Advanced Contemporary Music Festival

Advanced Contemporary Music Festival is the first part of a two-part event, and at times, it is also called the Preliminary Audition. During this event, applicants of all disciplines play in front of a panel of adjudicators for a performance spot on the Gold Medal Honors Recitals (second part). Repertoire is chosen from the contemporary period, and a 4-minute time limit is applied during the preliminary event. 

The Advanced Contemporary Music Festival was created around the year, 2000. Goals and objectives of the festival are as follows:

• Provide local performance opportunities for advanced students.
• Promote the performance of contemporary-style works by composers of the last 100 years that showcase 20th – 21st century compositional techniques, including: serialism, modes and contrived scales, polyrhythm, polytonality, etc.
• Encourage students to perform contemporary music, especially those works written in 1920 or after.

The preliminary audition of the Contemporary Music Festival is held in various venues, which will be announced before the event (see below).

Synopsis: The Advanced Contemporary Music Festival (ACMF) encourages the performance of Contemporary style works of the last 100 years. The composer must have been alive during the last 100 years and must exhibit 20th-21st century compositional techniques, including, serialism, modes and contrived scales, polyrhythm, polytonality, etc.

Each year the preliminary audition is judged by a panel of three stellar adjudicators. Two to three weeks following the preliminary round, those students scoring high enough are invited to play at the Gold Medal Festival.

• Who may enter: Level 5 – Advanced Panel
• Registration:  Opens September 12, 2025, and closes October 12, 2025, 11:59 PM.
• Fee: $34 per entry/$38 with a day or time preference/$42 with a day and time preference.
• Preliminary Audition:  Saturday, October 25, 2025 and Sunday, October 26, 2025
• Venue:  Hillcrest Center for the Arts
• Gold Medal Festival: Sunday, November 16, 2025, CLU Overton Hall

Repertoire Requirements:

• Contemporary music from the last 100 years which must exhibit 20th-21st century compositional techniques. Please refer to the Suggested List for Piano in the teacher portal for appropriate repertoire choice.
• Repertoire using Romantic idioms, Neo-classicism, or jazz influenced is strongly discouraged, even if the composer is eligible.
• Not all pieces listed under 20/21st Century in the CM syllabus are eligible for this festival.
• The concert halls do not permit any form of manipulations, markings, or objects placed on the piano strings. If a student is performing a composition that requires manipulation of the piano, the teacher should “edit” the piece and omit the parts that require altering the piano. 
• Please contact the Festival Committee with any questions regarding the repertoire eligibility.

Time Limit: Although pieces may be played in their entirety at the Gold Medal Festival, there is a 4-minute time limit at the preliminary event.

Memorization: Pianists may not use music during performance. Other disciplines may use music as is customary to their discipline.

Dress Code and Decorum
Boys:
Wear slacks with a belt and a tucked-in button-up shirt with a collar. Jackets and ties are encouraged. Wear dress shoes with black socks.
Girls:
Wear a dress, a skirt with a blouse, or dress slacks with a blouse. The dress or skirt must be knee-length or longer. Wear dress shoes.
Not Allowed:
Do not wear shorts, T-shirts, blue jeans, sports uniforms, tight clothing, flip-flops, Crocs, or sneakers (exception: black sneakers).

Special Instructions: Students are to number the first measure of each line of their music and bring it to the performance for the judges use. Students are to arrive no less than fifteen minutes prior to his or her group’s start time.