For the young ambitious string player, a competition provides the opportunity to really get to know and master a piece of music. Competitions can be a great way to gain quick notoriety and experience in a high-pressure setting (especially useful for preparing for college auditions and orchestra trials down the road). They’re not for everyone, and most likely your string teacher will decide whether or not you’re ready. But if you thrive in front of an audience and a row of judges, here are three things you can do to get started today:

Read “5 Things You Should Know About Competitions,” by Strings contributor Inge Kjemtrup. In this article, the Badke Quartet, first and audience prize winners of the 2007 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, share what it takes to win a completion and what you must consider before signing on.

Find a competition within the Strings Directory. Just a few are listed at the moment, so if you’re heading up any competitions please be sure to add your info.

Follow a competition, such as the XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition Moscow and St. Petersburg, for inspiration. From June 14–July 12, musicians from 25 countries will be vying for glory and a stake in the €300,000 cash award in one of the most prestigious heats. Among those representing the United States will be violinists Nigel Armstrong, Fabiola Kim, Tessa Lark, Eric Silberger, and Nancy Zhou, and cellists Jacqueline Choi, Anna Maria Litvinenko, David Joshua Roman, and Matthew Zalkind. For the first time this year, the competition will stream just about everything on its website, including live rehearsals, live meetings and interviews between competitors and conductors, a daily competition update, the gala concert, the awards ceremony, and the laureates concert. So you’ll be able to watch a contestant go through the entire process.

And don’t forget to root for the home team!

Added by Rory Williams on May 16, 2011 at 11:15am –