be accepted.

If you are selected as a winner, you will be provided with the opportunity to perform at our Link Up Youth Concert in March. We ask that applicants check these dates in their calendars before submitting an application. Attendance at the rehearsal the night before is required to be able to perform at the corresponding concert.

Link Up Rehearsal and Concert Date:

• Monday, February 22, 2027, 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM rehearsal at Hill Auditorium
• Tuesday, February 23, 2027, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM concerts at Hill Auditorium

If the winner lives more than 30 minutes away from Ann Arbor, we encourage them to get a hotel room between the rehearsal and performance dates.

• Young Artists who are selected as one of the finalists will be notified via email in early September. More details will be provided to finalists once they are chosen.
• Live auditions will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026  at 11:00 am at Alexander Recital Hall at Eastern Michigan University’s Alexander Music Building (000 E. Circle Drive, Ypsilanti).
• Finalists will receive a time slot and are expected to arrive 30 minutes before that assigned time slot.
• Finalists and their parents and teachers (if in attendance) will be asked to sign a form agreeing that there may be cuts to the piece if they are chosen as the winner to perform in the Link Up concert to accommodate concert timing, when and where to attend rehearsals and concerts, and call times.
• Finalists will be notified via email after the final round is over who the winners are.
• All finalists must provide their own collaborative pianist.
• All finalists will need to provide 3 copies of their score with all measures numbered for judges reference during the final round. Note this is NOT THE SOLO PART, but the SCORE itself (piano part, with solo part above).

• The Symphony reserves the right to not choose a winner if no applicants are deemed qualified.
• Please note that cuts to the solo may be made for the actual performance with the A2SO at the Youth Concert to fit within our timing needs.
• All rules and parameters of the competition are subject to change at the Symphony’s discretion.