Concerto-Aria Competition

General:

1. Contestants must be full-time Boise State University Undergraduate (12+ credits), Graduate (9+ credits) Music Majors, or Music Minors (12+ credits) the semester they compete.
2. Students must be taking private lessons in the semester they are competing. Contestants must first obtain the permission of the applied teacher and the orchestra director. (see application) 
3. All auditioning students must be a member of a major ensemble during the Spring 2026 semester. 
4. Contestants will compete in one of the following categories: 

• • keyboard 
  • strings 
  • woodwind 
  • brass 
  • voice
  • percussion

Semi-Finals:

No more than three students may be entered from each category into the final round to be held Feb. 4, 2026. Should more than three students be entered in a particular category, a semi-final audition will need to be set up within that category to determine who will be sent on. Preliminary/semi-final rounds will be organized and set by Professor Purdy.

Finals:

1. A maximum of four top performers will be chosen to appear with the orchestra or symphonic winds on either a future Orchestra/Choral Finale Concert, Symphonic Winds Concert, or Fall 2026 semester orchestra concert, or special fundraising concert. Not more than two performers from any one category may be chosen.
2. It is not mandatory that a winner be selected from a category. If there is only one entrant in a category, that student does not necessarily win by default. 
3. Contestants are limited to ten minutes of competition time in the final round. For this reason, cuts in orchestral tutti are strongly encouraged. 
4. The contestant’s choice of music will need to be pre-determined/approved after direct consultation with the applied teacher, the orchestra conductor. Prof. Purdy, or in the case of a solo potentially accompanied by Symphonic Winds, Dr. Peterson. We recommend this be done far in advance of the actual submission of the online application.
5. Normally only one movement of a standard concerto or two arias/songs would be appropriate for performance. In the case of a concerto movement that is very short in length, a second movement may be permitted in performance. Double concertos, vocal duets, pieces involving multiple instrumental or vocal soloists are not permitted. Solo arias/songs and solo instrumental pieces with orchestral or wind band accompaniment only. All programming decisions are left up to the discretion of the conductors Prof. Purdy and Dr. Peterson. All decisions are final.
6. The contestant must use and furnish an accompanist for each stage of the competition. Remember to pay your professional accompanist for their work at their agreed upon rate.
7. Previous winners at the undergraduate level may enter if currently enrolled as a graduate student and meet all of the above criteria.
8. Contestants are required to provide copies of their accompaniment part to the judge(s) in both the preliminary round and, should they make the finals, the final round.
9. Finalists and winners may be asked to perform for a department fundraising event later in the spring 2026 semester.
10. Winners accompanied by the orchestra may perform up to 15-minutes of music with Symphony Orchestra, or up to 10 minutes of music with the Symphonic Winds. The director of each respective ensemble will work with you to adjust the duration of your piece as necessary.

Any and all questions related to any of the provided information/rules should be addressed by: 

Craig Purdy, Orchestra Director 

cpurdy@boisestate.edu 

208-426-3360

Dr. Myron Peterson, Director, Symphonic Winds

myronpeterson@boisestate.edu

‭(208) 426-4101