Regional Division

• Preliminary Round
  • The preliminary phase will consist of the DVD performances submitted with the applications.
  • DVD performances will be 25 to 30 minutes long, displaying competitor and keyboard.
  • The competitor will choose his/her own repertoire, but is required to select all works from at least 3 of the following 4 periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist.Click here for definition.
  • Twelve semi-finalists will be chosen from this round.
  • Judges residing outside the Rocky Mountain states (i.e. WY, CO, UT, MT, ID) will be selected for this phase and a number/ranking system will be used.
  • Judges will receive an audio track and contestant number from each DVD submission.
• Semi-final Round
  • The twelve semi-finalists will play a solo performance, up to 35 minutes in duration, from memory.
  • The competitor will choose his/her own repertoire, but is required to select all works from at least 3 of the following 4 periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist.Click here for definition.
  • Works may include pieces from the participant's DVD.
  • Five finalists will be selected.
  • Three judges residing outside the Rocky Mountain states will be chosen for this phase and a number/ranking system will be used.
  • Judges participating in the preliminary phase are ineligible to judge the semi-final and final rounds.
• Final Round
  • The five finalists will play a solo performance, up to 35 minutes in duration, from memory.
  • The competitor will choose his/her own repertoire, but is required to select all works from at least 3 of the following 4 periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist.Click here for definition.
  • Works may include pieces from the participant's DVD, but may not include more than 10 minutes of repertoire from the semi-final round.
  • The three judges from the semi-final round will also decide the final round and a number/ranking system will be used.
  • The first, second, and third place winners in the competition will be announced and prizes awarded in the Fine Arts Concert Hall following the final round.

University of Wyoming Division

• Preliminary Round
  • The preliminary phase will consist of a solo performance, up to 25 minutes in duration, from memory.
  • Programs over the time limit may be cut at the discretion of the jury.
  • The competitor will choose his/her own repertoire, but is required to select all works from at least 3 of the following 4 periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist.Click here for definition.
  • Three finalists will be chosen from this round.
  • A judge residing outside of Wyoming will select the finalists.
• Final Round
  • The three finalists will play a solo performance, up to 30 minutes in duration, from memory.
  • The competitor will choose his/her own repertoire, but is required to select all works from at least 3 of the following 4 periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist.Click here for definition.
  • Works from the preliminary round may be used in the final round.
  • The judge from the preliminary round will also decide the final round.

Performance and Practice Pianos

• Performance Pianos
  • The performance piano at the Linford Pfeifer Foundation House for the semi-final round is a 2006 Steinway Model B.
  • The performance piano at the University of Wyoming Fine Arts Concert Hall for the final round is a 2006 Steinway concert grand.
• Practice on Foundation House piano
  • At least three weeks prior to the competition weekend, an email notice will be sent to all semi-finalists for selection of practice time on the piano the day before the semi-finals (Friday May 22) from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in one-hour time slots. Details will be given in the informational packet sent to semi-finalists soon after notification.
  • Two practice pianos are available at the Foundation House for the semi-finalist during the 40 minutes prior to his/her performance.
• Practice on UW Concert Grand piano
  • Practice time for semi-finalists on the UW concert grand will be scheduled through Dr. Bogard for Friday May 22 and Saturday May 23, 2009.
  • Practice time for finalists on the UW concert grand will be scheduled through Dr. Bogard for the morning of Sunday May 24, 2009.
• Practice pianos throughout the UW Music Department will be available to competitors without appointment from May 22 through May 24, 2009.

The assignment of composer to musical period will conform to the MTNA Composer Classification List with the exception that the following composers will be considered as Impressionist for this competition:

Darius Milhaud
Francis Poulenc