2025 Youth Piano Concerto Competition

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NORTH COAST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT

The City of Encinitas is presenting the 2025 Youth Piano Concerto Competition winners in collaboration with the North Coast Symphony Orchestra.

SAT | JUN 14 | 2:30PM

General Admission: $20

Front Row Seats: $30

Click here to purchase tickets.

Encinitas Community Center (1140 Oakcrest Park Dr, Encinitas, CA 92024)

*Doors open at 2pm.

*Card transactions will be charged an additional 5%.

*No refunds, all sales are final. Tickets may be transferred by calling (760)633-2746 or emailing arts@encinitasca.gov.

SUBMISSIONS FOR 2025 ARE CLOSED.

The City of Encinitas is proud to present the 2025 Youth Piano Concerto Competition. Young musicians in grades K-12 are invited to compete for a first-place prize of a $250 contract to perform one movement of a concerto in a concert with the North Coast Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Competition Dates and Deadlines

Online Preliminary Submission CLOSED: March 26, 2025

Finalists Announced: April 3, 2025

In-Person Finalists Auditions: May 3, 2025

Winners Announced: May 6, 2025

Required Rehearsals: June 3, 10, 12, 2025 (afternoon/evening rehearsals)

Concert with the North Coast Symphony Orchestra: June 14, 2025

2025 Concerti and First Movements

Competitors may enter the competition by choosing one of the following concerti and first movements:

Haydn Keyboard Concerto No. 11

Kabalevsky Piano Concerto No. 3

Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1

Competition Details

Click on the + in the tabs below for more information.

Competition Format

The Competition Format

Preliminary Video Submission Round

In the first round, participants must submit a preliminary video performance in the form of a recorded YouTube link of a segment of the required music sections (see required sections described below) along with the application and non-refundable registration fee of $35 due by March 27, 2025. (Registration link HERE). Participants will be notified by email on April 3, 2025 of the results. Finalists will be invited to the second round of the competition.

Please note: a piece may be omitted from the competition or concert at this stage of the competition if jurors of the preliminary round determine that video entries demonstrate insufficient proficiency to proceed to the Live Competition. Additionally, a piece may be removed from the program if there are no entries.

Live Finalist Round

Finalists from the preliminary round will be invited to perform unaccompanied and in person for the judges on May 3, 2025. The Live Competition will be held at the Encinitas Community Center. The instrument featured for both the competition and concert is a Steinway D concert grand piano.

Finalists must perform their concerto movement that was qualified from the preliminary video submission round in its entirety by memory and may not change or switch concerti for the live competition. No other part of the concerto (other movements) will be performed, nor other concerti. The adjudicators may ask participants to perform certain measures or sections after long segments. The score will not be present on the desk of the piano.

Winners

First, second, third, and honorable mention awards will be presented per concerto. The first-place winner of each concerto will perform with the orchestra. Announcements of the winners for each featured concerto will be posted on May 6, 2025.

Competition Rubric

Youth Piano Concerto Competition Rubric

Preliminary Performance -- How To Submit

Piano Concerto Preliminary Video Submission Round Instructions

Video recordings made at home or in another environment must be unedited from beginning to end with the camera view showing full body, feet, and hands at the keyboard in good lighting. The piano should be in good tuning and in workable condition. Participants should be in suitable clothing and wear shoes. Competitors must audibly state in the video, “This recording is made for the City of Encinitas Piano Competition.” Any additional speaking, extraneous noise such as animals, TV, other people, or background noise in video recordings may result in disqualification.

All competitors will perform unaccompanied (no second piano accompaniment or background recording) in the video submission. Cuts of orchestra sections (rests) are permissible in the video submission. Participants must observe all rests exactly, except measures with rests of more than 8 bars, and may resume playing again when ready with a one-measure preparation. Solo passages (e.g. cadenzas) must be prepared in their entirety if specified. The performance on the video must be memorized with no visible sheet music present on the desk of the piano.

By submitting a video link, competitors consent to have their videos viewed by the competition judge(s). The link will not be shared or publicized.

The video must be specifically prepared for this competition and not for another competition or endeavor. Please label or name the video on the Youtube link listing with the following identification: First name-Last Name-2025 City of Encinitas Piano Competition (example: Bobby Jones City of Encinitas Piano Competition).

Please verify the Youtube link is usable and unlisted with the comments turned off. Personal information collected from competitors will be used in accordance with the YouTube Community Guidelines. Each competitor unequivocally agrees to the use of their personal information for such purposes.

Concerto Performance Sections For Preliminary Video Submission- CLOSED

Musicians must perform the following sections for their selected concerto in the video. Note that incomplete submission may result in disqualification.

Haydn Keyboard Concerto No. 11 in D, Movement 1: Vivace

(Henle Urtext Edition accepted.)

1) Measures 49-103

2) Measures 127-175

3) Entire cadenza starting at measure 241

Kabalevsky Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Major, Op. 50: Movement 1: Allegro Molto
(Schirmer, Peters, or Henle Urtext editions accepted.)

1) Beginning through rehearsal no. 8 chord ( to a minor section)

2) Rehearsal no. 19 through rehearsal no. 23 (g minor triplet section, ending in F major chord)

3) Entire cadenza

Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Op.25: Movement 1: Molto Allegro Con Fuoco

(Peters or Schirmer editions accepted.)

1) Rehearsal section A to downbeat of Rehearsal section B

2) Rehearsal section C (continue through)

3) Rehearsal section D to downbeat of Rehearsal section E.

Submit Performance Video By March 26, 2025

The preliminary performance video submission is now CLOSED.

Late submissions may not be considered. The link to submit and pay the $35 entry fee is here.

About The Judges

Paul Tseng - Paul Tseng has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in concert halls around the world. As a chamber musician, Paul has performed with luminaries such as Earl Carlyss and Ruth Inglefield. While completing his doctorate in music, Paul performed with the Delphian Trio, which was awarded First Prize in the Baltimore Chamber Music Awards Competition. As an orchestral musician, Paul was the principal cellist of the Gettysburg Symphony and Millbrook Orchestra. He also played as assistant principal cellist of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra under the baton Barry Tuckwell. The second cellist ever to be awarded the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at the Peabody Conservatory (Johns Hopkins University), Paul specialized in the cello music of Prokofiev. He also holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from the Juilliard School. He has held various faculty positions in New York, Maryland, West Virginia, New York, and Washington DC.

Jennifer Marakovits - A resident of Encinitas for 28 years, Ms. Marakovits is currently serving a first term as a Commissioner for the Arts and has spearheaded the youth piano concerto competition program for the City of Encinitas. Ms. Marakovits is a supporter of arts education for youth and has engaged in many endeavors in San Diego County as an entrepreneur, performer, music educator, composer-arranger, and arts advocate. Ms. Marakovits is an Orff and Kodaly-certified educator, a twice California-state certified educator, and an active member of the California Music Educators Association, American Orff and Schulwerk Association, and Organization of American Kodaly Educators.

Jacopo Giacopuzzi - As a soloist and chamber musician, Jacopo has performed recitals at major festivals and venues throughout the United States and Europe. Jacopo is a winner of 14 international competitions including the International Piano Competition San Dona`di Piave, Ibiza International Piano Competition, International Liszt Competition in Los Angeles, and the Beverly Hills National Auditions. He has performed under the direction of world renowned conductors such as Dian Tchobanov, Robert Wills, and others. He has been invited to serve on competition juries and to give presentations, masterclasses and concerts throughout the the world.