Area piano teachers are invited to enter their students in the annual Piano Festival & Competition sponsored by the Downers Grove Music Club. Registrations are now being accepted online through February 1, 2024. Piano teachers who have participated in this event the last two years will automatically be notified by an email announcement of the 2024 Piano Festival and Competition.
A big thanks to all the students, teachers, judges and organizers who made the 2023 Piano Festival & Competition held on March 5, 2023 a wonderful success. It was a great event, and we are very proud of all the students who participated and look forward to seeing you at our 2024 Piano Festival & Competition! We also wish to congratulate the cash award winners of the 2023 Competition, as well as the as well as the students selected to participate in the Honors Recital on March 12, 2023. The 2023 Honors Recital video recording may be viewed on our website here.
Students participating in the 2024 Piano Festival and Competition will perform live for a judge (two judges at the competition levels), two memorized selections chosen from the required 2023 — 2025 repertoire list. The judges will provide feedback for each student with suggestions for an even better performance to help further develop their musical skills. The highest achieving students at each level will be invited to perform on the Honors Recital. The top scoring student at each Festival Level will receive a trophy. The top scoring students at the Competition levels will receive a cash award. The teachers work with each student to determine the appropriate level of participation in one of the five Festival Levels or either of the two Competition Levels, based on the demands of the required repertoire at each level. Participating students may be any age up through their senior year in high school. Here are the entry requirements for local, in-person participants in the Piano Festival and Competition.
Given past successes, we will continue to serve those teachers who give online lessons to out-of-area students. These students may be entered in any of the FIVE Festival Levels or the TWO Competition Levels. A professional judge (two judges at the competition level) will evaluate the video entries. Based on recommendation of the judge(s), those students that submit an excellent performance will be recommended to perform (virtually) at the Honors Recital on March 10, 2024. Please refer to the complete entry requirements for remote participants for more information.
Selections for the video submissions must again be chosen from the required repertoire list. The deadline for applications for remote participants is also February 1st; however, video submissions are due by 11:59 PM on Sunday, February 25, 2024. As noted, this option applies only to out-of-area students who receive online lessons.
Registrations must be submitted online using the form below. No registrations will be accepted after the deadline (February 1, 2024) nor will any fees be refunded after this date.
Changes to a previously submitted registration cannot be made on this form. Please contact the pianofest@downersgrovemusicclub.org with such changes. This form does, however, provide an opportunity to Add Students to an Existing Registration after a registration has been submitted.
The SAVE feature is especially useful when entering many students. At anytime while you are filling out the form, you may SAVE what you have entered so that you can close the browser and return later to complete your registration. When you click the SAVE button, you will be provided with a unique link that allows you to return to your registration form.
When you have finished entering all your student information click SUBMIT. This will forward your registration application to the Piano Festival committee.
Questions should be e-mailed to pianofest@downersgrovemusicclub.org.