AGE

Youth in grades K-12 may register for this competition, including prospective class of 2024 high school graduates. Family members and students of City of Encinitas commissions and staff may not enter in the competition. Additionally, family members and students of competition judges are not eligible.  

CONCERTI

Competitors will register for the competition by choosing one of the following concerti movements:

• D. Shostakovich Concerto No. 2 Opus 102: Movement 1: Allegro
• W. A. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K. 488: Movement 3 Allegro Assai
• L. V. Beethoven Concerto No 1, Opus 15: Movement 3 Rondo. Allegro Scherzando

No other movements for these works nor any other works will be accepted by the contestants as a valid entry submission.

PARTICIPATION

Finalists and winners must be prepared to participate in all applicable competition events including the live finalist competition, concert rehearsals, and the concert performance. Failure to participate accordingly will result in forfeiture of any prize. A parent/guardian must attend all live events with any participant under the age of 16.

DRESS REQUIREMENTS

All participants must dress in concert attire for all recorded entry submissions, live competitions, rehearsals, and/or the orchestra performance. Appearance should be prepared with care. Hair should be well-kempt and out of the face. Hands should be clean with fingernails cut. Nail polish is acceptable. Rings, watches, bracelets, and dangling necklaces are discouraged. 

GUIDELINES COMPLIANCE

By registering and entering the competition, participants and their parent/guardian agree to all of the competition guidelines listed on this website. Please read carefully. 

This section is a simplified overview of the registration process. Be sure to review all sections of the competition guidelines on this website for full details, requirements, and deadlines.

• Choose one of the approved concerto movements to perform.
• Prepare a recorded performance of the specified measures from the approved concerto you have selected.
• Register for the competition online here with the video link of your performance and the $35 non-refundable fee.
• Complete the registration process by the deadline of March 27, 2024.

The first round of the competition will be a review of the participant-submitted videos.

Participants must submit a preliminary video performance in the form of a recorded YouTube link of the specific measures identified for their registered concerto (see REQUIRED CONCERTO MEASURES below) along with the non-refundable registration fee of $35 by Wednesday, March 27, 2024. The contestant is responsible for confirming they have registered for their preferred concerto. Click here to register for the competition.

Notifications will be sent via email by Thursday, April 4, 2024, of the results with the list of finalists invited to the live competition on May 4, 2024.

Please note: a piece may be omitted from the competition or concert if judges of the preliminary round determine that video entries demonstrate insufficient proficiency to proceed to the live competition. Additionally, a piece may be removed from the program if there are no entries.

Required Concerto Measures For The Preliminary Video Submission

The contestant’s preliminary video submission must only contain a performance of the measures identified below for their registered concerto movement (not the full concerto movement). No other movements for these works nor any other works will be accepted by the contestants as a valid entry submission. Contestants are responsible for confirming they have performed the required measures as specifically identified below in their preliminary video submission.

• D. Shostakovich Concerto No. 2 Opus 102: Movement 1 Allegro

  (International Music Company edition)

  Measures 7-48 (to beat 3) (pp. 2-6)

  Measures 88-128 (to beat 3) (pp. 9-13)

  *Cadenza: Measures 185 (beginning on beat 2)-222 (to beat 1) (pp. 19-22) 

• W. A. Mozart Concerto No. 23, K. 488: Movement 3 Allegro assai

  G. Henle Verlag (Urtext edition)

  Measures 1-20 (p. 29)

  Measures 62-105 (with observed rests) (pp. 32-33)

  Measures 167-201 (pp. 37-39)

  Measures 230-254 (pp. 40-41) 

• L. V. Beethoven Concerto No 1, Opus 15: Movement 3 Rondo. Allegro Scherzando

G. Henle Verlag (Urtext edition)

Measures: pick up, 1-20 (p. 56)

Measures: 44-65 (pp. 58-59)

Measures: pick up 74-128 (pp. 60-63)

Measures: 457 (with Cadenza)-485. (please note: Urtext Henle Vertag edition, pp. 81-83)

Preliminary Video Submission Recording Instructions

Video recordings made at home or in another environment must be unedited from beginning to end with the camera view showing full body including feet and with hands at the keyboard in good lighting. The piano should be in good tuning and in workable condition. Competitors should be in suitable clothing and wear shoes and must audibly state at the beginning of the video, “This recording is made for the City of Encinitas Piano Competition.” Any additional speaking, extraneous noise such as animals, TV, other people, or background noise in video recordings may result in disqualification.

All competitors will perform unaccompanied (no second piano accompaniment nor background recording) in the video submission. Cuts of orchestra sections (rests) are permissible in the video submission. Participants must observe all rests exactly, except measures with rests of more than eight bars, and may resume playing again when ready with a one-measure preparation. Solo passages (e.g. cadenzas) must be prepared in their entirety if specified. The performance on the video must be memorized with no visible sheet music present on the desk of the piano. 

By submitting a video link, competitors consent to have their videos viewed by the competition judge(s). The link will not be shared nor publicized. 

The video must be specifically prepared for this competition and not for another competition or endeavor.  Please label or name the video on the Youtube link listing with the following identification:

First name, Last Name, City of Encinitas Piano Competition

example: Bobby Jones City of Encinitas Piano Competition 

Please verify the Youtube link is usable and unlisted with the comments turned off.  Personal information collected from competitors will be used in accordance with the YouTube Community Guidelines.  Each competitor unequivocally agrees to the use of their personal information for such purposes.

