Junior Categories
A1
Category A1: Age 6-7
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 3 minutes.
A2
Category A2: Age 8-9
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 4 minutes.
A3
Category A3: Age 10-11
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 5 minutes.
A4
Category A4: Age 12-13
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 5 minutes.
A5
Category A5: Age 14-15
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 6 minutes.
A6
Category A6: Age 16-17
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 7 minutes.
Senior Categories
B1
Category B1: Age 18-21
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 10 minutes.
B2
Category B2: Age 22-25
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 12 minutes.
B3
Category B3: Age 26+
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 15 minutes.
Style Categories
(no age limit)
C1
Category C1: Baroque
Perform 1 or more pieces composed in the baroque period, video duration less than 10 minutes.
C2
Category C2: Classical
Perform 1 or more pieces composed in the classical period, video duration less than 10 minutes.
C3
Category C3: Romantic
Perform 1 or more pieces composed in the romantic period, video duration less than 10 minutes.
C4
Category C4: Modern
Perform 1 or more pieces composed after 1890, video duration less than 10 minutes.
Special Categories
(no age limit)
D1
Category D1: Chamber Music (2 to 10 instruments)
Free choice of programme, video duration less than 10 minutes.
D2
Category D1: Concerto
Performance of 1 movement, or 1 complete concerto, no time limit.
D3
Category D3: Composition
Candidates submit the video or audio recording of their own composition. Free choice of One work only for each application. *If multiple pieces are submitted in a single application, only the first work in order will be automatically taken into consideration.
D4
Category D4: Conducting
Candidates submit the video of their conducting performance, video duration less than 30 minutes.
D5
Category D5: Orchestra
Performing as, or with an orchestra, video duration less than 40 minutes.
E1
Category E1: Sonata
Performance of 1 or more movements of a sonata work, video duration less than 30 minutes.
E2
Category E2: Etude
Performance/work of 1 or more etudes/studies, video duration less than 20 minutes.
E3
Category E3: Creative Video
Free choice of 1 piece. Video duration: no longer than 15 minutes. Examples of "creative" videos include, but are not limited to: A multi-track performance showcasing your talent; your music performance synchronized with video footage featuring images, artwork, or illustrations created by you; your performance along with your imaginative video creations.
E4
Category E4: Music Video (MV)
1 or more Music Videos. Duration less than 30 minutes.
E5
Category E5: Innovative Writing
Free choice of 1 work only.
Submit only one work related to music creation, education, methodologies, performance techniques, or theoretical explorations, showcased through a preview or sample. Your submission can be a piece of writing, a publication excerpt, a section of a book, or a visual/audio presentation. Acceptable formats for submission include PDF, image, or video, capturing the essence and innovative aspects of your chosen work.
*For written submissions, provide a preview or sample limited to 1500 words. If the entire work is submitted, only the first 1500 words will be considered for review; For video submissions, the maximum duration is 20 minutes. Each application is restricted to submitting only one work, regardless of the submission format. If multiple works are submitted, only the first one received will be considered.
WCMA opens to all classical musicians of all ages. This means a clear division of the different zones of competitors and a fair result.
In this edition, we have Junior, Senior, Style and Ensemble for candidates to select.
21 Categories in 4 Zones
Yes, you can choose a combination of categories. E.g. An age category + a Baroque/Classical/Romantic/Modern category. You can also enter Baroque+Classical if you have those programmes ready. Why not challenge a concerto category too? The possibilities are endless and you decide what to do. Be aware that you need to submit a new form every time adding a new category.