RULES
GENERAL INFORMATION
Exceptionally, the “competition” component is taking a one-year break to return in 2025 with a renewed edition.
The CMC reserves the right to amend its rules until January 27, 2025.
1. REGISTRATION
- The Competition is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Permanent residents must provide valid proof at the time of entry (scan or clear picture of the permanent resident card and/or certificate).
- Exceptionally, one of the members of a Chamber music and/or piano duet/piano ensemble may be a international student. Foreign students must provide valid proof at the time of registration (scan or clear picture of study visa).
- Applicants must participate in the area where they reside, i.e., the primary residence or where they reside for the duration of their studies. If there is no CMC chapter in your area, please contact the national office before registering (additional fees may apply). Proof of a valid home address may be required by CMC.
- A candidate may not compete in two categories with the same instrument. However, a candidate may enter solo, chamber music and piano four hands / piano duet simultaneously. A candidate may also enter in several ensembles if the instrumental configurations are different.
- Proof of age is required at the time of registration. The following documents are acceptable proof: birth certificate, passport, health insurance card, driver’s license, citizenship certificate and permanent resident card.
- At the time of registration, the candidate must be aware of and comply with the Code of Ethics of the Competition. Consult the Code of Ethics by following this link: Code of Ethics.
- Candidates who participate in CMC activities do so with knowledge of the risks and accept that the CMC is not responsible for any loss or damage caused by viruses, bacteria or micro-organisms. Applicants must comply with the CMC Health and Safety Protocol regarding public health standards.
2. DEADLINES
- The completed registration form (via Crowdchange) and all required documents must be received by the CMC by December 15, 2022, 11:59 p.m., local time.
- All registration forms received after December 15, 2022, 11:59 p.m., local time will be rejected
3. REGISTRATION FEES
(see the registration terms)
- All registration fees are payable in one payment at the time of registration.
- Registration fees are refundable, less applicable administration fees, for cancellations received prior to January 27, 2023. No refunds will be given after this date.
- Exceptionally, in the event that a candidate is prevented from participating in the National Audition due to a serious injury, the CMC may refund the registration fee, less applicable administration fees, upon receipt of a doctor’s bill. The applicant must submit supporting documentation to the National Office within a reasonable time period following notification of the injury. The decision to accept or reject the reason for cancellation rests with the National Office. No refunds for serious injury will be given following the National Audition.
- A donation made at the time of registration, or at any other time, is not refundable.
4. AGE CATEGORIES
- Candidates must not be older than the age of the category in which they apply on January 1st, 2023. This rule applies to all instruments except for the categories “chamber music” and “piano four hands / piano duet”, where one of the participants may be one year older than the age category.
- First place winners may not re-enter in the same age category (Example: a 15 year old pianist in the 16 years old category who won a first place may not re-enter in the 16 years old category). This rule does not apply to:
- the 25 years old category (30 years old for Voice);
- The 7 years old category (or the youngest age category for each instrument);
- Participants registered in a higher age category when there is no category corresponding to their current age (the 22 years old string category does not exist, so a violinist can register twice in the 23 years old string category).
- There is no minimum age for registration in the youngest categories of each instrument, with the exception of voice. The minimum age for the Vocal category is 16 as of January 1st, 2023.
5. REPERTOIRE GUIDELINES
- Applicants must comply with the repertoire requirements for their age category and instrument.
- Candidates may not enter works performed in previous competitions, with the exception of repertoire performed in the non-competitive portion of the competition of previous years. However, candidates in the 19 years and older categories may enter works performed three or more years ago, in 2019, or earlier.
- Works must be different for each round. Multi-movement works such as concerto, sonata, suite, opera, cycle, etc. may not be divided within a round or between rounds.
- Works with orchestra must be accompanied by piano. Requests for the use of a harpsichord for accompaniment must be submitted to the national office in advance. Access to a harpsichord cannot be guaranteed.
- Time Limit: Candidates agree to perform repertoire that does not exceed the time limit allowed. Should a candidate exceed the time limit, he/she may be interrupted by the jury.
- Repeats are accepted if the maximum time limit is respected.
- No cuts are permitted in any piece or movement, except for tutti in concertos. Cadenzas are mandatory. Alternative cadenzas that are not officially edited must be approved by the National Office by January 27th, 2023.
- Memorization:
- Voice — Strings — Guitar* — Piano: At the National Audition, all pieces entered must be played from memory, with the exception of sonatas with accompaniment, for which the use of the score is permitted. If a candidate wishes to play a sonata with the score that does not explicitly contain the word “sonata” in the title, he/she must contact the National Office to ensure that the use of the score is permitted. At the National Finals, memorization is mandatory.
- Harp* — Keyboard Percussion* — Recorder* — Winds*: At the National Audition, memorization is mandatory for at least one of the pieces, other than the étude. However, the use of the score is permitted for sonatas with accompaniment. If a candidate wishes to play a sonata with the score that does not explicitly contain the word “sonata” in the title, he/she must contact the National Office to ensure that the use of the score is permitted. At the National Finals, memorization is mandatory.
- Chamber Music —Piano 4 hands/Piano-duo: use of sheet music is permitted at all times.
- All pieces and movements entered must be played. No substitutions are permitted.
- To facilitate the work of the judges, the order of presentation of the pieces is determined at the time of registration. However, the order of the pieces may be changed. On the day of the auditions, candidates must hand in the list showing the final order of presentation of their works to the volunteers upon arrival.
