The links below will take you to the pertinent judging information for your assignment. Also, please take some time to read the following information as it pertains to your judging assignment.

Competition Guidelines
Repertoire Requirements - Junior
Repertoire Requirements - Senior
Repertoire Requirements - Young Artists
Sample Comment Sheet

GUIDELINES FOR MTNA PERFORMANCE JUDGES

The purposes of the Music Teachers National Association performance competitions are to provide educational experiences for students and teachers and to recognize exceptionally talented young artists and their teachers in the pursuit of musical excellence. The state competitions are considered the primary educational level with the division and national levels showcasing outstanding performance and honoring significant pedagogical achievement.

• Judges must hear a composition from each of the required categories and write comments on all repertoire performed.
• Entrants must be allowed to perform as much of their program as time permits. Time taken to write comments between compositions or movements should not delay the entrant’s performance.
• Written comments should be tactful and in a manner to encourage improvement.
• Judges should not confer during the competition and must refrain from any verbal response to the entrant’s performance.
• Judges in all competitions are not permitted to declare a tie and may not write any rating or indicate a winner on the comment sheet.
• A Winner and Alternate must be selected.
• Judges’ decisions are final.
• The entrant selects the first work to be performed; the order of the program is then determined by the judge(s).
• Entrants may be stopped during the performance of any work due to time constraints.
• The timing of the performance is the responsibility of the designated monitor and the Competition Coordinator.
• All reproductions of music have been previously approved by competition officials.
• Judges do not have the authority to disqualify entrants.
• Judges should refrain from conversation with anyone other than competition officials until the results of the competition have been announced.

Judges Orientation Meeting
• Judges must attend an orientation meeting.
• Judges should designate one spokesperson to stop the entrant during a work or request the next work.
• Judges should make decisions for each level of the competition based on the following information:

Junior Performance Competitions
• The entrant begins with the work of his or her choice.
• Judges then select the remaining order of performance.
• All students will be allotted twenty (20) minutes maximum performance time.

Senior Performance Competitions
• The entrant begins with the work of his or her choice.
• Judges then select the remaining order of performance.
• Piano at the State level will be allotted twenty-five (25) minutes maximum performance time.
• Brass, String and Woodwind will be allotted thirty (30) minutes maximum performance time.
• Voice will be allotted twenty (20) minutes maximum performance time.

Young Artist Performance Competitions
• The entrant begins with the work of his or her choice.
• Judges then select the remaining order of performance.
• Brass and Woodwind will be allotted forty (40) minutes maximum performance time.
• Piano at the State level will be allotted forty (40) minutes maximum performance time.
• String will be allotted fifty (50) minutes maximum performance time.
• Voice will be allotted thirty-five (35) minutes maximum performance time.

Chamber Music Performance Competition
• The ensemble chooses the first work.
• Judges then select the remaining order of performance.
• Ensembles will be allotted forty (40) minutes maximum performance time.

Competition Awards

State Competitions
One (1) Winner, one (1) Alternate, one (1) or more Honorable Mentions [number decided by individual states]. Honorable Mention(s) do not have to be declared. A tie is not permitted.

The Balloting Procedure

A. Winner
1. Judge(s) ballot for a single Winner without consultation.
2. Competition Coordinator tabulates the ballots. If there is a majority for one (1) entrant, that entrant is declared the Winner and the procedure continues with item B below. If there is no Winner, the Coordinator informs the judges of the entrants [by number] who received votes on the ballot, and the judges again ballot without consultation.
3. Competition Coordinator tabulates second set of ballots. If there is now a majority for one (1) entrant, that entrant is declared the Winner. If there is no representative chosen, the Coordinator informs the judges of the entrants (by number) who received votes on the second ballot, and the judges discuss the issue with the Competition Coordinator serving as moderator, until a decision is reached.

B. Alternate
1. Judge(s) ballot for a single Alternate without consultation.
2. Balloting procedures are followed as outlined above (A2, A3) to determine the Alternate.

