2025 Washington International Competition for Strings

The 2025 Annual Washington International Competition for Strings
Sponsored by the Friday Morning Music Club Foundation

The Friday Morning Music Club Foundation is pleased to announce that the 2025 Washington International Competition (WIC) for violin, viola and cello is underway. Between September 15, 2024, and February 15, 2025, we will be accepting applications from young artists around the world, ages 18 to 30 (as of May 23, 2025, the date of the competition), to compete in the Preliminary Round of the competition. The preliminary jury will review submissions and select approximately thirty semifinalists, who will be invited to perform live before a distinguished panel of internationally renowned jurors in the semifinal round on May 23-24, 2025. We welcome you and encourage you to read thoroughly and follow the competition guidelines and instructions carefully. 

Preliminary Round results will be announced in March 2025. Semifinals will take place at George Washington University in the Phillips Hall (basement level) at 801 22nd Street, NW, on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24, 2025, starting at 9:00 am. 

Finals will take place on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at 2:00 pm in the Terrace Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

Questions?

• For repertoire and general questions, please contact Competition Chair Daryl Yoder or Assistant Chair Yuri Chayama at wicstrings@fmmc.org.
• For technical questions, please visit the Acceptd Help Desk.

Please visit our website here for more information.

Competition History and Purpose

The Washington International Competition (WIC) was established in 1950 to support outstanding young classical musicians in their pursuit of professional careers. The WIC occurs in a three-year rotation for piano, strings, and voice. As of 1976, a competition for composition of a chamber work for 3 to 5 players – string trio, string quartet, piano trio, piano quartet, or piano quintet – is also held concurrently with the strings competition.

Semifinal and Final Round Judges for 2025

• Jennifer Koh, violin
• Yura Lee, violin & viola
• Matthew Zalkind, cello

Prizes

• 3 first prizes (1 each for violin, viola & cello): $10,000
• 1 second prize: $5,000
• 1 third prize: $3,000
• 1 fourth prize: $1,000
• Audience prize: $1,000

Winners are eligible for Performance Awards of solo appearance opportunities  in the Washington, DC area, including an appearance with the FMMC Avanti Orchestra.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30 as of May 23, 2025. 
• Proof of age will be required. 
• Applicants must not be under professional management. 
• Previous first-prize winners of the competition may not apply.
• Current students of any of the judges may not apply.

Application Fee: $125 – this fee is non-refundable.

Housing and Transportation

• The WIC provides local housing for all semi-finalists.
• Local transportation and meals are also offered at the convenience of hosts. 
• Housing is available for all semifinalists from May 22 - May 26.

Application Deadlines

Applications will be accepted from September 15, 2024 - February 15, 2025.

Deadline for preliminary round applications is February 15, 2025, by 11:59 pm EST.

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REQUIRED REPERTOIRE

All repertoire must be performed from memory except accompanied sonatas and the work in Category 5. Contestants must be prepared to perform works in their entirety. The required repertoire follows:

1. One unaccompanied sonata, partita, or suite for violin, viola (transcribed), or cello by J.S. Bach.
2. One sonata with piano from any period.
3. One concerto or major piece with orchestra by a composer other than the ones chosen for category 1 or 2.
4. One short work or movement from a longer work which shows virtuosity.
5. One unaccompanied solo work by a 19th, 20th or 21st-century composer.

Repertoire must include at least one work composed after 1970.
Repertoire must include at least one work by a composer from one of the following historically underrepresented demographics: Women; Black; of Asian, Middle-Eastern, Native American or Latino/a (originating from Latin America) heritage.
The same work may be used to meet both of these requirements.

Application Video

All applicants must submit video recordings of up to 35 minutes total for the preliminary round. The music for the video submissions must be chosen from your required repertoire selections. Each work must be recorded with one camera in a single, unedited take, with the applicant's hands and face visible at all times. The music selected for the recordings should present a representative sample of the applicant's abilities and strengths.

For more detailed requirements, see the Guidelines pages for each instrument.

A list of format and other video instructions can be found on Acceptd's HelpDesk.

IMPORTANT

• DO NOT include any identifying information for yourself or your school in the videos or the titles of the video files.
• All submitted video selections must come from the submitted repertoire list.
• No changes to repertoire will be allowed after the application is finalized.
• Applicants must be prepared to present all repertoire on their list if chosen to participate in the semifinals.

Regulations and Instructions

1. All selections must be performed from memory, both on the video and in the live auditions, with the exceptions listed above under "Required Repertoire."
2. No changes to submitted applications will be permitted past the deadline date of February 15, 2025, 11:59 EST.
3. Contestants should be prepared to perform all submitted repertoire in its entirety for the semifinal and final rounds.
4. Repertoire for the preliminary round MUST be the same for the semifinal and final rounds.
5. A separate preliminary round jury will review submissions and select approximately 30 semifinalists. 
6. All applicants will be notified of the results by the end of March 2025.
7. Selected semifinalists will be sent further instructions after the results of the preliminary round have been made public.

Additional Information

1. FMMC Foundation assumes no responsibility for actions of or injuries sustained by applicants or their escorts during their course of stay in the Washington, DC area.
2. All contestants are responsible for transportation to and from Washington, DC.
3. The decision of the judges is final and not to be disputed. No contact with the judges is permitted until after the results have been announced.
4. The WIC reserves the right to use any recordings or photographs originated during the competitions, or any photographs or recordings provided by the contestants.

For technical questions please contact the Acceptd Support Team at support@getacceptd.com or by calling 1-888-725-2122. Check out our Help Desk for frequently asked questions.