Start an Application

Narrow your Search

ROYAL OVER-SEAS LEAGUE
72nd ANNUAL MUSIC COMPETITION 2024

As with 2022 and 2023, the ROSL Annual Music Competition is now open to nationalities beyond the Commonwealth. The ROSL solo prizes are now open to musicians from the USA, all EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, as well as all current and former Commonwealth countries.

For further information on individual sections, go into the Start an Application section to the left and select the section. 

We recommend that you leave plenty of time before the deadline for uploading videos - upload speeds are much slower than download for most internet connections!

The overall competition is made up of the following sections:

  • ROSL Singers Prize
  • ROSL Solo Wind, Brass and Percussion Prize
  • ROSL Solo Strings Prize
  • ROSL Solo Keyboard Prize
  • ROSL String Ensembles Prize
  • ROSL Mixed Ensembles Prize

The winners of the four solo prizes compete for the Competition Gold Medal and First Prize.

The solo awards are open to citizens of the UK, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth Countries, the U.S.A, all EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, for instrumentalists and singers between the ages of 18 and 30 as at 19th June 2024.

The ROSL String Ensembles Prize is for strings (duos with harp or guitar only, not instrument+piano), strings and piano, or piano duo/duet

The ROSL Mixed Ensembles Prize is for wind, percussion, vocal or mixed ensembles (no duos of instrument/voice+piano).

At least one of the ensemble members must be a citizen of a Commonwealth or former Commonwealth Country, the USA, EU and EEA countries or Switzerland. The remaining ensemble members may be of any nationality. At least half the members of a group must be between the ages of 18 and 30, and the average age of the group must also be 30 or under. 

The competition has a modest fund to assist with travel expenses and accommodation for those travelling into the UK for any live rounds. 

The ROSL offers many performance opportunities to prizewinners after the competition at major venues including Wigmore Hall in London and has established relationships with many UK festivals including Brighton, Buxton, Lichfield, Kings Lynn, Lake District Summer Music, and North Norfolk. ROSL's award-winning series of chamber music concerts in Edinburgh is a well established fixture of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In recent years ROSL ARTS has organised concerts and tours for prizewinners in Australia, Canada, Malta, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Antigua and Zimbabwe.

AWARDS
  • Gold Medal and First Prize £15,000 (£10,000+£5,000 professional development scholarship)
  • ROSL Solo Keyboard Prize £5,000
  • ROSL Solo Strings Prize £5,000
  • ROSL Singers Prize £5,000
  • ROSL Solo Wind, Brass and Percussion Prize £5,000
  • Award for collaborative pianists £5,000
  • ROSL String Ensembles Prize £10,000
  • ROSL Mixed Ensembles Prize £10,000
  • ROSL Overseas Award £3,000

In addition to the prizes listed above, ROSL has a fund of up to £18,000 for awards for specific categories including non-UK Commonwealth musicians, particular instruments and for young musicians of exceptional promise.
Additional prizes that are regularly awarded include the Philip Jones Brass Prize, the Tait Memorial Trust Prize and the Yorke Trust Double Bass Prize. 

Thank you to the generosity of the Richmond Concert Society, this year we are pleased to introduce a new award for the Strings/Piano Ensemble Category, the Richmond Concert Society String Ensemble Award is a £2,000 prize that will be awarded to a finalist ensemble who does not win the main £10,000 prize. 

ROSL is partnered with Making Music to offer our section final winners the chance to join the Philip & Dorothy Green Young Artist Award (PDGYA) for one year. Any eligible winner of the main Solo Prizes, Ensemble category winners and the Overseas award winner will be featured in the new Recommended Artist Guide and have the opportunity to be booked for performances with Making Music’s member promoters.

Gold Medal Scholarship
Following a generous legacy received in memory of Mani Bhumgara, the Gold Medal winner receives a £5,000 scholarship, administered and mentored by ROSL ARTS, to be spent flexibly on projects which will help support and build their career.

