The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University

SYLVIA L. GREEN VOICE COMPETITION
GUIDELINES

2009-2010

(Competition date: Tuesday, April 6, 2010)

PURPOSE

A biennial competition intended to present singers in vocal repertoire accompanied by either full or chamber orchestra. Excerpts from Opera or Oratorio are not acceptable.

ELIGIBILITY

Any Voice major currently enrolled in any course above and including the Junior level of undergraduate studies. This naturally includes all Graduate students. DIP students who are not taking lessons are not eligible to compete in the Sylvia Green Competition. First Prize Winners of this Competition are also ineligible.

It is expected that competitors will seek the advice of their Voice teachers on their suitability to take part in the Competition and on the choice of program.

REPERTOIRE

Vocal repertoire with orchestra (Full or Chamber) accompaniment, lasting ideally between 10 and 20 minutes, although shorter, and certainly longer pieces could be found acceptable by the Voice faculty.

While memorization is highly to be recommended, and certainly expected in any final public performance, it will not be insisted upon during the competition.

The orchestration should, wherever possible, be those of the composer. Where this is not possible, (e.g. songs by Mussorgsky), they should be widely recognized, and, most importantly, easily available for rent.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Application information must include:

1. Your major teacher’s signature on the application form

2. A signature from the Ensemble Office (Paul Faatz) confirming that your repertoire is available for performance.

3. A paragraph (in narrative form) of your biographical information on 8 ½” x 11” white paper. The biography should include previous study, awards received, etc.

4. Complete title of work(s) with timings and the dates of composers

5. One published copy of each score for the jury’s use

DEADLINE

Applications are available in the Concert Office. The deadline for submitting the completed, typed application materials with all signatures is Monday, March 22 at 4:00p.m. As a courtesy to the jury and the Concert Office staff, it is appropriate to give no less than 72 hours’ notice in the event of withdrawal (By Saturday, April 3 at 4:00 pm).

PLEASE NOTE: No program may be changed once it is submitted to the Concert Office.

PROCEDURES

The length of the preliminary audition will not exceed 15 minutes. Six to eight singers will be chosen for the final round. The performance time for the final round will be a maximum of 20 minutes. Both rounds will be adjudicated by guest artists.

Contestants will be assigned a specific time by lot, arranged by the Concert Office. Each contestant should report to the Concert Office ten (10) minutes in advance of the scheduled time.

COMPETITION AND PERFORMANCE ORDER

Some of the works performed in the Competition will need to be performed in the order in which they appear in the published Editions (e.g. Mahler: Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen; Britten: Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings). However, since they may last longer than the allotted 15 minutes for each participant in the preliminary round of the Competition, judicious cutting will be needed; faculty involvement is advised.

In other cases, the songs may be selections from a larger collection of works, (e.g. Mahler: Lieder from “Des Knaben Wunderhorn”; Britten: Folk-Song arrangements as orchestrated by B.B.) where two balanced groups should be presented, one, shorter, for the preliminary round, the other, longer, for the final round and subsequent public performance. The program submitted on the competition application for the final round should be in the order intended for performance.

SCORES

Copyrighted works may not be reproduced. Photocopies of copyrighted scores used in the Sylvia Green Competition, including scores for the contestant, his or her accompanist and the judges, may not be used. However, all works in the public domain may be reproduced.

PRIZES

1ST PRIZE – $1,500 plus a performance with orchestra during the 2010-2011 academic year. A graduating student who wins first prize will be expected to return to Peabody for the performance. If the appropriate ensemble is not available for a performance of the winning selection, alternate repertoire will be substituted after consultation with the conductor, soloist, and studio teacher.

          2ND PRIZE - $750

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Preliminary and Final Round: Preliminaries will begin at 10:00am, Tuesday, April 6, 2010, in Friedberg Hall. The Final Round will begin approximately one hour after the end of the Preliminary Round.

PLEASE NOTE: start times are subject to change, depending on the number of entries. The complete schedule will be prepared and posted by the Concert Office following the application deadline.

The next competition will be held in 2011-2012.  

This seasons' Sylvia Green competition will be held on April 6 in the Friedberg Concert Hall.