top of page

Memorial Scholarship Foundation Festival 2024-2025 

HARPSICHORD*PIANO*STRINGS*VOICE*WINDS*ENSEMBLE
 
GENERAL INFORMATION

 

The Memorial Scholarship Foundation was established in 1956 to provide incentive to students by sponsoring an annual competition. Since its inception, the Foundation has expanded its scope to include the Discovery Scholarship Program for low-income talented students. Funded by contributions and bequests, particularly from the estates of Estelle D. Swift, piano teacher, in 1971, and Esther H. Hughes, voice teacher, in 1982, the Foundation has grown substantially and awards approximately $10,000 annually in scholarship, prizes and grants.

 

MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION COMMITTEE

 

Committee Chair 

Karl Goldstein

 

Financial Secretary

Marc Steiner

 

Board Liaison

Kent Tchii

 

Members

Yvonne Donnelley

Grace Yu

 

Discovery Scholarships

Yvonne Donnelley

​
ANNUAL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION AUDITIONS AND FESTIVAL CONCERT

 

Application Deadline: Application must be postmarked on or before Friday, December 2,  2024.

Application Fee: $15 per student entry

Auditions: Sunday, January 26, 2025 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm at the BERKELEY PIANO CLUB, 2724 Haste Street, Berkeley, CA

Festival Awards Concert: Sunday, February 2, 2025, 3:00 PM at the BERKELEY PIANO CLUB

 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

 

  1. The audition is open to Active, Cal Plan, Provisional and Contributory members of the MTAC, Alameda County Branch. Teachers must be members of the branch for at least one year and in good standing.

  2. All applicants must be current students of eligible teachers. Instrumental students are required to have studied with their current teacher for a period of at least one year prior to the audition date. Voice students are required to have studied with a voice teacher for a period of at least two years and to have studied with their current teacher for a period of at least one year prior to the audition date.

  3. Auditions are open to piano, string and wind students up to and including age 18, and vocal students up to and including age 30 by January 26, 2025

  4. Application Fee of $15 per student entry. Only teachers may submit the application fees for their studio's application.

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

 

1. An eligible teacher may submit no more than three (3) solo entries and three (3) ensemble entries for

the audition.

2. Individual students may enter with no more than one solo and one ensemble.

3. The application fee is $15 per student per entry. For example, fees must cover both if a student enters

with a solo piece and as part of an ensemble. Therefore, the fee for both entires will be $30.00. If the

performers in any ensembles are students of more than one teacher, EACH of these teachers must count

this ensemble as one of their 3 permitted ensemble entries.

4. Parents pay their children's application fees to the teachers. Only applicants' teachers MAY write a check payable to "MTAC Alameda County Branch" for the total amount and mail ONE check with all the application forms from the same studio.

5. One studio's application and fees may NOT be combines with another studio's in the same envelope.

6. All solo and/or ensemble applicants must fill out SEPARATE forms for each entry. For example, a

student entering a solo and an ensemble must submit 2 separate application forms. Application forms for members of an ensemble must be stapled together. 

7. The repertoire information should be filled out ONLY by the Teacher, NOT by the students or parents.

8. The repertoire information on the Application Form submitted should include:

a. Title of the piece which includes Key, Opus, BWV, L. S., Hob., or any other identifying numbers;

b. If the piece is selected from an album, suite, collections, etc., that originated title must also be listed.

c. Students may apply with a single piece or movement at CM Level 3 or above. In the case of a multiple

         part work, more than one part may be performed, as long they are from the same Opus number, and

         the total performing time does not exceed the stated limit below.

d. Movement must include the tempo markings;

e. Composer’s Full Name;

f. The actual performance length of the pieces.

g. Very Important: Teachers are responsible for the accuracy of the Repertoire Information.

