Guiyang Symphony Orchestra: The First "Youth Music Competition"

GUIYANG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
THE FIRST YOUTH MUSIC COMPETITION

VIOLIN

I. Mission Statement

In profound response to the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China — “to advance cultural confidence and strength, and to create new brilliance in socialist culture” — and actively pursuing the national policy of “deepening aesthetic education and promoting universal art access”, the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra First “Youth Music Competition” is launched following the success of the inaugural Piano Competition. Co-organized by the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra and hosted by Shuoguo Culture, the Youth Music Week harnesses the professional resources of GYSO musicians and ensures a fair and just adjudication system. Our commitment remains: to discover and nurture young artistic talents.

Rooted in Guizhou’s profound cultural heritage, the Music Week fosters the integration and mutual enrichment of diverse art forms, striving to become a platform of multiple perspectives and innovative vitality. It equally emphasizes the interpretation of Chinese works and encourages deep dialogue with international music culture.

As an upgraded edition, this Youth Music Week adheres to the principles of “high standards, innovation, and openness”, comprehensively elevating the organizational structure, jury panel, and professional level. Our goal is to become the most influential and reputable artistic platform in Guizhou Province, promoting a multi-layered, multi-form artistic exchange system. With music as a bond, we aspire to build a stage where outstanding young musicians can flourish, writing a new chapter in Guizhou’s musical culture and contributing dynamic energy to the highquality development of music in the new era.

II. Organizers

Presented by: Guiyang Symphony Orchestra

Hosted by: Shuoguo Culture

III. Dates & Venue

· Application deadline: until 24:00, July 15, 2026 (GMT+8).

· Admission notification: by August 1, 2026. (Selected candidates must confirm participation within 3 days; otherwise, the slot will be forfeited.)

· Competition period: September 30 – October 11, 2026.

· Venue: Guiyang Grand Theater, No. 265 Shinan Road, Nanming District, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.

IV. Competition Rounds & Repertoire

· Preliminary Round 

Repertoire requirements:

1. One slow and one fast movement from a Bach Sonata or Partita for solo violin.

2. One Paganini Caprice (any).

3. First movement (with cadenza) of a Mozart violin concerto (any).

Video recording & submission guidelines:

Audio & video quality: External microphone preferred; avoid distortion; disable automatic gain control; quiet environment. Resolution: 1080p or higher. Accepted formats: MP4, MOV, WMV, M4V, etc.

Upload & submission: If external audio is recorded, upload the audio source file (Baidu Cloud). Upload the video to YouTube, Youku, Bilibili, or Baidu Cloud (must not be set to “private”). Paste the video link and audio link into the application form.

· Quarter-Final 

· Number of participants: 48

· Dates: October 1–3, 2026

· Venue: Guiyang Grand Theater Concert Hall

· Repertoire:

1. One slow and one fast movement from a Bach Sonata or Partita for solo violin.

2. One Paganini Caprice.

3. One Ysaye Sonata for solo violin (any).

*Total duration ≤ 40 minutes. Repertoire may repeat the preliminary video pieces.

· Semi-Final

· Number of participants: 18

· Dates: October 5–8, 2026

· Venue: Guiyang Grand Theater Concert Hall

· Repertoire:

1. One of the following sonatas for piano and violin  (complete):

§ Beethoven: Sonata for piano and violin No.1, Op.12 No.1; No.5 “Spring”, Op.24; No.7, Op.30 No.2; No.8, Op.30 No.3

§ Brahms: Sonata for piano and violin No.3 in d minor, Op.108

§ Fauré: Sonata for piano and violin No.1 in A major, Op.13

§ Prokofiev: Sonata for piano and violin No.2 in D major, Op.94a

2. One virtuoso showpiece (not unaccompanied) by: Wieniawski, Ravel, Saint-Saens, Sarasate, Paganini, or Waxman.

3. One Chinese work (any, original or arrangement).

4. Piano accompaniment: Contestant may bring own pianist (expenses covered by contestant) or request one from the Organizing Committee (fee includes one rehearsal and the performance).

5. One string quartet movement (play first violin part):

§ Haydn: String Quartet in A major, Op.20 No.6, 1st mvt (G. Henle edition required)

§ Mozart: String Quartet No.21 in D major, K.575, 1st mvt (Barenreiter edition required)

Chamber music partners: GYSO musicians.

· *Total duration ≤ 60 minutes.