- Applicants have until January 27, 2023, to submit any repertoire change requests. After this date, no changes are allowed. All requests must be submitted using the the Repertoire Change Form. Fees apply.
* CMC reserves the right to alternate instruments. Please refer to the Repertoire Requirements section of the website to confirm which categories are open for the current year.
6. COMPETITION PROCEDURE
- The Competition is divided into two rounds: the National Audition and the National Final. In the event of a change in public health regulations, Rule 16.2 and the health protocol scenarios may apply to a region, province or the entire country.
- The candidate agrees to be free of all other activities for the duration of the National Audition (March 15th to May 31st, 2023) and the National Finals (June 1st to July 3rd, 2023) on the specific dates for the audition in his/her age/instrument category. In case of absence, refer to rule 15.
- A candidate who is absent at the scheduled audition time is disqualified. Should a candidate discover a scheduling conflict prior to the release of the official schedule, he/she must inform the National Competition Office, which may then modify, at its discretion, the order of appearance of the candidates. Any request for a schedule change received after the official schedule has been released will be denied. The National Office cannot guarantee that the candidate will be able to change the order of appearance in the same age category and therefore, the candidate heard outside of his/her category is not eligible for awards. In addition, he/she will be judged according to the criteria of the new age/instrument category in which he/she is heard.
- At the National Audition, results and jury comments are given to candidates at the announcement of results at the end of a session. At the National Finals, results and jury comments are given at the results announcement ceremony for each of the four major age categories, or mailed if not present.
- Candidates are given the opportunity to meet with the jury after the National Audition and National Final. The format of the meetings is at the discretion of the CMC.
7. PUNCTUALITY
- Candidates must signify their presence at least fifteen minutes prior to the time of their appointment for each round.
- No change in the order of appearance of candidates will be allowed and no delay will be tolerated.
- The schedule may be changed as public health guidelines change. Candidates may be called at a specific time; failure to comply may result in disqualification.
- Access to a warm-up/practice room is not guaranteed.
8. COPY OF SCORES
- A digital copy of each score is required for registration and must be sent to the following email address: partitions.scores.cmc@gmail.com. For accompanied works, the submitted score must include the accompaniment.
- Candidates must write the bar numbers at the beginning of each line. The name of each selected work, the movement number, and the name of the composer must all be clearly identified on the score.
9. EVALUATION AND RESULTS
- At the National Audition, each participant is heard by a jury of professionals. Each judge assigns an individual mark. The average of the jury’s marks is brought back to 100 points. The minimum mark to be “eligible” for the National Finals is 88%. Due to space limitations, a mark of 88% does not necessarily guarantee a place in the finals. The names of the finalists will be announced in the days following the end of the National Auditions.
- At the National Finals, the candidates are heard by five judges. Candidates will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place based on the results obtained during this round. However, a minimum of 90% is required for a first place, 87% for a second place and 85% for a third place.
- The results of the two rounds are not cumulative.
- The judges’ decisions are final and cannot be appealed. No review of scores may be requested.
- In the event of a tie, the Competition reserves the right to call upon the jury to determine a single Grand Prize per major age category.
- In the event that the National Finals are cancelled, prizes and scholarships will be distributed according to the scores obtained at the National Audition.
10. AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
- National Audition Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on the results of the National Audition. Each chapter or province has complete autonomy over its scholarship policy.
- National Final Scholarships: The distribution of awards and scholarships will be determined at the sole discretion of the Competition. Candidates are grouped into four age groups, all instruments combined, and awards are based on the highest score in each group: 7-10 years, 11-14 years, 15-18 years and 19-25 years (30 years for voice). See the FAQ for more information.
- Applicants 13 years of age or older who receive a bursary of $500 or more are responsible for the payment of all taxes and other fiscal obligations in accordance with the provisions of federal and provincial tax laws. They will be required to provide their social insurance number for the issuance of the Relevé 1 and/or T4A.
- At the Competition’s discretion, Grand Prize winners in the 11-14, 15-18, and 19-25 age categories may be invited to perform at the Gala Concert. All travel and accommodation expenses are at their own expense. The repertoire is selected by the Competition organizers, in collaboration with the winners.
11. EXPENSES
- Candidates are responsible for all travel, lodging and attendant expenses.
12. CANCELLATION
- In the event of cancellation, candidates must promptly notify the national office.
13. PHOTOGRAPHY / AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING
- During the auditions , the CMC ensures the video recording of the candidates, therefore it is forbidden to take pictures or to film a candidate.
- The photographer(s) and videographer(s) commissioned by the Competition are authorized to photograph and/or film the performances.
- Applicants are required to release all filming, broadcasting and recording rights of any kind, as well as the rights to follow, to the CMC for an indefinite period. They agree to sign and abide by the conditions included in the consent form provided at the time of registration. The Contest reserves the right to use these images for promotional purposes and for its archives.
- Candidates agree to be available to meet with the sponsors, partners or administrators of the Contest. They may be asked to give interviews to media selected by the Contest for promotional purposes. The code of conduct defined in the CMC Code of Ethics applies. All promotional material may be used by the Contest through its various promotional tools (newsletter, website, social networks, etc.)
14. PIANO
- The use of a pedal extension system is permitted, but must be authorized in advance by the National Office.
15. DISQUALIFICATION
- Any candidate who fails to comply with the rules is disqualified.
- Any misrepresentation by a candidate will automatically result in disqualification.
- Unauthorized use of the audition room and/or piano is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification.
16. OTHER
- Any matter not provided for in the rules shall be referred to the Board of Directors whose decisions shall be final and conclusive.