Competitions

The Department of Music hosts three annual performance competitions, the Concerto Competition, the Alberta Baroque Music Society Award in Music competition, and the newly announced Anne Burrows Music Competition.

Alberta Baroque Music Society Award in Music

2026 Performance Date is still TBD.

Field of Study: Music

Amount: $1500

Criteria: 

  • Open to third or fourth year undergraduate (not second going into third), or graduate music students.
  • Eligible instruments: flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, horn, violin, viola, cello, bass.
    • Instrumentalist should prepare a baroque concerto of 10-15 minutes in length.
  • Eligible voice: soprano, mezzo, tenor, bass.
    • Voice should prepare 2-3 arias from a baroque cantata or baroque opera, early classical including Mozart is also acceptable.
  • Participants must check with teacher before applying.

Deadline: Application Deadline is still TBD.

Please direct any questions to John Tessier at jtessier@ualberta.ca .

This Award is endowed by the Alberta Baroque Music Society.

Anne Burrows Music Competition

The inaugural Anne Burrows Music Competition will take place on March 2, 2025, at 2 p.m. in Convocation Hall. The competition is open for viewing by the public and free to attend.

  • Open to BMus BMus/BEd students in the applied lesson stream; years 1-4
  • This is a performance-based scholarship; there is no minimum GPA requirement.
  • Students must confirm repertoire and get approval to enter competition from their applied music instructor.
  • Students should prepare 10-15 mins of music.
  • Prizes will be awarded at the competition on stage after deliberation.
  • Open to all instruments and voice types.

Competition spots are limited. Participants will be pre-screened to determine eligibility prior to the competition date. Students are asked to please submit a short video of them performing on the instrument that will be used for the competition (Youtube, Vimeo, etc.). 

Amounts: 1st prize of $2,000; 2nd prize of $1000; 3rd prize of $500

Deadline: Closing date to register is 11:59 p.m., February 2, 2025

Register Now for the Anne Burrows Music Competition

Please direct any questions to John Tessier at jtessier@ualberta.ca .

This Award is endowed by the Anne Burrows Music Foundation.

Concerto Competition

The audition date for the 2025 Concerto Competition will be announced in the new year. 

Winners — Two performers will be selected to perform as soloists, one with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble (dir. Angela Schroeder, Date TBA), the other with the University Symphony Orchestra (dir. Petar Dundjerski, Date TBA). Should you choose to play with the USO, please email petard@ualberta.ca to clear your chosen repertoire.

Eligibility — All students registered in the BMus or BA (Music Major), MMus, or DMus programs, and non-Music majors registered in Music X24, X26, X27, SWE, or USO are eligible. Previous winners of the competition are not eligible.

Memorization & Full-Work Expectations — All performances are from memory. Full works will be performed at the concerts with the ensembles.

Audition Time Limits — Each candidate will provide a representative sample (some or all of each movement) of the full work within 18 minutes, from memory, with piano accompaniment. Consult with your instructor and pianist to abridge tutti sections and movements. The audition will be stopped after 18 minutes of playing.

Jury Decision — Decisions are without appeal and will be announced either immediately after the event or the next business day. The jury panel will not provide written feedback to the candidates.

Please direct any questions to Guillaume Tardif | gtardif@ualberta.ca