May 31 deadline for New Philharmonic's Young People's Competition

For the first time, New Philharmonic will conduct the annual New Philharmonic Young People's Competition online.

Applications can be downloaded from www.atthemac.org/new-philharmonic/ under "Young People's Competition."

Video submissions and applications are due by May 31.

"In concert with the College of DuPage leadership, and the MAC, New Philharmonic holds the health and safety of students, community and patrons as a first priority, however we wanted to carry on with our six-year tradition of showcasing young people in New Philharmonic concerts. As a result, Maestro Muspratt and I decided to move our Young People's Competition to an online format this year," said General Manager Paula Cebula.

Young musicians are being asked to submit a two-minute video of the student's performance and upload it to the Dropbox link provided on the application.

Whether they sing or play an instrument, students may perform solos, duets, trios, or quartets. Students need to memorize their music and provide their own accompanist. (If recording the audition with live accompaniment is not possible, students may use a recorded accompaniment or play unaccompanied). There is a two-minute maximum for audition and performance.

The competition is open to young instrumentalists and vocalists who reside in College of DuPage Community College District 502 or who study with a teacher in District 502. Students must have completed no grade higher than the 11th grade by June 30.

Winners of the competition will have the opportunity to perform at a New Philharmonic orchestra concert within 18 months.

New Philharmonic, the only professional orchestra based in DuPage County, has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for more than 40 years. It continues to thrive with the goal to give innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works while striving to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. The orchestra was honored with the Illinois Council of Orchestras' 2017 ICO Award for Professional Orchestra of the Year. Today, under the direction of Kirk Muspratt, New Philharmonic consists of more than 60 professional musicians and performs more than a dozen concerts a year, reaching more than 7,500 from the greater Chicago area annually. For more information visit AtTheMAC.org.