Civic Orchestra of Tucson
held its 37th Annual
2022 Young Artists’ Competition
on Sunday, January 23, 2022
Read the article by Cathalena Burch at Tucson.com.

Winners of the 2022 Competition

Please consider making a special donation to support the Young Artists’ Competition. Because the Fundraiser Concert to benefit the 2022 Young Artists’ Competition has been canceled, we ask for your help now. Your gift is more important than ever this year.

Click to Donate by Credit Card >>     

Talented musicians through grade 12 can compete for monetary prizes in these categories:
Strings  ~  Piano/Harp  ~  Winds/Percussion  ~  Ensemble

Winners may be selected to perform their pieces in concert with the Civic Orchestra of Tucson.

The following information is from last year’s competition. It will be updated for 2023 prior in the fall.

>>> 2022 Rules and Eligibility
>>> Solo Registration Form
>>> Ensemble Registration Form

COT’s first Young Artists’ Competition (YAC) in 1984 was the only event of its kind in this area for high-school-age musicians. Other competitions in town were open to college-age students as well, so the younger children rarely had a chance to win the opportunity to perform.

Now in its 37th year, the competition has expanded to three categories: winds and percussion, piano, and strings. Each category is judged separately with both a junior and a senior division. The competition offers students a good introduction to the audition process.

Winners gain public exposure and are awarded cash prizes. The event provides each entrant a unique learning experience, and music teachers from both studios and schools applaud the orchestra for this contribution to the young musicians’ development. To date, COT has hosted nearly 100 performances by students ranging from elementary to high-school age.

We will again be offering an Ensemble category, the first of its kind in Tucson. Groups of 2 to 10 young musicians may apply together as an ensemble and perform a chamber work. Groups may consist of students of any age (up through Grade 12). The selected piece should not require orchestral accompaniment.