• Junior
  Open to young instrumentalists through 8th grade.
• Senior
  Open to young instrumentalists in 9th through 12th grade.

• Piano
• Strings
• Brass/Woodwinds

All applicants must send and undeited cassette tape demonstrating his or her performance of the the chosen repertoire with piano accompaniment. Finalists will be invited to perform in the Competition on January 21, 2001, in Alumni Hall at Western Maryland College.

Three professional judges, not affiliated with the Encore Orchestra, will select a total of six winners representing all areas of competition for both divisions. In addition, one Grand Prize Winner will be selected from each division to receive the Encore Award for Artistic Excellence. These winners will also be invited to perform with the Encore Orchestra at the Spring Concert on April 1, 3:00 p.m., at North Carroll High School in Hampstead. The judges will also write critiques and award honorable mentions. The judges have the right not to choose a first place winner in any division. The decision of the judges is final and not subject to protest. Grand prize winners from previous years are not eligible to participate in the same division.

One movement of any standard concerto, a single movement work or one, two or three movements of not more than 15 minutes total time of a Suite. Divertimento or Concertino.Applicants performing slow movements must also include a contrasting fast movement. A published copy of the music must be presented to the judges at the competition. Memorization is optional.

All repertoire is accepted subject to the availability of the orchestra accompaniment parts. Some accompaniments are only available through foreign publishers or by rental and may cost $500 or more. The Encore Orchestra shall not incur any cost above $200 to acquire the accompaniment music. Should the applicant choose to perform repertoire above this limit, he/she shall be responsible for the additional expense incurred. No changes in repertoire will be allowed after the application is submitted.

Teachers must check the availability of orchestra parts for all repertoire. Please be sure to indicate this on the entry form. This information is available through Educational Music Service at 914-469-5790 or Menchey Music Service at 1-888-636-2439. Some teachers may have the orchestral parts for their students' pieces. Having orchestral parts is not required.

Photocopied or Xeroxed music will not be accepted and will result in automatic disqualification for the students involved. Please note the published copy students are required to submit to the judges the day of the actual competition is in addition to the copy for the accompanist.

• The Encore Orchestra will not engage the services of official accompanists. Each contestant will be responsible for selecting his/her own accompanist.
• When possible, accompanists with more than one contestant will be scheduled as close as possible within each respective division.
• Applicants are responsible for communicating all dates and times to the accompanists.

All applicants will be notified by mail no later than December 31, 2000. Finalists will receive a schedule for the January 21 Competition at that time. Should inclement weather be a factor on the competition day (Jan. 21, 2000), you will be notified by phone that morning only if the decision is made to postpone the competition.

During the actual competition, no videotaping or recording of any kind will be allowed. In regard to videotaping the Encore Orchestra Spring Concert, parents may videotape their child from a specified location. A Carroll County Cable channel may also cover these two events.

There is a non-refundable $30.00 entry fee. This does not include the services of an accompanist.

Each entry must include:

• A separate copy of the enclosed entry form for each contestant completely filled out and signed by the student, parent/guardian, and the teacher. Incomplete entry forms will not be accepted.
• An unedited cassette tape demonstrating the applicant's performance of the selected repertoire. Tapes will not be returned.
• A check for $30 made payable to the Encore Orchestra.