4th

Application Deadline: March 1, 2022 (Early Bird: February 1, 2022)

Applications for the 4th season of the Zodiac International Music Competition are now open in the following categories:

INSTRUMENTAL (Open and Junior Categories)

COMPOSITION

Video Submission (no travel requirement)
Cash prizes
Instrumental winner to perform in the South of France
Composition winner's piece premiered in New York and France

The 4th Zodiac International Music Competition aims to discover exceptional musical talent, both in performance and composition, from across the globe, and bring it to the stage of the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival in the South of France and New York.

The competition invites artists from all parts of the world to participate via recorded video submission (or score submission for composers).

PARTICIPATION VIA VIDEO (instrumentalist) OR SCORE (composers)

The lack of need to travel makes this opportunity available to artists who might not otherwise have the ability to compete, and opens it to a much wider array of musicians across the globe.

PERFORM IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

Winning instrumentalist of the open category will receive a cash prize and roundtrip airfare and accommodations to give a solo and chamber music recital on the French Riviera. The recital will be recorded and live-streamed.

COMMISSION PREMIERED IN SOUTHERN FRANCE AND NEW YORK (US)

The winning composer will be offered a commission to write for the internationally-recognized Zodiac Trio (founders of the Festival), or its individual members, as well as a cash prize. The work will be performed in New York, as well as at the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival in the South of France. The winning composer will also receive a professional video recording of the piece.

JUNIOR CATEGORY (INSTRUMENTALISTS) new

This year, we are introducing a junior category for instrumentalists, in order to encourage developing young artists, and allow them to compete on a more even playing field. Applicants who choose to participate in this category must be born after March 1st, 2004. Please note that prizes for this category are not the same as the open category. Applicants born after March 1st, 2004 can choose to participate in EITHER open or junior categories.

INSTRUMENTALISTS

(OPEN CATEGORY):

1st PRIZE

$750 Cash Prize
Recital (repertoire to be discussed on an individual case basis) at the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival.

Roundtrip airfare to Nice, France from anywhere in the world, hotel accommodations, local transportation and meals.

Audio/Video recording of the performance, as well as live-stream of the concert

Diploma & Trophy

2nd PRIZE

$300 Cash Prize

Diploma

3nd PRIZE:

Diploma

FINALISTS' CONCERT

All ten finalists will be featured in an online concert, premiered on YouTube & Facebook on the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival channel on Sunday, March 3, 2022.

Applicants can choose which performance video from their application is to be featured for the concert.

JUNIOR CATEGORY

FIRST PRIZE

$300 Cash Prize

SECOND PRIZE

Diploma

THIRD PRIZE

Diploma

PRIZES

COMPOSITION

1st PRIZE:

$750 Cash Prize

Commission to write a work (up to 10 min) for the Zodiac Trio (clarinet-violin-piano) or its individual members in any combination

World Premiere performance at the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival in France

Meals and Accommodations at the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival (for composers wishing to attend the performance)

US Premiere in New York City

Professional Audio/Video recording of the performance

Diploma

2nd PRIZE

$300 Cash Prize

Diploma

3nd PRIZE:

Diploma

FINALISTS' CONCERT

All ten finalists in the composition category will be featured in an online concert, premiered on YouTube & Facebook on the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival channel on Sunday, March 19, 2022.

Composers can choose which works are to be featured for the concert. Should no video exists, images, the composer's headshot, score or other visuals can be used for the virtual concert.

*Piece for the Zodiac Trio instrumentation (Clarinet, Violin, Piano) or any combination of those instruments

Eligibility:

The competition is open to artists of any nationality, without age limit*, in the following categories:

SOLOIST (following instruments):

PIANO

STRINGS

(Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass)

WINDS

(Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone)

COMPOSITION

*SOLOIST category applicants (instrumentalists) born after March 1, 2004 can choose to participate in the JUNIOR category. This is not obligatory. Applicants born after March 1, 2004 can also choose to compete in the OPEN category.

Application Process:

Interested applicants are invited to submit an online application, along with a short biography (250 word maximum) and a minimum of two (2) contrasting video samples, with a total viewing time not to exceed 30 minutes. Videos should be unedited, and offer a single continuous shot. Videos should be uploaded to YouTube, Vimeo or any other online video hosting service, and links sent as part of the application.

Composition applicants are asked to submit two (2) scores in PDF format, along with links to a SoundCloud recording (midi is acceptable).

Selection Process:

The submissions will be judged in two rounds: the preliminary round by the zodiac trio and the final round by an international jury, and will use a points-based system. 10 soloist and 10 composer finalists will be selected and published on the competition website by March 8th, 2022.

Final winners will be announced on March 28, 2022 via email and will be posted on the competition website.

Application Deadline & Entrance Fee:

Application deadline is March 1st, 2022 (23H59 - Local Applicant's Time Zone). The application fee is $50 USD.

Early application deadline is February 1st, 2022. The application fee is $35 USD.

In an effort to extend this opportunity to the widest possible pool of artists from all backgrounds and countries, and fully understanding that the current COVID situation has had devastating impact on many artists' financial situation, we offer a fee-waiver program for applicants whose financial situation does not allow them to afford the application fee. Potential applicants in such situations should email contactus@competition.com explaining your case to the committee in order to apply for a waiver. Fee waiver are available until the early application deadline of February 1st, 2022.

FINALISTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on March 15th, 2022

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED on March 28th, 2022

Schedule:

February 1, 2022 - Early Application Deadline

March 1, 2022 - Final Application Deadline

March 15, 2022 - Finalists Announced

March 19, 2022 - Virtual Concerts Featuring Finalists in the Instrumentals Category

(two separate concerts for Open and Junior Categories)

March 26, 2022 - Virtual Concert Featuring Finalists in the Composition Category

March 28, 2022 - Winners Announced

Winner's Recital:

The winning soloist will give a performance at the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival in July 2023. Exact date of the recital will be discussed with the winner. The festival will provide the winning soloist with a collaborative pianist (if needed). The recital will include chamber music selections in collaboration with the festival's faculty and possibly students. Specific repertoire will be mutually agreed upon between the festival and the winner no later than June 1st. The Zodiac Music Academy & Festival is invited to perform at various venues on the Côte D'Azur. The exact venue for the winning recital will be specified at a later date.The winning recital will be broadcast live on Facebook, and posted on the website.

Winning Composer's Commission.

The winning composer will be invited to write a work (up to 10 minutes) for the Zodiac Trio, or its members. The work will receive its North American premiere in New York at a mutually agreed-upon time, and will receive its European premiere in France at the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival, which takes places every summer during the first week of July. Additionally, a professional video recording will be provided to the composer and promoted via social media on various platforms.

The festival will not provide airfare for the winning composer, however, should the composer choose to attend the performance, the festival will provide meals and accommodations during the duration of the composer's stay (maximum 3 days).

----

*Cello and Double Bass Applicants:

Should a cello or double bass applicant be chosen as soloist, the competition will offer a professional-grade instrument rental of the highest quality for the performance, free of charge. The competition will not cover airfare or transportation cost for the instrument. Winning soloist is welcome to bring their own instrument at their expense.