· Final

· Number of participants: 6

· Dates: October 9–10, 2026 

· Venue: Guiyang Grand Theater

· Orchestra: Guiyang Symphony Orchestra

· Repertoire (choose one):

o Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D major, Op.35

o Sibelius: Violin Concerto in d minor, Op.47

o Brahms: Violin Concerto in D major, Op.77

o Dvo?ák: Violin Concerto in a minor, Op.53

o Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No.1 in a minor, Op.77

o Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.1 in D major, Op.19

· Closing Concert & Awards Ceremony

· Date & time: October 11, 2026 · 20:00

· Venue: Guiyang Grand Theater Concert Hall

· Conductor: Zhang Guoyong

· Performers: Prize winners & Guiyang Symphony Orchestra

V. General Rules

· Memorization: All works must be performed by heart, except the sonata and chamber music movements of the Semi-Final.

· Repertoire changes: Preliminary repertoire cannot be changed after submission. Changes for later rounds must be requested to the Secretary Office by August 10, 2026, 17:00.

· Submission of piano scores: Candidates requesting official accompanist must provide original (legal) piano scores to the Secretary Office by August 10, 17:00.

VI. Prizes & Awards

1. Titles: Gold Prize, Silver Prize, Bronze Prize.

2. Prize money:

· Gold: CNY 100,000

· Silver: CNY 60,000 

· Bronze: CNY 30,000

3. Engagement: Laureates will receive an invitation to perform in the Guiyang Symphony Orchestra 2027–2029 concert seasons.

*The Organizing Committee provides accommodation for SemiFinalists and Finalists during their stay in Guiyang.

VII. Application & Fee

Eligibility: Aged 14–26 (born between October 1, 1999 and September 30, 2012), any nationality. Students or graduates of professional music institutions (including middle-school attached to conservatories) or university arts majors.

Application fee: 980 CNY (non-refundable).

*No further fees are charged after admission to the Quarter-Final.

Payment method:

1. Mini-program “Shuoguo Art Together” → select “GYSO First Youth Music Competition registration fee”.

2. Leave a message in the payment page: [Name + GYMC + mobile phone number].

3. Save the payment receipt screenshot.

Registration: Long-press the QR code below, fill in the form, upload the fee screenshot, and submit. 

Deadline July 15, 2026 (24:00).

VIII. Evaluation & Scoring

Criteria: Technical proficiency, musical expression, artistic integrity, stage presence, and ability to collaborate with orchestra.

Scoring: Jury members give scores live; results are tabulated on site and announced immediately. Gold Prize winner must achieve a final score of at least 95.

IX. Terms & Conditions

A. Authority of the Organizing Committee

The Organizing Committee reserves the right of final interpretation. It may adjust regulations as necessary; all updates will be published via the official WeChat account of GYSO. In case of force majeure, the Committee may modify the schedule, venue, etc.

B. Application & Conduct

· All information provided must be truthful. Any falsification leads to immediate disqualification.

· Personal data will be used solely for competition organization, communication, publicity, and archiving.

· Fee is non-refundable and nontransferable.

· Jurors may not score their own students (current or former principal instrument instructors). They must recuse themselves from scoring and discussion when a student is performing.

· Any form of cheating results in disqualification.

C. Venue Rules

· Access only with official badge. Keep it safe.

· Silence must be observed; no interference with the jury.

· Entering the jury area or contacting jurors is strictly forbidden.

· Violators may be disqualified or expelled.

D. Image & Copyright

By registering, contestants grant the Organizing Committee the right to use video/audio recordings, photographs, and likenesses for non-commercial purposes directly related to the competition (publicity, archival, live streaming, broadcasting, publishing). The Committee holds the right to film and webcast the event.

X. Organizing Committee

Artistic Director: Zhang Guoyong  Jury President: Liu Yunzhi

Chair of the Organizing Committee: Wang Xiaoxing

Vice Chairs: Cao Fei, Zhang Yuanyuan, Zhang Jinru

Members: Yang Fan, Guan Di, Guo Qing, Jia Lixiao, Chen Yuge

Secretariat: Zou Yuanyuan, Zhou Tianyu, Yu Shiqi

Publicity & Planning: Yang Ling, Deng Haoyue, Peng Songyang, Hu Chaoyue, Jiang Fukai

Operations: Lu Lin, Hu Ling

Library & Stage: Zhou Jingbo, Chen Zhuoda, Liu Xingdian

Supervisory Panel: Wang Xiaoxing, Zhang Yuanyuan

XI. Contact (Secretariat)

Tel: 0851-85509898
WeChat: 13385503209
Email: office@gyso.cn
Office hours: Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00

Guiyang Symphony Orchestra
The First Youth Music Competition Organizing Committee
March 2026