Qualified finalists will be invited to perform their full concerto movements at the live competition on a Steinway D concert grand piano. The live finalist competition will be held on May 4, 2024 at the Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024.

Finalists must perform the concerto movement that was qualified from their video submission round in its entirety by memory and may not change or switch concerti for the live competition.  No other part of the concerto (other movements) will be performed, nor other concerti. The judges may ask participants to perform certain measures or sections after long segments. The score will not be present on the desk of the piano.

Participants do not need to bring a spare copy of the music for the judges but may bring their own copy for warm up before the competition. 

There will be no second piano for the orchestral part or background tracks available during the live competition. Participants must observe rests exactly and perform cadenzas entirely. For rests longer than eight measures, participants may start when ready with a one-measure preparation. The judges may ask a participant to perform at a certain point in the piece and may also ask the participant to stop for any reason. It is recommended that the participant know the piece by memory and sections upon request of the judges.  

Only the competitor may enter the competition room.  No conversations will be engaged between participants, family members, and adjudicators. 

Finalists should prepare by using the required editions listed. At the live competition, they should arrive well-fed and warmed up. No food and drinks will be permitted in the rehearsal rooms, competition room, nor concert. No phones nor recording devices are allowed in the competition room. A warm-up upright piano will be available, and participants will be notified of a scheduled warm-up time prior to the competition. A tryout will be available upon sign-up to play the Steinway D concert grand piano a few days prior. No family members will be permitted in the competition room. Silence must be maintained for the duration of the event of the live competition. Parents/guardians must remain at the competition, rehearsals, and concert. Attendance by friends and siblings is strongly discouraged at the finalist live competition.

The performances will be adjudicated via the rubric and participants will receive the results in an email along with a certificate on May 6, 2024. Please note, comments and scores may differ from preliminary scores.   

First, second, third, and honorable mention awards will be presented per concerto. The first-place winner of each concerto will perform with the orchestra on June 15, 2024. 

Rehearsals:

Winners are required to rehearse with the orchestra 6-9pm on the following days at the Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas, 92024:

• Tuesday, June 4, 2024
• Tuesday, June 11, 2024
• Thursday, June 13, 2024

The conductor will work with the winners during the rehearsals. Parents/guardians and studio teachers may silently attend the rehearsals without interruption of any kind.

 Orchestra Concert:

The first-place winners of the featured concerti will perform with the North Coast Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at 2:30pm at the Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Encinitas. Winners must arrive 45 minutes prior to the concert and report to the designated waiting room. One complimentary ticket will be given to each winner for a parent/guardian. Additional tickets may be purchased prior to the concert. Winners must stay until the conclusion of the concert to receive recognition and prizes. 

Yewon Lee - A resident of San Diego with wide ranging experiences throughout Southern California, Dr. Yewon Lee is a much sought after emerging conductor and collaborative pianist on the operatic and concert stage. Prior to relocating to San Diego, Dr. Lee was an Assistant Music Director of Opera at Baldwin Wallace University and Adjunct Professor at Kent State University. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Lee received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Seoul National University, completed her Master of Music degree in Vocal Accompanying at Manhattan School of Music and earned an Artist Diploma in Collaborative Piano from the Juilliard School. Currently, she is a music director of the San Diego Festival Chorus, director of Music of San Dieguito United Methodist Church and serves
as a Far South Representative for California Choral Directors Association.

Paul Tseng - Paul Tseng has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in concert halls around the world. As a chamber musician, Paul has performed with luminaries such as Earl Carlyss and Ruth Inglefield. While completing his doctorate in music, Paul performed with the Delphian Trio, which was awarded First Prize in the Baltimore Chamber Music Awards Competition. As an orchestral musician, Paul was the principal cellist of the Gettysburg Symphony and Millbrook Orchestra. He also played as assistant principal cellist of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra under the baton Barry Tuckwell. The second cellist ever to be awarded the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at the Peabody Conservatory (Johns Hopkins University), Paul specialized in the cello music of Prokofiev. He also holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from the Juilliard School. He has held various faculty positions in New York, Maryland, West Virginia, New York, and Washington DC.

Jennifer Marakovits - A resident of Encinitas for 28 years, Ms. Marakovits is currently serving a first term as a Commissioner for the Arts and has spearheaded the youth piano concerto competition program for the City of Encinitas.  Ms. Marakovits is a supporter of arts education for youth and has engaged in many endeavors in San Diego County as an entrepreneur, performer, music educator, composer-arranger, and arts advocate. Ms. Marakovits is an Orff and Kodaly-certified educator, a twice California-state certified educator, and an active member of the California Music Educators Association, American Orff and Schulwerk Association, and Organization of American Kodaly Educators.  

 Jacopo Giacopuzzi - As a soloist and chamber musician, Jacopo has performed recitals at major festivals and venues throughout the United States and Europe. Jacopo is a winner of 14 international competitions including the International Piano Competition San Dona`di Piave, Ibiza International Piano Competition, International Liszt Competition in Los Angeles, and the Beverly Hills National Auditions. He has performed under the direction of world renowned conductors such as Dian Tchobanov, Robert Wills, and others. He has been invited to serve on competition juries and to give presentations, masterclasses and concerts throughout the the world.