Spring Recital Auditions

for Piano, Strings, voice and Woodwinds

An annual event occurring in April, Spring Recitals are for the well-prepared students who are capable of accepting the challenge of auditioning and performing on stage. This event is open for both solo and ensemble categories, in which students are selected through the audition process to perform in the recitals.

Students will receive one of the following four ratings: High Honors, Honors, Honorable Mention or Fair. High Honors and Honors recipients will be featured in award recitals. Students who receive Honorable Mention or Fair will receive certificates. All students will receive the judge's comments and a certificate regardless of the rating.

Students who accumulate High Honors and Honors also receive special awards; i.e. medals, trophies or plaques at 3, 5, 7, 10 years and beyond. Students must perform in the assigned recital in order to receive their cumulative awards.

Scroll down to go to specific pages for Strings, Winds and Voice.

CHAIRPERSONS

Piano Hsin-I Chou, Jessica Rey-de-Castro and Chiu-Ling Lin
sra-piano@njmta.com
Strings Hyo Jin Lee stringschair@njmta.com
Voice Wennie Nai-Yueh Niu voicechair@njmta.com
Woodwinds Christine Kang windschair@njmta.com

REGISTRATION

Online registrations only.

Registration deadlines are different for each instrument. Please check the appropriate page for details.

Check the spelling of the student’s name at the time of registration.

For students earning a trophy for multiple years, complete the “Previous Awards” column at the time of registration.
Trophy requests will not be honored after the audition date.
Once the registration form is sent and accepted by the chairperson, names of students cannot be substituted.

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY: Check the General Guidelines page.

Auditions are open to soloists and ensembles.
Student must have studied with the current teacher for at least six months preceding the event
Ensembles must register through the same teacher on the same form.
Voice students must be a minimum age of 9.

TEACHER ELIGIBILITY: Check the General Guidelines page.

Teachers must be members in good standing of NJMTA. Current membership dues for MTNA and NJMTA should be paid by January 1, 2024. An exception to the January 1st payment of teacher dues will be granted to a teacher joining NJMTA for the very first time. The one-time exception will allow the teacher to register for the Spring events. (Please check with the membership chair if this applies to you.)
An NJMTA member with Student Membership status may not enter students.
The teacher and the entrant may not be the same individual.

FEES

Solo: $65 per student.
Ensemble (duet or larger): $35 per student.

Please make one payment for all combined students at the time of registration.

Only online payment is acceptable.
Late registrations are not accepted.
All fees are non-refundable.

TEACHER DUTY FEES (DEPOSIT):

Up to 10 entries $60
11–20 entries $85
20+ entries $110

A separate duty deposit fee is required for all participating teachers upon registration. Each audition center requires a separate duty fee. The deposit fee will be returned after the duty is fulfilled. If the teacher fails to fulfill his/her assigned job the deposit fee will be used to hire a someone to serve the duty. Parents will not be accepted as substitutes.

NAME CORRECTION REQUESTS: $20 per occurrence. A request may be made to correct a spelling only. It must be made before the deadline set by each chairperson. Please request the form from your appropriate chairperson.

AUDITION

Student must submit scans of the original music scores.

Students without music will automatically receive a rating of Honorable Mention.
ACCOMPANISTS: Teachers and/or their students are responsible for obtaining and appropriately compensating their own accompanists prior to the events. Teachers may not accompany their students in auditions. NJMTA will provide a recommended list of accompanists should you require one.
EVALUATION FORMS: Evaluation sheets will be virtual files. The files will be emailed to teachers once the registrations are complete. Only teachers should fill out the evaluation form, giving all the requested details, noting the timing of each piece. This information is used to prepare the program, so please list CORRECT details; i.e. keys, opus numbers, and anything that will identify the music without any doubt.
ALL JUDGES' DECISIONS ARE FINAL.
AWARDS: All auditionees will receive certificates. Students receiving a High Honors or Honors Rating will perform in a Recital. When a student receives and performs in either High Honors or Honors recital in the same category for three, five, seven, and ten or more years, a special recognition is awarded: Medals will be given for three-year accomplishment, trophies for five and seven years and plaques for ten years and beyond. The performance years need not be consecutive, and the ratings may be a combination of High Honors and Honors performances. The student must have performed in the recital to receive credit for the award.

RECITAL RULES

This is a performance-oriented program, and students must participate in recitals in order to receive their award.

Students and their families are required to stay for the entire recital, so that the performer may receive their certificate.
The recital host will report the students who are absent from the recitals and return all the awards and certificates of absent students to the chairperson.
Students who do not participate in recitals will not receive their certificates and will not be allowed a credit towards an award for this year, except under the following circumstances:
- Family emergency involving travel out of town or outside of the country
- Illness - a doctor’s note is required
- Bodily injury (broken finger, etc) that prevents the student from performing, but student must still attend the recital to receive credit for their rating
- School activities conflict with a team coach or teacher’s letter

Students are required to provide their own accompanists for the recital.
If in a pre-recorded recital, student must be present for the entire length of the recital that he/she is assigned. If a student is not present throughout the length of the program, he/she will be marked absent and will be disqualified to receive the credit toward his/her award accumulation.
Student must perform the piece that the judge chose (as shown on evaluation form) during the audition.
Except for piano, the maximum length of the piece that the students perform at the winners' recital is 8 minutes for students up to 10th grade and 12 minutes for students from 11th grade up and for all adults.
Please note the dress code outlined in the General Information. No children dressed in sports clothes or other inappropriate attire will be allowed to perform. Dress Code applies to video recordings as well. Please plan accordingly.
Other issues that arise will be discussed and voted on at a board meeting after the event.
Teachers are expected to attend their students’ recitals to support their students and assist the recital host.

Please read the Participating Teachers Requirements section on the General Guidelines page.

RECITAL ETIQUETTE

This is a performance-oriented program in which students and families are expected to practice proper recital etiquette.