C. Honorable Mention(s)
1. State/Division level: The number of Honorable Mentions selected is left to the discretion of the State/Division.
2. Balloting procedures are followed as outlined above (A2, A3) to determine the Honorable Mention(s).

D. Completion of Balloting
1. Once the ballot process is completed, the Competition Coordinator completes the Decision of Performance Competition Judges Form, and each judge signs the form.
2. The Competition Coordinator will keep all ballots and the Decision of Performance Competition Judges Form on file for a period of one year, or until after the competition for the next competition year is completed.

REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS

Repertoire Requirements
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Junior Brass
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Junior String
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Junior Woodwind
• Maximum performance time: twenty (20) minutes
• The program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions appropriate to the instrument transcriptions are allowed
• Memorization is not required.
• Entrants may perform on any instrument(s) of their choice within a category. MTNA-Baldwin Junior Piano
• Maximum performance time: twenty (20) minutes
• The program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions transcriptions are allowed
• Memorization is required for all repertoire.
• Concerto performances are not permitted.
• Compositions for prepared piano are not permitted at the request of competition hosts and piano companies providing instruments.

Repertoire Requirements
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Senior Brass
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Senior String
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Senior Woodwind
• Maximum performance time: thirty (30) minutes
• The program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions appropriate to the instrument transcriptions are allowed
• Memorization is not required.
• Entrants may perform on any instrument(s) of their choice within a category.

MTNA-Yamaha Senior Piano
• State Competition: maximum performance time: twenty-five (25) minutes selected solo (no concerto) program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions transcriptions are allowed
• Memorization is required for all repertoire.
• Compositions for prepared piano are not permitted at the request of competition hosts and piano companies providing instruments.

MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Senior Voice
• Maximum performance time: twenty (20) minutes
• The program must contain only four selections: (include the name of any identifying work from which a song is taken) two non-English art songs one English art song one song of the entrant’s choice.
• Difficult arias are discouraged.
• Memorization is required for all repertoire.
 

Repertoire Requirements
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Young Artist Brass
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Young Artist Woodwind
• Maximum performance time: forty (40) minutes
• The program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions appropriate to the instrument transcriptions are allowed
• Memorization is not required.
• Entrants may perform on any instrument(s) of their choice within a category.

MTNA-Steinway & Sons Young Artist Piano
• State Competition: maximum performance time: forty (40) minutes selected solo (no concerto) program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions transcriptions are allowed
• National Competition: Same as Division Competition.
• Memorization is required for all repertoire.
• Compositions for prepared piano are not permitted at the request of competition hosts and piano companies providing instruments.

MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Young Artist String
• Maximum performance time: fifty (50) minutes
• The program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions appropriate to the instrument transcriptions are allowed
• Memorization is not required.
• Entrants may perform on any instrument(s) of their choice within a category.
REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS
MTNA FOUNDATION FUND Young Artist Voice
• Maximum performance time: thirty-five (35) minutes
• The program must contain repertoire in the original language from each of the following categories (include the name of any identifying work from which a song is taken): Aria from opera or oratorio repertoire, sung in the original key German Lied French Mélodie Art song in English written after 1900. Additional song(s) or ari (s) of the entrant’s choice in the original language or in English translation
• Memorization is required for all repertoire.

Chamber Music Requirements
Repertoire Requirements
• Maximum performance time: forty (40) minutes
• The program must contain: selections from at least two contrasting style periods stylistically varied compositions transcriptions are allowed
• Cuts in the music are not permitted.
• Repeats are left to the discretion of the ensemble.

Competition comment sheets which are given to student entrants will include the following information:

Competition ______________________________________________
Date __________________________
Entrant Number ______________
Instrument or Voice Category______________________________________
Judges will be guided in their remarks by the following considerations, as applicable:
     Interpretation: style, tempo, dynamic control, phrasing
     Technique: rhythmic accuracy, articulation, intonation, tone
     Memorization—Stage Presence—Artistic Maturity
If additional pages are used, write the Entrant Number at the top of each page.
Composition/ Composer/ Duration
Signature of Judge