rising stars concerto competition

We are excited to announce the Rising Stars Concerto Competition hosted by the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and proudly sponsored by the Women’s Symphony Association & Friends of the LSO. This unique competition offers an extraordinary opportunity for talented young musicians in grades 8-12 to showcase their skills, perform with a professional orchestra, and compete for valuable scholarship awards.

The competition is open to all instrumentalists from across the United States. We invite you to share this exciting opportunity with your students, colleagues, and families and encourage your talented young musicians to apply!

About the Competition

Participants will first submit a video audition via video (YouTube or similar) by March 31, 2025. A panel of judges will review the recordings, and 3-5 finalists will be selected to compete in a live final round, performing with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. The winners will receive generous scholarship awards to further their musical education, up to $5,000!

Scholarship Awards

  • Grand Prize: $5,000 scholarship ($1,250 per year)

  • Second Place: $2,500 scholarship ($625 per year)

  • Third Place: $1,000 scholarship ($250 per year)

  • Finalists will also receive travel reimbursement (up to $1,000) and a complimentary two-night stay in Lancaster.

Key Dates

  • Application, $50 Application Fee & Video Submission Deadline: March 31, 2025

  • Finalists Announced: April 21, 2025

  • Finalist Rehearsal: June 7, 2025, 6:00 PM

  • Live Final Round Performance: June 8, 2025, 3:00 PM

Eligibility & Application Details

  • Open to students in grades 8-12, performing one movement from a concerto on any instrument (piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion).

  • The concerto chosen must have an available orchestral accompaniment.

  • Videos should be of high quality (both video and audio) and no longer than 21 minutes. Videos should be submitted via a hosting link (YouTube or similar), and an accompanist is strongly encouraged for the video submission.

  • Finalists must perform the concerto movement submitted in the video for the live final round, although the Lancaster Symphony reserves the right to make cuts for time constraints.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our team at competition@lancastersymphony.org.