Haydn Young Musician Competition UK (2026 Winter Season)

An online video competition, so there is no travel and no live round — you submit a link to a recorded performance and adjudicators assess it remotely. It is open to instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, conductors and ensembles, with no nationality restriction and no requirement to be a student or a professional; the organisers state that amateurs and self-taught musicians are welcome. Despite the name, you do not have to play Haydn.

Categories fall into two groups. Age categories run from 6-and-under up to 30-and-under and accept any repertoire, with time limits from five to fifteen minutes. Thematic categories — Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th-century and contemporary, own composition, concerto, chamber music, and graded performance categories tied to any exam syllabus — require repertoire matching the category. The same video can be entered in more than one category if it fits each.

This is a paid-entry competition rather than a source of funding. Fees run from £35 to £65 depending on category, and no cash prize is advertised. Winners at Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze levels receive an e-certificate and a written performance report from the adjudicators, with printed certificates and trophies available to order at extra cost. Teachers of prize winners can request a certificate of their own, and everyone else receives a participation certificate.

The autumn 2026 round closes on 21 August, with results on 15 September.