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Memorial Scholarship Foundation Festival 2019-2020 

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 

Christyna Kozel

 

Financial Secretary

Marc Steiner

 

Board Liaison

Kent Tchii

 

Members

Bruce Fischer

Karl Goldstein

Louise Milota

 

Discovery Scholarships

Heghine Boloyan

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ANNUAL MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION AUDITIONS AND FESTIVAL CONCERT

 

Application Deadline: Application must be postmarked on or before Monday, December 2, 2019.

Application Fee: $15

Auditions: Sunday, January 26, 2020 between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm at the BERKELEY PIANO CLUB, 2724 Haste Street, Berkeley, CA

Festival Concert: Sunday, February 2, 2020, 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, 2020.

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

 

  1. An eligible teacher may submit no more than three (3) solo entries and three (3) ensemble entries for 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, if a student enters with a solo piece and as part of an ensemble, fees must cover both. The fee for both entries 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 her/his 3 permitted ensemble entries.

  4. All solo and/or ensemble applicants must fill out SEPARATE forms for each entry. A student entering a solo and an ensemble must submit 2 separate application forms.

  5. Application forms for members of an ensemble should be stapled together.

  6. There will be no repertoire changes after December 1st and no rescheduling of audition time.

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

  8. Teachers collect all fees from their students and submit ONE check payable to MTAC Alameda County Branch with the application forms.

  9. Each Teacher must include one (1) self-addressed 9x12 envelope for return of judges’ comments along with their check and entry form(s).

  10. 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. Solo pieces must be memorized, and it is strongly encouraged to have ensemble pieces also memorized.

  2. Concertos are not accepted for piano.

  3. Students audition with a single piece or movement at Certificate of Merit Level 3 or above. In the case of a multi-part work, more than one part may be performed as long as the total performing time does not exceed the limit stated below.

  4. Vocal students should prepare two or three selections from opera, oratorio, or art song 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.

  5. Absolutely no repertoire will be allowed involving prepared piano or any manual use of the interior of the piano.

  6. Applicants must arrive at least 15 minutes before their assigned audition hour.

  7. Applicants must provide an original score for the judges at the auditions. Without providing the score, the applicant will not be allowed to audition.

  8. No photocopies are allowed.

  9. The auditions are closed to parents and teachers.

  10.  Teachers may not accompany their students for auditions. However, teachers may accompany their own students at the Festival Concert. 

  11. The Memorial Scholarship Foundation remunerates accompanists for each student and each event (audition, and/or recital) for which they play. 

  12. No audio or video recording will be allowed at the auditions.

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

  14. Fees are not refundable unless the Foundation Committee rejects an entry before the auditions.

  15. The results and evaluations will be sent to the participating teachers as soon after auditions as possible. The teacher should call ONLY IF they have not been received 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.

 

FESTIVAL CONCERT AND AWARDS:

 

All students must dress in appropriate attire for both auditions and concert. No jeans, sneakers, tennis shoes or T-Shirts.

Performers will be selected to play in a Festival Awards Concert and will receive a certificate and cash award at the end of the concert. All students selected must perform in and remain for the entire concert in order to receive the award.

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

 

If you have questions after reading the application form THOROUGHLY, please contact Christyna Kozel at christyna.piano@gmail.com .

 

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

 

Berkeley Piano Club:

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