Arizona International Music Competition (2026 cycle)

An online competition rather than a live one. You record yourself, submit a video link, and a panel of conservatory professors and orchestral principals judges what they hear. It runs once a year in November and is open to instrumentalists and singers of any age and any nationality, which makes it unusually unrestricted — there is no career-stage filter at all, and no residency requirement.

Five strands are offered: solo, concerto, piano duet, chamber music and vocal. You may enter more than one strand, or more than one instrument category, but each entry needs its own form and its own fee. The fee is non-refundable, and the guidelines set it at the application stage rather than publishing a figure.

Prizes are modest and discretionary. Best-performance cash awards of USD 300 go to each competition strand, chosen across all instrument categories and awarded at the judges' discretion. First, second, third and merit placings carry written comments and a certificate rather than money. Grand prize and first-place performances are posted on the competition's YouTube channel, and entering means agreeing to no payment for that use.

The video rules are strict and worth reading before you record anything. One fixed camera angle, horizontal format, upper or full body clearly visible, no editing or enhancement, no spoken announcements of your name or the repertoire, and no cuts except the orchestral tutti in concertos. Phone and tablet recordings are explicitly welcome. Repertoire comes from the standard literature, with no time limit, and no changes are allowed once videos are in. Judging rests on performance quality alone.