Transforming Young Musicians

Audition requirements:

• Contrasting solo materials of 6-20 minutes.
• If you are also applying to programs from List 1, please ensure that one of your selections is the exposition of a major concerto.

Fulton Summer Music Academy

For students 18 years old and over only

• One movement of a solo Bach
• One movement of a concerto
• One movement of a sonata or other work

Heifetz International Music Institute Summer Program – Junior Division (Ages 7- 14)

• Upload one movement of Bach from the Sonatas and Partitas or the Cello Suites BWV 1001-1012. Suzuki transcriptions of Bach works are also accepted. 
• Upload one virtuoso work for solo instrument OR with piano accompaniment (some Sonatas can fulfill this requirement) OR one significant Concerto movement 

Heifetz International Music Institute Summer Program – Senior Division (Ages 14 – 30)

Violin

• One movement of Bach from the Sonatas and Partitas or the Cello Suites BWV 1001-1012. (Playing the Fugue of BWV 1001 and 1003 or Ciaconna of BWV 1004 is encouraged but not required. The Ciaconna can be either the first Minore section (m. 1 – 128) or the Maggiore and final Minore combined (m. 129 – 248) 
• One virtuoso work for solo instrument OR with piano accompaniment (some Sonatas can fulfill this requirement) 
• One significant Concerto movement (examples include Paganini’s Caprices, Ysaÿe’s Sonatas, Ravel’s Tzigane, Sarasate’s Zigeunerwiesen, the third movement of most concertos, and other similar works.) 

Viola

• One movement of Bach from the Sonatas and Partitas or the Cello Suites BWV 1001-1012
• One virtuoso work for solo instrument OR with piano accompaniment (some Sonatas can fulfill this requirement) 
• One significant Concerto movement (examples include works from The Virtuoso Violist by W. Primrose, Paganini’s Sonata per la Gran Viola, Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, the third movement of most concertos, and other similar works.) 

Cello

• One movement of Bach from the Sonatas and Partitas or the Cello Suites BWV 1001-1012 
• One virtuoso work for solo instrument OR with piano accompaniment (some Sonatas can fulfill this requirement)* 
• One significant Concerto movement (examples include most works by D. Popper, Piatti Caprices, Cassado’s Cello Suite, Paganin’s Moses Variations, the third movement of most concertos, and other similar works.)

String Scholar Fellowship (for students 16 and older): To be considered for a String Scholar Fellowship, upload a work reflecting some important part of your identity as an artist. This could be a work by a traditional composer who occupies a particularly important part of the applicant’s artistic identity, or might be a work by a lesser-known or less-represented composer that has been important to the applicant’s artistry. As part of this video requirement, please include at the beginning a brief introduction (no more than 2 minutes long) explaining why you selected this piece and how it represents your artistic identity.

Chamber Music Fellowship (for students 16 and older): To be considered for a Chamber Music Fellowship, upload a work reflecting some important part of the applicant’s identity as a chamber music artist (note – this may or may not be chamber music). This could be a work by a traditional composer who occupies a particularly important part of the applicant’s artistic identity, or might be a work by a lesser-known or less-represented composer that has been important to the applicant’s artistry. These recordings can include chamber music collaborators, but the applicant does not have to submit a chamber music recording; merely something that shows the applicant’s aptitude related to chamber music. As part of this video requirement, please include at the beginning a brief introduction (no more than 2 minutes long) explaining why you selected this piece and how it represents your artistic identity.

