RICHARD R. DEAS YOUNG ARTIST CONCERTO COMPETITION

About the Competition

Dr. Richard R. Deas, for whom the young artist concerto competition was named and in whose memory it continues, helped create the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra in 1971. As the then-Chair of the UNCW Department of Music he assisted in developing the competition in 1976 as a way to give talented young musicians an opportunity to perform with a symphony orchestra.

The Richard R. Deas Young Artist Concerto Competition is open to 4th grade through college level music students. This competition provides an excellent challenge for students to hone their skills and knowledge, producing musicians who have gone on to conservatories and music studies in college. An online application is available along with a list of repertoires. The competition is in November with contestants performing for a three-panel judge, recruited from across the State.

The winners of the High School and UNCW Divisions will perform in concert at the Wilson Center accompanied by the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. The winner of the Junior Division will perform in  the spring accompanied by the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra.

2024 Application is now closed.

2024 Competition Date:

Saturday, November 2, 2024

High School & UNCW Division Winners will perform at WSO’s January 26, 2025 “The Magic of Music” concert; Junior Division Winner will perform with the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra in the Spring of 2025 (Date TBD).

Competition Location:

UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall - 5270 Randall Drive Wilmington, NC 28403

Application Fee:

$15 (non-refundable)

Eligibility:

  • Junior Division - limited to instrumental and piano students enrolled in grades 4-8 during the 2024 Fall semester with a home address within New Hanover, Onslow, Duplin, Sampson, Bladen, Brunswick, Pender, or Columbus counties.

  • High School Division - limited to instrumental and piano students enrolled in grades 9-12 during the 2024 Fall semester with a home address within New Hanover, Onslow, Duplin, Sampson, Bladen, Brunswick, Pender, or Columbus counties.

  • UNCW Division - limited to students currently enrolled as majors or minors in the UNCW Department of Music, studying with a UNCW applied music instructor both during the semester of the audition and the semester of the performance

Previous winners may not audition on the same instrument within the same division.

Rules:

Audition pieces must be performed from memory. The contestant must provide an accompanist and bring three copies of the music for the judges (contestants are responsible for observing applicable copyright laws). The decision of the judges is final, and the winner must perform the composition played at the audition and be available for all rehearsals in preparation for the concert.

Repertoire:

Time limit for submissions (including all orchestral passages)

  • Junior Division - 8 minutes

  • High School Division - 15 minutes

  • UNCW Division - 15 minutes

The suitability and availability of performance materials must be approved by the conductor prior to the acceptance of the application. Contact Steven Errante well in advance of the deadline if in doubt.

No composition may be entered if it appeared or will appear on any Wilmington Symphony concert the prior season or the current season. 

For the 2024 competition, works which may not be submitted include:

  • Saint-Saëns: Cello Concerto No. 1 in a minor

  • Charles de Beriot: Violin Concerto No. 9 in a minor, Op. 104, 1st Mvt

  • Marcel Grandjany: Aria in Classic Style for Harp and Organ

  • Alexander Glazunov: Saxophone Concerto, Op. 109, in E-Flat Major 

  • George Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F

  • Kevin Kaska: Harp Concerto

  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”

  • Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35

Suggested Audition List:

Piano

  • Honegger - Concertino

  • Mendelssohn - Concerto in G Minor, Op. 25, lst movement

  • Mozart - Concerto in F Major, K. 459, lst movement

  • Mozart - Concerto in E-flat Major, K. 271

  • Mozart - Concerto in A Major, K. 488

  • Ravel - Concerto in G Major, lst movement

Violin

  • Bach - Violin Concerto #1 in A Minor, lst movement

  • Mendelssohn - Concerto in E Minor, Ist movement

  • Mozart - Concerto #3 in G Major, 1st movement

  • Mozart - Concerto #4 in D Major, 2nd movement

  • Viotti - Concerto #22 in A Minor, Ist movement

  • Vivaldi - Concerto in G Minor, Ist movement

  • Wieniawski - Legend

Viola

  • Bach, J. C. - Concerto in ut Mineur, 1st & 2nd movements

  • Bloch, Ernest - Suite Hebraique, any movement

  • Bruch - Romance, Op. 85

  • Stamitz - Viola Concerto in D Major, 1st movement

Cello

  • Elgar - Concerto, Op. 85, 1st movement

  • Haydn - Concerto in D Major, lst movement

  • Kabalevsky - Concerto, Op. 49, lst movement

  • Lalo, Edouard - Concerto in D Minor, lst movement

  • Saint-Saens - Concerto in A Minor, 1st movement

  • Schumann, Robert - Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129, lst movement

Bass

  • Dragonetti - Concerto in A Major, lst movement

  • Giannini - Psalm 130

Flute

  • Mozart - Concerto in G Major, K. 313, 1st movement

  • Quantz, J. J. - Concerto in G Major, 1st movement

  • Vivaldi - Il Gardellino

Oboe

  • Barlow - The Winter's Passed

  • Handel - Concerto in G Minor, complete

  • Haydn - Concerto in C Major, 1st movement

Clarinet

  • Mozart - Concerto in A Major, K. 622, 1st movement

  • Spohr - Concerto #1 in C Minor, Op. 26, 2nd & 3rd movements

Bassoon

  • Mozart - Concerto in B-flat Major, K. 191, 1st movement

  • Weber - Concerto, 2nd & 3rd movement

Alto Saxophone

  • Cowell - Air and Scherzo

  • Glazunov - Concerto in B-flat, 1st movement

  • Ward, David - An Abstract

Tenor Saxophone

  • Tuthill, B. - Concerto

  • Martin, F. - Ballade

  • Wilder, A - Concerto

  • Villa-Lobos - Fantasia (or soprano)

Horn

  • Glazunov - Serenade #2

  • Haydn, J. - Concerto #2

  • Mozart - Concerto #3 in E-flat, K. 447, 1st movement

  • Saint-Saens - Romance, Op. 36

  • Strauss, R. - Concerto #1 in E-flat, Op. 11, 1st movement

Trumpet

  • Capel Bond - Concerto

  • Haydn - Concerto in E-flat, 1st movement

  • Hovhaness - Prayer of St. Gregory

  • Hummel - Concerto, lst movement

  • Persichetti - The Hollow Men

  • Riisager - Concerto

Trombone

  • Hovhaness - Concerto #3,

  • Diran (The Religious Singer)

  • Jacob - Concerto, 1st movement

Tuba

  • Andriessen - Concertino Frackenpohl 

  • Concertino Levy, F. - Dialogue

  • Vaughn Williams - Concerto, 1st movement

Marimba

  • Mayuzumi - Concertino, 1st movement

  • Creston - Concertino for Marimba, 1st movement

Timpani

  • Cirone, Anthony - Sonata #1 for Timpani & piano

  • Tcherepnin - Sonatina for Three Timpani, 1st & 4th movements

Multiple Instrument Percussion

  • Milhaud - Concerto for Percussion

  • Russell, A. - Sonata for Percussion, 1st movement