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SummerArts Piano Competition 2025

Aug. 7 | Competition
Aug. 9 | Winner ceremony and concert in Dumke Hall | 6 PM

Directed by Ning Lu

Each year, U School of Music hosts the SummerArts Piano Competition—a program that offers elementary through college piano students the opportunity to compete for cash awards, scholarships, and performance prizes. An international panel of judges will select concerto winners to perform with the Salt Lake Symphony and the American West Symphony live in Libby Gardner Concert Hall.

APPLY BY JULY 20

(Application fee for late entries (after July 20) will be an additional $25 accepted on a space available basis. Please add the late application fee to your order before you check out).

  • Must be Utah residents or currently attending Utah schools. Teachers of participating students will be required to help during the competition
  • First-prize winner may compete in the same division again only with new repertoire
  • Contestants may only enter one level per year
  • May not play with a SummerArts orchestra in two consecutive years
  • Young Artist competitors must be enrolled full-time as Piano Performance major and have a current GPA of 3.0 or higher

Concerto Competition

All age divisions can compete in solo, concerto or both divisions. 

Concerto performances in the competition will be without accompaniment. For the orchestra performance, pre-college students will be limited to 15 minutes. If the concerto is longer than the allotted time, the teacher with the assistance of the conductor will prepare a cut. Each soloist will be given 10 complimentary tickets for the performance.

Contestants must prepare their entire selections for the competition without cuts. Judges will hear the entire concerto movement.

All concerto competitors must be Utah residents or attending a school in Utah. They must also be currently studying with a faculty member or recent graduate of the University of Utah School of Music. Past winners must wait one year before becoming eligible to perform with the orchestra again.  Past winners can compete in the same division with new repertoire only.

Winners may not perform in two consecutive years.

Patricipation in and winning the concerto competition at any level does not automatically guarantee the student a place in an orchestral concert.

Concerto performance will be awarded solely based on the judges’ recommendations.

*Contestants wishing to perform a concerto that is not part of the University of Utah School of Music holdings will be responsible for the cost of rental/purchasing the music. View complete listing.

Solo Competition

All age divisions can compete in solo, concerto or both divisions. 

  • Two solo pieces, one baroque or classical.
  • Pieces must be of contrasting styles and periods.

Previous first-place winners may enter the same division with new repertoire. 

The length of the program should not exceed 15 minuets for the pre-college divisions, and 20 minutes for Young Artist.  All pieces must be memorized.

Video Teaching Competition (Young Artist Division Only)

Competitor must submit a YouTube link of a 30-45 minute video of a one-on-one piano private lesson.

Arne Oldberg composition (Young Artist Division Only)

Arne Oldberg "Badinage – Petite Valse"

Piano Solo Competition of Underpresented Composers (Young Artist Division Only)

William Grant Still "Radiant Pinnacle"

Young Elementary Division: Ages 10 and under

  • Solo Competition: $100, $75, $50
  • Concerto Competition (entire movement required)**

Elementary Division: Ages 11-12

  • Solo Competition: $125, $100, $75
  • Concerto Competition (entire movement required)**

Junior I Division: Ages 13-14

  • Solo Prizes: $150, $125, $100
  • Concerto Competition (entire movement required)**

Junior II Division: Ages 15 – 16

  • Solo Prizes: $150, $125, $100
  • Concerto Competition (entire movement required)**

Senior Division: Ages 17-18

  • Solo Prizes: $175, $150, $125
  • Concerto Competition (entire movement required)**
  • "See YOU at the U": Scholarship Prize to be awarded to the top three winners in the Senior Solo Division; all receipts music enroll as a fulltime music major at the University of Utah in the Piano Area for the 2025-2026 school year.

Young Artists Division*: College Students
*Young Artist competitors must be enrolled full-time as Piano Performance major at the University of Utah to be eligible to compete.

  • Solo Scholarship Prizes-Graduate: $500, $450, $400, $350
  • Solo Scholarship Prizes-Undergraduate: $500, $450, $400, $350
  • Concerto Competition (entire movement required)**
  • Arne Oldberg Scholarship (Young Artist only): Scholarship Prize
  • Teaching Award (Young Artist only): Scholarship Prize
  • Piano Solo Competition of Underpresented Composers: Scholarship Prize

Concerto Awards: Performance with a symphony orchestra or the SummerArts Orchestra in 2024-2025 session in Libby Gardner Concert Hall.

Gift Certificates: Gift certificates may be given for an outstanding performance of a work from each of the following periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionist, and Twentieth Century.

In case of a tie, prizes will be shared. *All prizes subject to fundraising

  • Age is determined as of August 8, 2025.
  • All competition pieces must be played from memory.
  • The order of performance will be by random drawing.
  • Contestants must compete in the designated order of performance or be disqualified.
  • We strongly encourage all contestants to report to monitor’s table 15 minuets prior to scheduled time.
  • An original, unmarked copy of the music to be performed must be given to the monitor at this time.
  • Competition times will be posted after August 1, 2024.
  • In case of a tie, prizes will be shared. *All prizes subject to fundraising

Participants can receive faculty evaluation without competing.

  • One or two pieces, memorization is optional

Evaluation participants are not eligible for prizes.

2024 SummerArts Piano Competition Winner List

Young Elementary Solo

First Prize:

Second Prize:

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

Young Elementary Concerto

First Prize:     

Second Prize:   

Third Prize:     

Honorable Mention:

Elementary Solo

First Prize:

Second Prize:

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

Elementary Concerto

First Prize:        

Second Prize:        

Third Prize:          

Honorable Mention:

Junior 1 Solo

First Prize:

Second Prize:

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

Junior 1 Concerto

First Prize:                 

Second Prize:            

Third Prize:            

Honorable Mention:     

Junior 2 Solo

First Prize:

Second Prize:

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

Junior 2 Concerto

First Prize:        

Second Prize:      

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

Senior Solo

First Prize:

Second Prize:

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

Senior Concerto

First Prize:                     

Second Prize:  

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

 

 

 

Young Artist Solo

First Prize:

Second Prize:

Third Prize:

Honorable Mention:

Young Artist Concerto

First Prize:          

Second Prize:          

Third Prize: 

Honorable Mention:

Young Artist Arne Oldberg

First Prize:

Second Prize:          

Third Prize: 

Honorable Mention:

Young Artist Video Teaching

 First Prize:

Second Prize:          

Third Prize: 

Honorable Mention:

 

 

 

Winners and concerto performance schedule will be posted on September 1, 2025.  All judging sheets and your prize certificates will be mailed to you if you missed the winner ceremony.

In addition to your assigned competition time, please read the following instruction before coming to the university on August 7, 2025

  • We strongly encourage competitors to arrive at least 15 minutes before your assigned time and check in at the front desk.  If you are late on your assigned competition time, you will forfeit your competition.
  • For all competitors, you need to bring two copies of the judging sheet for the appropriate division.
  • Download the judging sheets and fill the forms before arrival.
  • Bring one original score of your pieces for judges.
  • No audience is allowed on the competition site.

Judges

Susan Duehlmeier
Koji Attwood
Jared Peirce
Hilary Demske


 Judging Sheets

Solo Competition
Concerto Competition
Arne Oldberg Competition
Underrepresented Composer Competition
Evaluation

 

 

2025 SummerArts Concerto Winners Concert Assignments

All performers should email Prof. Ning Lu (ning.lu@music.utah.edu) with 50 words of biography and a photo for program by the end of September 2025.

 

 

 

Last Updated: 3/28/25