Meadowmount School of Music

Upload contrasting solo materials of 6-20 minutes. (Please note your solo materials should be at least 15 minutes) 

Violin

• Mozart Quartet in E-flat Major, K. 160, 3rd mvt – Presto, beginning to downbeat of measure 37 
• Mendelssohn Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2, 3rd mvt – Andante, measure 3 to downbeat of measure 19 
• Brahms Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 111, 1st mvt – Allegro non troppo ma con brio, measures 110-120 

Viola

• Haydn Quartet Op 71 No. 2, 1st mvt, beginning through measures 20 
• Beethoven Quartet Op 18 No. 4, 2nd mvt, measures 6 through 32 
• Dvořák Quartet Op. 96 in F Major ‘American, 1st mvt, measures 3 through 25
• Montgomery ‘Strum,’ measures 202 through 228 

Cello

• Beethoven Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18, 1st mvt, measures 108-129
• Brahms Piano Quintet Op 34, 1st mvt, beginning through measure 18 
• Dvořák Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op 87, 3rd mvt, pickup to Reh I through 15 bars 

Ravinia Steans Institute

Recording Guidelines – Review all instructions carefully before submission. Applications that do not adhere to the listed requirements may result in disqualification at the discretion of the selection panels. 

• Applicants must upload electronic video recordings that fulfill the recording requirements below. 
• Applicants should include selections of contrasting character
• No chamber music, concertos, or other works with orchestra will be accepted except as noted in the recording requirements. 
• Unaccompanied recordings will not be accepted unless the piece was written to be unaccompanied. 

Violin

• Two (2) contrasting movements from the same duo work from the Classical era
• Two (2) contrasting movements from the same duo work from the Romantic era.
• A piece of the applicant’s choice — This may be a movement from a solo, duo or chamber work. If submitting a chamber work, the applicant should be playing the first part (if applicable). This piece must be of contrasting character to the applicant’s Classical and Romantic selections. 

Viola

• Two (2) contrasting movements from the same work from the Classical era or earlier. The movements may be from a sonata (with the viola as the main or equal voice) or an unaccompanied work. Concertos will not be accepted. 
• Two (2) contrasting movements from the same duo work from the Romantic era. 
• A piece of the applicant’s choice — This may be a movement from a solo, duo or chamber work. If submitting a chamber work, the applicant should be playing the first part (if applicable). This piece must be of contrasting character to the applicant’s Classical and Romantic selections. 

Cello

• Two (2) contrasting movements from the same duo work from the Classical era.
• Two (2) contrasting movements from the same duo work from the Romantic era.
• A piece of the applicant’s choice — This may be a movement from a solo, duo or chamber work. If submitting a chamber work, the applicant should be playing the first part (if applicable). This piece must be of contrasting character to the applicant’s Classical and Romantic selections. 

Artist Statement

Please upload an additional video, two minutes or less, responding to the following prompt: 

• Share your first and last name
• Tell us why you chose the work you selected for the “piece of your choice” recording requirement. 

Proposed Recital Program

As part of the 2026 summer, two (2) fellows will be selected to perform on Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, presented by Classical Music Chicago (CMC). This is a paid performance opportunity, broadcast live to WFMT, Chicagoland’s classical music radio station. 

Submit a proposed recital program for a Dame Myra Hess Concert based on the guidelines below. We highly encourage programs based on a theme of current social relevance (e.g. climate, social justice, etc.) Programs will be reviewed by Steans and CMC after fellows are selected for the 2026 Steans summer program. Note that while the proposed recital program is a required part of your application, the contents will not impact admissions decisions.

Repertoire and Program Guidelines:

• Include a brief description (3 – 5 sentences) of the recital theme
• WFMT asks that artists consider works that are slightly more approachable for radio listeners, avoiding overly atonal music or extreme extended techniques 
• Program must be approximately 40 minutes in length, but may not exceed 40 minutes due to the WFMT broadcast requirements. Please include accurate timings for your proposed pieces. Proposals that do not adhere to the time requirement will be disqualified from consideration
• Do not include individual movements of sonatas or unaccompanied works, except those written for solo piano. Collaborative Pianists may propose no more than one (1) solo piano work as part of the proposed program
• Consider works by underrepresented composers (women, BIPOC) 

Sphinx Performance Academy

• Upload contrasting solo materials of 6-20 minutes. (If you are also applying to programs from List 1, please ensure that one of your selections is the exposition of a major concerto.) 
• Upload a three-octave scale in any key