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COMPETITION 2026

ABOUT: The United States International Music Competition (USIMC) is organized by the nonprofit United States International Music Foundation and Chinese Music Teachers’ Association of Northern California. Its purpose is to provide music enthusiasts with opportunities to showcase their talents, reward their dedication to learning, and encourage the appreciation of cross-cultural music.

ELIGIBILITY: Open to all musicians age 35 years old and under worldwide. Previous first-place winners of this competition are not allowed to participate in the same instrument or vocal category for the same age group but are able to  compete in a higher age group.  (Note:  This restriction does not apply to Chamber Music, Vocal Ensemble, or Piano Duet  when one or more performers are replaced.)

AGE GROUPS FOR ALL AWARDS DIVISIONS: Eligibility for each group will be determined by the contestant’s age as of June 1, 2026. Each instrument category has different age groups.

COMPETITION DATES AND LOCATION:

• Online Registration Submission May 1st – June 5th (11:59pm) 2026 
• Competition Location: Valley Christian Conservatory of the Arts, 100 Skyway Dr., San Jose, CA 95111
• Competition Date: August 15th 2026 (Saturday) and August 16th (Sunday) 2026
• Winner will be announced on www.usimc.org 
• Winner Concert/Award Ceremony: August 29th, Location: First United Methodist Church-Palo Alto

THREE AWARD DIVISIONS:

I. YOUNG ARTIST AWARDS:

• Winners from each instrumental group will be awarded the following: (Age groups refer to page 1)
• 1st Place: USD $300, Trophy, E-Certificate
• 2nd Place: USD $150, Trophy, E-Certificate
• 3rd Place: USD $100, Trophy, E-Certificate
• Honorable Places: Medals, E-Certificate
• All winners’ instructors will receive the Certificate of Recognition
• Preliminary video round: due on 11:59 pm June 6, 2026 along with the application The finalist will be announced on July 1, 2026 on our USIMC website: www.usimc.org Video Upload Requirement as below:
• The Video must be recorded in 2026
• Editing is not allowed; the video must be a single take with clear visuals, including framing, portrait, and sound quality. Please refer to the attached sample photos of video angles.
• Accompaniment is NOT allowed in the preliminary round.(Except Vocal and Piano Concerto)
• The performance must be memorized; otherwise, it will not be scored.
• The pieces for the preliminary and final rounds must be the same.
• If there are two pieces, they must be uploaded separately.
• Upload the video as “Unlisted” on YouTube.com or YouKu.com. Submissions not meeting these requirements will be considered invalid.
• No self-introduction or announcement of the repertoire is needed at the beginning of the video.
• Dress Code: Formal attire and shoes are required

Piano Solo/Viola/Cello/Marimba/Piano Duet:

• Two pieces – with contrasting styles from different musical periods, and one must be Baroque or Classical (The two pieces can be one Baroque and one Classical)

Violin:

• Two pieces – One from the Romantic or the 20th century, and the other must be from the following

Vocal: including solo and ensemble categories. Vocal ensemble: Maximum 6 people in each group.

• Two songs – Must be performed in their original language (Official Publication) and memorized. There are no restrictions on style, but the lyrics of songs must be appropriate.

• Accompaniment is required, except for acapella. The form of accompaniment is flexible; participants may use a CD backing track, USB mp3 or accompanist provided by USIMC, or self-accompaniment.

Piano Concerto:

• One piece – One Movement from one piece of music from any musical period.

Chamber Music: Maximum 6 people in each group:

• One piece – One Movement from one piece of Western music from any musical period.

Traditional Chinese Instruments: Solo only

• Two pieces – contrasting from different musical styles, one must be traditional Chinese music.
  Bowed Strings/woodwinds: Erhu, Di, Xiao, Bawu, Suona, Sheng, Gunazi, Hulusi
  Plucked Strings: Guzheng, Pipa, Liuqin, Zhongruan, XiaoRuan, Yangqin, Sanxian

Harp/Celtic Harp: Two contrasting pieces from different music periods

Young Artist Award Performance time limited for Final in person audition

II. CHINESE MUSIC AWARD: The final in-person audition is limited to 6 minutes

• The purpose of the Chinese Music Award is to promote Chinese composers’ compositions.
• The Chinese Music Award is only for Western instruments’ solo and vocal solo.
• One piece or one movement ONLY. Each piece is required to be performed in its entirety.
• Contestants can choose to compete in this award only; a separate application fee is required.
• No preliminary round for this category.

J & V Foundation & CMTANC Commission Project Award

• If the contestant selects a piece from the J&V Foundation & CMTANC Commission Project and wins First Place, we will reward a USD $150 scholarship in addition to the Chinese Music Award.
• These compositions include works by composer Ming Hsiu Yen/ Ruo Hwang/Chiung Ying Chang/Sarana Chou/Hao-Yuan Chiu/and Ke Chia Chen/Yuan-Chen Li
• To request the music, please visit our website: www.USIMC.ORG/J&V Commission.

III. SPECIAL THEME AWARD: Western Instruments Solo NOt Woodwinds – J.S. Bach or L. v. Beethoven
Vocal Solo and WoodWinds Solo – J.S. Bach or F. Schubert

The final in-person audition is limited to 6 minutes

• The purpose of the Special Theme Award is to promote specific western composers.
• The Special Theme Award is only for Western instruments’ solo and vocal solo.
• One piece ONLY. For all instruments, the choice includes but is not limited to Prelude & Fugue (except piano which needs to play both), short section(s) of a Suite or one movement of a Sonata. Each piece is required to perform in its entirety.
• *Violin cannot select a concerto for this category.
• Contestants can choose to compete in this award only; a separate application fee is required.
• No preliminary round for this category.

GENERAL RULES:

1. Past first prize winners in the same instrument or vocal category and age group are not allowed to compete again in the same category. (This restriction does not apply to chamber music, vocal ensembles, or piano duet if more than one performer is replaced).
2. Contestants may register for multiple categories (e.g., registered for both Young Artist Award and Chinese Composition Award)
3. Repertoire selections cannot be changed after the submission deadline.
4. Judges will determine the list of winners and finalists for each category. If no contestant meets the standard, the judges reserve the right to withhold the award.
5. All decisions made by the judges are final. Any attempts to discuss or direct contact with judges will result in disqualification of the participant and/or winner.
6. No comments will be provided by the judges.
7. All Winners will receive their trophies and prizes during the awards ceremony and winners’ concert. If unable to attend in person, the following options are available:
   • By proxy: A handling fee of $10 per award.
   • By mail:
     • Domestic (within the U.S.): $60 per award.
     • International: $80 per award.
8. The organizers, CMTANC-USIMC, reserve the right to record, use, and reproduce any video materials.
9. Each participant and their parent or guardian automatically agrees to waive any rights to legal action against CMTANC-USIMC and associated personnel.