Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition

Welcome to the Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition application portal.

Age and career path: Contestants must be between the ages of 16 and 26 as of May 28, 2020. Contestants must be current or recent (within two (2) years of graduating) undergraduate or graduate music students intending to pursue a musical career. Those currently holding orchestra positions are ineligible to participate. Former first or second prize winners of the Ima Hogg Competition are also ineligible to participate. Please feel free to email education.community@houstonsymphony.org if you have a question about your eligibility.

Citizenship: The Ima Hogg Competition is open to citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States, or to foreign students currently enrolled in a U.S. college, university or conservatory. Non-U.S. residents must provide the necessary travel documentation if selected as a semi-finalist.

Instrument Eligibility: The Ima Hogg Competition is open to the following orchestral instruments: piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, harp and marimba.

Availability: In addition to the competition week, contestants must be available to be present in Houston during all dates below, should they need to fulfill duties of the first or second place winners. Failure to appear for these appearances will affect the total prize, including but not limited to forfeiting the cash prize.

1. May 25-30, 2020 – Competition Week
2. June 23-June 28, 2020 – Second Prize performance/rehearsals
3. July 6 – July 10, 2020 – First Prize performance/rehearsals

Hazel French Robertson Education & Community Engagement Residency: The contestant must be amenable, if selected as the first prize winner, to return during a mutually agreed upon 3-5 days within the 9 months following the 2020 Ima Hogg Competition to participate in an Education and Community Engagement Residency. After a planning session to agree on the type of work, which could include performances in schools (elementary, middle or high school), healthcare or community settings, content will be co-designed between the winner and the Houston Symphony’s Education & Community Engagement department to align with the goals and strategies for each program. Flexibility may be required to adapt to the performance spaces and equipment available. Professional development training and observations will take place during the residency to develop the winner’s skillsets and experience in this work. Expenses for transportation (domestic flights only) and housing accommodations for this residency will be covered by the Houston Symphony.

Donor Recital: The contestant must be amenable, if selected as the first prize winner, to perform a 20-30 minute solo recital for Ima Hogg Competition supporters during the education & community residency week.

Competition Fees: Applicants must submit the $100.00 application fee to participate in the Preliminary round. If accepted as a Semi-finalist, the Houston Symphony will provide both airfare and housing accommodations. Travel arrangements (round-trip domestic flights) and host family accommodations will be secured between Monday, May 25 and Sunday, May 31, 2020.

Repertoire: The list of repertoire requirements for all rounds of this Competition (preliminary, semi-final and final), as shown on the Ima Hogg Competition webpage, is final. There are no exceptions to this list.

To begin your submission, please choose "Ima Hogg Competition" and your instrument from the drop-down menu on the left. Then click the green "Apply to" button to register and complete the application.

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