Toledo Symphony League
Young Artists' Competition
Competition Information
The purpose of the Toledo Symphony League’s Young Artists’ Competition is to foster the development of young musicians in Northwest Ohio and Southern Michigan.
Competition
Date: Saturday, January 10, 2026
Time: Auditions begin at 10am
Place: Bell Studio
Application Deadline: November 26, 2025 11:59PM
Guidelines for Entry
Eligibility
- Piano, string, woodwind, brass, and percussion students who will be 18 years old or younger on November 26, 2026 (the due date for submissions).
- Students must reside in counties served by the TSO. The following counties in Ohio are included: Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood, and Williams. The following counties in Michigan are included: Hillsdale, Lenawee, and Monroe.
- Previous Toledo Symphony League Young Artist Competition winners may not apply on the same instrument.
Awards
- Each of the winners must appear as a soloist with the Toledo Symphony at a public performance scheduled for a Performance on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at the Peristyle Theatre and attend the dress rehearsal on February 26, 2026.
- Winners will receive a $1000 award at the time of his or her performance.
Entering the Competition
Choose your Repertoire
- Applicants will perform a movement, or a portion of a movement, from the recommended repertoire not to exceed twelve minutes. Some selections may not be heard in their entirety. All repertoire is not limited to the recommended repertoire and is subject to approval.
- Applicants must plan to be accompanied by a pianist of their choosing at their own expense.
- Memorization of the music is not required.
Complete your on-line application
- Applications will be completed via on-line form which will be available August 1, 2025. Applications are due by 11:59pm on November 26, 2025. Prior to filling out the form, please have the following information: school address, list of previous teachers, awards received, and noteworthy performances. NO RECORDINGS REQUIRED TO APPLY.
- Applicants who are accepted will be sent a specific audition time via email by December 20, 2025.
Competition Day
- Applicants are required to bring three copies of their chosen selection for the judges with measures numbered. Upon check-in, the applicant will provide an original purchased copy of the music. Out of respect for copyright laws, all photocopies will be shredded after the audition.
- The jury of judges, chosen by the Toledo Symphony, may choose up to three winners. The decision of the judges will be final.
- All students will receive written comments from the panel of judges.
Recommended Repertoire by Instrument
Unless otherwise specified, the applicant must prepare the first or last movement from one of the required pieces below. Alternate selections are welcome if they are approved in advance by Mr. Merwin Siu, Artistic Administrator of the Toledo Symphony. Please email Mr. Siu at msiu@artstoledo.com with repertoire questions.
Violin
| J.S. Bach | Concerto in a minor or E Major |
| Beethoven | Romances in F or G |
| Bruch | Concerto No. 1 in g minor |
| Scottish Fantasy (any Mvt) | |
| Coleridge-Taylor | Concerto in g minor |
| Conus | Concerto in e minor |
| Glazunov | Violin Concerto |
| Haydn | Concerto in G Major or C Major |
| Kabalevsky | Violin Concerto |
| Khachaturian | Violin Concerto |
| Lalo | Sinfonie Espagnole (Mvt. 1 or 5) |
| Mozart | Concerto No. 3 in G Major |
| Concerto No. 4 in D Major | |
| Concerto No. 5 in A Major | |
| Mendelssohn | Concerto in e minor |
| Paganini | Concerto No. 1 in D Major |
| Prokofiev | Concerto No. 1 in D Major |
| Concerto No. 2 in g minor | |
| Saint-Saens | Concerto No. 3 in b minor |
| Havanaise | |
| Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso | |
| Sibelius | Violin Concerto (Mvt. 1) |
| Tchaikovsky | Violin Concerto (Mvt. 3) |
| Vieuxtemps | Concerto No. 4 in d minor |
| (Mvt. 1, 2, or 4) | |
| Concerto No. 5 in a minor | |
| (Mvt. 1 OR Mvts. 2-4) | |
| Wieniawski | Concerto No. 2 in d minor |
Viola
| Bartok | Viola Concerto |
| Bowen | Concerto in c minor |
| Handel/Casadesus | Concerto in b minor |
| Telemann | Concerto in G Major |
| Stamitz | Viola Concerto D Major |
| Walton | Viola Concerto |
Cello
| Boccherini | Concerto in G 482 |
| Dvorak | Concerto in b minor (Mvt. 1) |
| Elgar | Concerto in e minor |
| Haydn | Concerto in C Major (Mvt. 1) |
| Concerto in D Major (Mvt. 1) | |
| Lalo | Concerto in d minor (Mvt. 1) |
| Popper | Hungarian Rhapsody |
| Saint-Saens | Concerto No. 1 in a minor |
| (Mvt. 1 and Mvt. 3 coda) | |
| Shostakovich | Concerto No. 1 |
| Tchaikovsky | Pezzo Capriccioso |
Bass
| Bottesini | Concerto No. 2 in b minor |
| (Mvt. 1) | |
| Dragonetti | Bass Concerto in E Major |
| (Mvt. 1) | |
| Koussevitzky | Bass Concerto (Mvt. 1) |
| Vanhal | Concerto in D (Mvt. 1) |
| Von Dittersdorf | Bass Concerto in E Major |
Flute
| Chaminade | Concertino |
| Mozart | Concerto No. 1 in G Major |
| Telemann | Suite for Flute and Strings |
Oboe
| Bellini | Oboe Concerto |
| Gipps | Oboe Concerto Op. 20 |
| Handel | Oboe Concerto No. 1 in Bb Major |
| Mozart | Oboe Concerto in C Major |
Clarinet
| Copland | Clarinet Concerto |
| Debussy | Clarinet Rhapsody |
| Mozart | Clarinet Concerto in A Major |
| Weber | Concertino |
| Concerto in f minor (Mvt. 1 or 3) | |
| Concerto in Eb Major (Mvt. 1) |
Bassoon
| David | Bassoon Concertino |
| Mozart | Bassoon Concerto in Bb Major |
| Vivaldi | Bassoon Concerto in a minor |
| Weber | Bassoon Concerto in F Major |
Saxophone
| Debussy | Rhapsody for Saxophone & Orchestra |
| Ibert | Concertino da Camera (Mvt. 1 or 2) |
| Torke | Concerto for Saxophone & Orchestra (Mvt. 1) |
Horn
| Bozza | En Foret |
| Chabrier | Larghetto |
| Cherubini | Sonata No 2 |
| (Sonata 1 not required) | |
| Dukas | Villanelle |
| A. Frackenpohl | Largo and Allegro (all) |
| Mozart | Any concerto (Mvt. 1 only) |
| Saint-Saens | Morceau de Concert Op. 94 |
| (Concertpiece) -- Complete | |
| Strauss | Concerto No. 1 Op. 11 |
| (Mvts. 2 and 3 only) |
Trumpet
| Arutunian | Trumpet Concerto |
| Haydn | Concerto in E-flat Major |
| Hummel | Concerto in E-flat Major |
| L. Mozart | Concerto in D Major |
Trombone
| Grondahl | Concerto |
| Guilmant | Concerto Piece |
| Rimsky-Korsakov | Concerto |
| Wagenseil | Concerto |
Tuba
| Lebedeu | Any Concerto |
| Vaughan Williams | Concerto for Tuba |
Harp
| Dussek | Any sonata |
| Handel | Concerto (Mvt. 1) |
| Naderman | Any sonata |
| Salzedo | Song in the Night |
Percussion
| Creston | Marimba Concerto |
| Hovhaness | Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints |
| Milhaud | Concerto for Percussion |
Piano
| J. S. Bach | Concerto in D Major |
| Concerto in d minor | |
| Beethoven | Concerto No. 1, 2, 3, or 4 |
| Chopin | Concerto No. 2, Op. 21 |
| Franck | Symphonic Variations |
| Gershwin | Concerto in F |
| Grieg | Concerto in a minor (mvt. 1) |
| Haydn | Concerto in D, Hob. XVIII:II |
| Khachaturian | Concerto in D-flat Major, Op. 38 |
| Liszt | Concerto No. 1 |
| Hungarian Fantasy | |
| Totentanz | |
| Mendelssohn | Concerto in g minor |
| Capriccio Brilliant, Op. 22 | |
| Mozart | Any concerto |
| Price | Concerto in One Movement |
| Rachmaninoff | Concertos No. 1, Op. 1 and 2 |
| Ravel | Concerto in G Major |
| Saint-Saens | Concerto in g minor No. 2 (mvt. 2) |
| C. Schumann | Concerto Op. 7 in a minor |
| R. Schumann | Concerto Op. 54 in a minor |
| Shostakovich | Concerto No. 2 Op. 102 (mvt. 1) |
| Tchaikovsky | Concerto No. 1 in b-flat minor |