Preliminary Auditions                 Sat., December 5, 2026        9:00am-1:00pm
2027 Artists Spotlight (Finals)    Sat., February 7, 2027           2:00pm

ELIGIBILITY
Current TPYO members are eligible to compete. Competitors must be TPYO members for both semesters of the 2026-2027 season to win awards.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The TPYO Scholarship Competition presents cash awards and solo appearances to Philharmonia members who demonstrate superior musicianship and artistry. All applicants will perform at the preliminary auditions on Saturday, December 5, 2026 at the Armory Park Center when the first group of $150 scholarships will be awarded.
The top six finalists, chosen at the preliminary audition, will perform on the 2026 Artists Spotlight on Sunday, February 8, 2026 at the Catalina Foothills HS Auditorium where cash awards from $300 to $700 will be presented.

ADJUDICATION PANEL
The adjudication panel will be members of the Tucson Symphony and other professional musicians who have no students entered in the competition. The preliminary auditions are private, but are open to teachers of the competitors.

SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION GUIDELINES
- Applicants may audition on multiple instruments, however, they can only advance to the finals on only one instrument. Piano is excluded from the 2027 Competition, but will be included in the 2028 Compeitition.
- Repertoire Options: One movement (or two short movements) or any published composition written for soloist and piano accompaniment. Harp works may be unaccompanied if desired.
- Auditions (both preliminary and finals) must be accompanied by a pianist provided by the competitor.
- Competitors have a maximum of eight minutes of performance time, with a minimum of six minutes. (Cuts in the tutti sections or the solo part are permitted in order to comply with the time limit.)
Note: Finalists are able to perform the entire movement of their piece at the finals depending on the overall composition length.
- The chosen composition need NOT be memorized but extra consideration is given to competitors performing by memory.
- Competitors must furnish three copies of their piece (either the solo part or the piano accompaniment (photocopies are acceptable.)
- Decisions of the adjudication panel will be based on musical criteria (musicianship, technique, artistic maturity).
The difficulty of the orchestral accompaniment and its availability will be a consideration in the selection of the work to be performed by a competitor chosen as a soloist.
- Previous award winners are eligible to audition each year for cash awards, but are ineligible to be selected as a soloist in two successive competitions or years.

PRELIMINARY AUDITION AWARDS
Special Citations: Up to eight monetary awards of $150 will be given to competitors presenting outstanding performances during the preliminaries who are non-finalists.

FINALISTS AWARDS
Competitors selected as finalists are required to perform on the 2027 Artists Spotlight concert to be awarded any scholarship funds. In the event of the inability of a finalist to perform at the concert, an alternate competitor will be added (at the discretion of the panel).
Medalist Awards: Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be awarded to outstanding performers selected by the panel. Multiple medals may be awarded. In addition, a cash award of $700 will be awarded to each Gold Medalist, $500 to each Silver Medalist, and $300 to each Bronze Medalist. Solo Performances: Invitations will be extended to the top medalist to solo at the Spring Gala 2027 (April 18, 2027) and to other medalists to appear as soloists during the 2027-2028 season if they are still a TPYO member.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE & FEE
The deadline for the submission of the REGISTRATION FORM and the $30 REGISTRATION FEE (fee can be submitted paid online at Membership Costs
or submitted at rehearsal) is Sunday, November 22, 2026. 
A teacher's endorsement is required in order to compete 
(signature on form or emailed endorsement to info@tpyo.org).
Download 2027 TPYO Scholarship Competition Registration Form