MEA Honors Recital Audition Information

MEA HONORS RECITAL UPDATE

Our fifth annual Honors Recital was a big success. Sixty-one students were selected to perform at The Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum on Saturday, November 17. Teachers represented were Galit Aronson, Dragica Banic-Curcic, David Butterfield, Carmela Cecere, Gloria Chu, Rebecca Eng, Tomoko Harada, Yelena Ivanov, Clarisse Kant, Mansoon Han Kim, Helen Krotoff, Grace Kuo, Julia Lam, Vivian Lien, Beatrice Long, Thomas Parente, Luba Slepoi, Sondra Tammam, Stella Xu and Yuka Yanagi.

Thank you to the judges, Charlene Step for hosting both of recitals, Gloria and George Chu, and May Xu for their help with the recitals. Special appreciation also to Tomoko Harada for her assistance and Charlene Step and Chiaki Morimoto for taking publicity photos.

From Grace Kuo & Chiaki Morimoto, Co-Chairs

2007 Honors Recital

The audition for this year’s Honors Recital will be held on Sunday, November 11 at Seton Hall University in South Orange, followed by the Honors Recital on Saturday afternoon, November 17 in the Bickford Theatre at the Morris Museum in Morristown. The application form for the audition can be downloaded from the "Downloads" link on this web site. Please duplicate the application for additional room for entering more students. The postmark deadline is October 19. For the repertoire requirements and dress code, please read the Guidelines and Regulations below. Thank you for your participation.

Audition Date:
  • Sunday, November 11, 2007
  • Seton Hall University in S. Orange, NJ
Recital Date:
  • Saturday afternoon, November 17, 2007
  • The Bickford Theater at the Morris Museum in Madison, NJ.

Application form will be inserted in the September issue of Glissando.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES AND REGULATIONS CAREFULLY AND THOROUGHLY

Guidelines and Regulations

OBJECTIVES FOR THE RECITAL AUDITION:
    The purpose of the Honors Recital Audition is to provide additional recognition of students, not necessarily gifted, who can prepare for auditions superbly and are ready to perform any of their audition pieces in public. It would also provide an additional incentive and reward as well as another opportunity to perform for students who have worked commendably. This Audition would be a completely separate event from the regular audition days which are held in May and June.
WHO CAN ENTER:
    There is no age minimum but the maximum age limit should be senior (12th grade) in high school.
    The teacher must be a current, paid-up member of MEA. Any student who has transferred from one MEA member to another must have studied with the new teacher for a minimum of six months prior to entering the Honors Recital Audition under the new teacher’s name, except by mutual agreement of the two teachers. This does not apply to transfer students outside the MEA.
REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS:

PIANO SOLO:

  • Students are required to perform two contrasting compositions from standard repertoire, from two different musical periods.
  • Students will be divided into three age groups for the time limit and the minimum difficulty.
Category I Up to Age 10 7 minutes or less. Minimum difficulty should be Intermediate C level of the MEA audition syllabus.
Category II Ages 11 – 14 10 minutes or less. Minimum difficulty should be Pre-Senior B level of the MEA audition syllabus.
Category III Ages 15 – 18 12 minutes or less. Minimum difficulty should be Senior B level of the MEA audition syllabus.
    Please note that students should expect the judges may cut portions of the pieces to stay on schedule if the pieces exceed the time limit.
PIANO ENSEMBLE:
  • One piano, four to six hands only. Students perform only one piece with the time limit of 4 minutes or less.
  • Ensemble students' ages will be averaged for placement in the appropriate age group. For example, if an ensemble is made up of a 7 and a 9 year old, the students will be placed in the 8 year old age group.
    For both solo and ensemble pieces, students are not allowed to perform repertoire which is listed in the most recent past and upcoming MEA competition syllabus.
    A movement of sonatina or sonata as well as a movement of a suite will be considered as one piece. Variations are to be played in their complete form. Simplifications and arrangements as well as student compositions will not be allowed. Artistic arrangements such as those by Busoni, Liszt, or Rachmaninoff would be acceptable. Both Prelude and Fugue from WTC by J.S. Bach must be played together to count as one piece.
    No repeats are allowed unless the piece is very short or the repeats affect the integrity of the piece.
    Memorization is required for the solo category. It is optional for the ensemble category. A copy of original score should be presented to the judges at the beginning of the audition.
    No repertoire change will be permitted once application forms are submitted. Doing so will result in disqualification.
AUDITION PROCEDURE:
    Since each age group will be evaluated by the same judges, the audition time will not be changed for any reason. No special scheduling requests will be permitted.
    Students must arrive at least 10 minutes prior to their scheduled audition time.
    Judges have the right to stop the performance if student’s pieces exceed the time limit.
    There will be no opportunity to warm up prior to the audition time.
    Dress Code for Audition:
    Girls: A dress, or a formal skirt or full length dress slacks with blouse or sweater and dress shoes. Dresses and skirts should cover the knees when seated. No bracelets or rings.
    Boys: A suit, or dress pants and dress shirt, sweater or sports coat. Ties are optional.
    NO JEANS OR SNEAKERS.
    Dress Code for Recital:
    Girls: A dress, or blouse and a formal skirt which covers the knees when seated and dress shoes. No bracelets or rings.
    Boys: A suit, or dress pants and dress shirt with a tie.
    NO JEANS OR SNEAKERS.
JUDGING PROCEDURE:
    Two judges will be present in each audition room. The students will be divided into age groups.
    There is no limit to the number of students chosen from each age group. Selection will be made solely on the basis of the quality of performance.
    Two grades will be given – Honors and Honorable Mention. Students receiving Honors ratings will perform in the Honors Recital.
    Both judges must agree that the students qualify to perform in the Honors Recital.
    Judges will choose THE one piece for students selected to perform in the Honors Recital.
    Winning teachers will be notified within 2 days following the audition date by the Honors Recital Committee. Please do not call the committee members.
    Students who are chosen to perform in the recital will be presented with a plaque or trophy at the close of the recital. All other students who participate in the audition would be given the grade of Honorable Mention and a certificate. Students who are absent from the recital will not receive their trophies or plaques.
    JUDGES’DECISIONS ARE IRREVOCABLE. Not open to questions under any circumstances. Judges are not to be called at home or studio to discuss matters pertaining to the audition.
HONORS RECITAL PROCEDURE:
    It is the teachers’ responsibility to convey this information to their students.
    Performers should arrive at least fifteen minutes before the recital time, check in and sit in recital order.
    Students and their families are required to stay for the entire recital. Families are requested not to bring very small children to the recitals.
    Dress Code is mandatory. Please see DRESS CODE section.
    Students who performed at the Honors Recital will receive a trophy or plaque. Students who are absent from the recital will not receive their trophies or plaques.
HOW TO ENTER:
    An application form will be sent to each teacher through the “Glissando” Newsletter and can be downloaded using the link below. The application forms must be filled out by the teacher.
DEADLINE AND FEE:
    Please see the deadline date on the application form. Entries mailed after the deadline date will be returned.
    Phone entries will not be accepted. Any application form that is incomplete will be disqualified and will not be accepted.
    Please see the entry fee and postage fee on the application form. Each teacher is to submit only one check for all of his/her students.
    Fees are non-refundable.
HONORS RECITAL APPLICATION

Select the following to download an Honors Application