         Incomplete entries will not be accepted for the Audition. For example, there are many “Minuet in

         G” selected from various albums or collections. Therefore, the teacher should supply all the required

         information to correctly identify the auditioned piece, i.e., correct movement WITH tempo marking,

         suite, dance, and composition numbers of Opus, BWV, Hoboken, L., S., KV, etc.

h. The repertoire level must match the CM syllabus. For repertoire not listed in the CM syllabus,

         teachers must use their best judgement; the MSF committee reserves the right to adjust the Level

         if needed.

i. Piano concertos are not accepted.

j. Vocal students should prepare two or three selections from opera, oratorio, or lieder repertoire.

         One selection should be in English and at least one other in a foreign language. Selections should

         be from different styles: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, 20th Century or

         contemporary, and be memorized.

k. If this information is incomplete, the entry will NOT be accepted.

9. There will be no repertoire changes permitted after December 2nd, 2024.

9. No request for rescheduling of audition time is permitted.

10. All repertoire is subject to review and approval by the MSF Committee before the event.

11. Teachers will collect all fees from their students and submit ONE check payable to MTAC Alameda

County Branch with the application forms.

12. Teachers do not need to include the self-stamped envelope in the application.

13. The judges’ comments will be emailed to the teachers within 3 days after the auditions.

14. PLEASE FOLLOW THESE RULES CAREFULLY. THEY FACILITATE THE JOB OF THE

VOLUNTEER MSF COMMITTEE. APPLICATIONS NON CONFORMING TO THE RULES WILL

BE DISQUALIFIED.

 

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS:
 

1. Please note that the following audition format may be changed to online format as of 2025 IF the

pandemic situation does not allow for in-person auditions in January 2025. The MSF committee will

keep the participating teachers posted.

2. Solo pieces must be memorized. It is strongly encouraged to have ensemble pieces also memorized.

Due to the Copyright Laws, applicants must provide original copyrighted scores for the judges at the

auditions. Without providing the scores, the applicant will NOT be allowed to audition.

3. All applicants must arrive at the Berkeley Piano Club with their copyrighted score 15 minutes BEFORE their scheduled audition time slot.
4.The auditions are closed to parents and teachers.

5. Teachers may not accompany their students for auditions.

6. The Memorial Scholarship Foundation remunerates accompanists for their audition.

7. The Foundation Committee reserves the right to cancel an event if there are fewer than three applicants

per category.

8. Fees are not refundable unless the Foundation Committee rejects an entry before December 31, 2024.

9. In all cases, the decisions of the Committee are final.

10. The results and evaluations will be sent via email to the participating teachers as soon after auditions as

possible. Therefore, the teacher should call ONLY IF they have not received them by the Thursday after the

auditions.

 

PERFORMANCE TIME LIMIT:

 

The following Certificate of Merit (CM) levels are for reference only. Students need not be enrolled in Certificate of Merit. The time limits represent maximum time allotted.

 

  1. CM levels 3 - 5:  3 minutes

  2. CM levels 6 - 7:  6 minutes 

  3. CM levels 8 - 9:  8 minutes 

  4. CM levels 10 and above:   12 minutes

  5. Vocal students: 10 minutes

 

If the performance exceeds the time limit, the student will be disqualified.

 

MSF FESTIVAL CONCERT AND AWARDS:

 

1. The Festival Awards Concert: Berkeley Piano Club on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at 3:00 pm.

2. The Festival Awards Concert is open to the public. Admission is free.

3. As with previous years, all students selected as winners must perform and remain for the entire concert to

receive the award.

4. Therefore, the winners must CHECK-IN at least 15 minutes before the concert. THE WINNERS MUST

BE PRESENT AT ALL TIMES during the entire Festival Awards Concert.

5. At the end of the concert, all winners will be introduced and receive the Awards and Certificate while the

audience applauds.

6. Parents, teachers, and friends are warmly invited to the Festival Awards Concert.

If you have questions after reading the application form THOROUGHLY, please call Karl Goldstein at

510-848-3422.

 

Click here to download the application form for MTAC Alameda County Branch Memorial Scholarship Foundation Festival.

 

Berkeley Piano Club:

​

bottom of page