Overseas Awards
The Overseas Awards showcase non-UK Commonwealth musicians from all stages of the competition (including the first stage video round) who have shown exceptional promise. Musicians will be invited to perform at this special evening on the 26th March 2024, where various prizes are available, including the ROSL Overseas Award.


Deadline for applications: Thursday 4 January 2024 at 5pm.

ELIGIBILITY & RULES

Eligibility
The 2024 competition is open to citizens of the UK, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth Countries, the U.S.A, all EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, for instrumentalists and singers between the ages of 18 and 30 as at 19 June 2024. You must have citizenship at the time of application. 

For ensembles, at least half the members of a group must be between the ages of 18 and 30, and the average age of the group must also be 30 or under. 

Collaborative pianists
Duo pianists are not provided for the semi-final and final rounds, but can be recommended. Collaborative piano partners may be of any age or nationality; however only those who are from the UK, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth Countries, the U.S.A, all EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, between the ages of 18 and 30 as at 19 June 2024 will be considered for the Collaborative Piano prize. Entry for this award is via the application of a solo prize candidate.

Competition Rules
The ROSL Artistic Director's decision to accept or refuse any entry is final. The decision of the Adjudicating Panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Adjudicators reserve the right to withhold any prize should the required standard not be attained.

Candidates must have relevant nationality at the time of entering the competition.

Solo entries are for one instrument only, but repertoire can include doubling instruments from the same family (for example a clarinettist could include works for bass or e flat clarinet, or an oboist could include a work for cor anglais).

Period instruments: where possible we will arrange hire of a harpsichord to accompany solo period instruments if your entire programme requires it. Due to stage size restrictions we are unable to accommodate fortepiano. 

Once a competitor has won a prize in the Annual Music Competition, they are not eligible for that prize in a subsequent year. Previous winners of the main solo awards are not eligible to enter the Annual Music Competition as soloists again.

The ROSL Artistic Director reserves the right to allow any stage of the Annual Music Competition to be recorded, broadcast or televised. Any resulting material from this remains the property of ROSL and cannot be repurposed elsewhere.

We will not communicate through third parties - each candidate must have their own direct email address and contact details.

Page turners are not provided at any stage of the competition.

Candidates must be available for all relevant audition dates, including the Overseas Awards evening on 26 March 2024 for non-UK Commonwealth competitors and the Gold Medal Final at Wigmore Hall on 19 June 2024.

Once a candidate has been accepted by the Annual Music Competition, alteration to the submitted programme will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances. We encourage you to consider your programming carefully at application stage. 

Deadline for applications: Thursday 4 January 2024 at 5pm.


Audition dates 2024

Stage 1 preliminary video rounds
8-12 January 

Wind, brass and percussion
Stage 2 Monday 12 February, 10.00am – 5.00pm 
Stage 3 Tuesday 13 February, 7.00 – 9.00pm

Singers
Stage 2 Monday 19 February, 10.00am – 5.00pm 
Stage 3 Tuesday 20 February, 7.00 – 9.00pm

Keyboard
Stage 2 Monday 26 February, 10.00am – 5.00pm 
Stage 3 Tuesday 27 February, 7.00 – 9.00pm

Strings
Stage 2 Monday 4 March, 10.00am – 5.00pm 
Stage 3 Tuesday 5 March, 7.00 – 9.00pm

Ensembles A (strings/keyboard)
Stage 2 Monday 11 March, 10.00am – 5.00pm 
Stage 3 Tuesday 12 March, 7.00 – 9.00pm

Ensembles B (wind/mixed)
Stage 2 Monday 18 March, 10.00am – 5.00pm 
Stage 3 Tuesday 19 March, 7.00 – 9.00pm

Overseas Awards
Tuesday 26 March, 7.00 – 9.00pm

Gold Medal Final 
Wednesday 19 June, 7.30pm

All auditions (including the Overseas Awards) take place in the Princess Alexandra Hall at Over-Seas House London, except for the Gold Medal Final, which takes place at Wigmore Hall, London. 

For technical questions, please check out our Acceptd Applicant Support Help Desk for frequently asked questions.