Eligibility

1.      The 2012 Sorantin Competition is open to any pianists and string players (violin, viola, cello, or bass) born after November 15, 1984.

2.      Anyone who is a current student of a competition judge is ineligible to compete.

3.      Previous overall winners of the Sorantin Competition are ineligible to compete.

4.      Questions regarding eligibility will be resolved by the Sorantin Competition Committee, whose decisions will be final.

Rules:  The Sorantin Committee reserves the right to vary these rules in specific cases, in its reasonable discretion.

DVDs.  Each applicant will submit three video DVD copies of a recorded performance by the applicant of two selections:

• The first movement with cadenza of any major concerto for the applicant's instrument and orchestra, with the applicant performing the solo part; and
• An unaccompanied piece from the major solo repertoire for the applicant's instrument.

The DVD must comply with the following:

1.      The concerto performance should be accompanied either by piano or orchestra.

2.      No editing or manipulation of the recording is permitted.  Observing this rule is a matter of personal honor and professional integrity.

3.      The DVD must be playable on a standard U.S. DVD player connected to a television.  We strongly recommend that you test the DVD on a standard DVD player (not a computer) before submitting it.  If the judges cannot play your DVDs on standard equipment, you cannot advance to the semifinals.

4.      No verbal announcement should occur on the recording.

5.      The DVDs must be labeled with your name, name and composer of concerto, and instrument.

 

Entry Requirements

To enter the competition, an eligible applicant must submit all of the following, which must be received by the San Angelo Symphony on or before Tuesday, October 9, 2012.  The date of actual receipt controls, not the postmark date.

1.      Completed and signed application form (available at www.sanangelosymphony.org).

2.      A legible photocopy of your birth certificate or other satisfactory proof of birth date.

3.      A brief biography.

4.      A digital color photograph of the applicant in .jpeg or other universally readable format.  (Printed photos are not acceptable.)  Mail the photo on a CD or DVD along with your application.

5.      A non-refundable entry fee of USD $75.00.

6.      Three DVDs meeting the requirements stated above.

Competition Schedule and Procedures

The judges of the preliminary round will select 5-7 contestants in the piano division and 5-7 in strings to proceed to the semifinals.  The results of the preliminaries will be announced by Friday, October 19, 2012.  If you are selected as a semifinalist, you must submit a completed and signed form as follows before coming to San Angelo:

• If you are a United States citizen, submit IRS Form W-9 (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf).
• If you are a resident alien (either with a green card, or meeting the "substantial presence" test as defined in IRS Publication 519), submit IRS Form W-9 (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf).  Note that for the substantial presence test, you may not count the days you are present in the United States if you are a student with an F, J, M, or Q visa.
• If you are a nonresident alien, submit IRS Form W-8BEN (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf).  Except when a treaty applies, the Symphony will withhold 30% of prizes and fees of nonresident aliens, as required by U.S. tax law.

 

If you are unsure of the proper form or how to complete it, we suggest you check with your school's international studies department.

Semifinalists will be required to travel to San Angelo, Texas, arriving on Wednesday, November 14, or Thursday, November 15, 2012 (depending on rehearsal schedule).  Beginning Wednesday late afternoon and continuing through Friday, Each semifinalist will rehearse with the staff accompanist provided by the San Angelo Symphony, or with the contestant's own accompanist if desired. Contestants using the Symphony accompanist must pay a $75.00 accompanist fee before performing in the semifinals.

The semifinal round will be held live on Saturday morning, November 17, 2012, before a panel of distinguished judges.  Each contestant in the semifinal round must play the same concerto submitted on his or her DVD for the preliminaries, and must be prepared to play all movements of the concerto from memory. Each contestant must also be prepared to perform his or her solo piece from memory.  There will be a time limit of 20 minutes per contestant. The semifinals will be open to the public. Judges will be asked to provide written comments for the benefit of the semifinalists.

Two strings contestants and two piano contestants will be selected to proceed to the finals.  They will perform before a Symphony audience on Saturday evening, November 17, 2012, with piano accompaniment.  At the conclusion of the finals, the judges will be asked to place the finalists according to the table below.  Judges' decisions will be final.

Cash prizes will be awarded in each division.  The judges may select an overall winner who will receive an additional cash award and a solo performance with the San Angelo Symphony Orchestra at its February 2013 subscription concert.

Place	Award
Piano division runner-up	$1,000
Piano division winner	$2,000
Strings division runner-up	$1,000
Strings division winner	$2,000
Mayer Anderson Award (overall winner)	Additional $2,000, plus $1,000 for performance with the Symphony*
Honorable mention prizes may be awarded	Up to $1,000

 

*The judges will also designate an alternate overall winner.  If the overall winner cannot fulfill the performance date, the alternate will be invited to perform and receive the $1,000 performance fee, but not the Mayer Anderson Award title.

All awards are discretionary with the judges, and are not guaranteed.  The judges reserve the right not to place any finalist in one or more of the above places, if the requisite artistic merit is lacking in their opinion.  It is unlikely but possible that this would occur.  Each winner must have submitted IRS Form W-9 or W-8BEN, as described above, as a condition of the prize award.

Accommodations:  Contestants will be housed at the Rodeway Inn at their expense, but at a special rate negotiated with the inn.  There will be free shuttle service to and from the rehearsal and contest locations.

Contact information:  The Symphony staff will be glad to answer questions and provide additional information.  Please call the Symphony Office at (325) 658-5877, or email assistant@sanangelosymphony.org.