MTNA Performance Competitions
Music Teachers National Association Performance Competitions
A structured national competition ladder for young performers, from state through division to national finals.
Run by Music Teachers National Association
Key facts
- Eligible grades
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Not confirmed. Check the organiser's rules before entering.MTNA sets tiers by age, not grade.
- Official divisions
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Age tiers judged separately: Junior 11 to 14, Senior 15 to 18 and Young Artist 19 to 29, with age set on 1 January.
Based on the organiser's own divisions.
- Eligible ages
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Three tiers by age: Junior 11 to 14, Senior 15 to 18, Young Artist 19 to 29. Age is assessed on 1 January 2027 for the 2026-27 cycle. Piano Duet is ages 11 to 18 with at least one partner aged 15 to 18.
The 1 January reference date is what determines your tier, not your age at the competition. State associations describe the overall MTNA age span as 5 to 26 including younger state-level categories.Source, checked 2026-09-02
- Individual or team
- Individual or team · Individual, except Piano Duet and Chamber Music ensembles of three to six performers.
- Where it runs
- In person · United States
- Entry cost
- An entry fee per competitor, plus travel to each roundEntry fees were not captured on the pages checked and all entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. Budget separately for the official collaborative pianist where required: $150 for sixty minutes for Senior instrumental, $100 for forty-five minutes for Senior voice, and $200 for sixty minutes for Young Artist. Teacher membership dues or a non-member fee are a further prerequisite cost.
- Registration deadline
- Registration deadline for most categories: Wednesday 9 SEPTEMBER 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. MTNA states there will be NO exceptions. Brass and Voice, Senior and Young Artist, plus Chamber Music, follow a later deadline, with registration opening 1 November 2026 on Acceptd and submission by 3:00 p.m. Eastern on 2 December 2026. The Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition deadline is 4 January at 3:00 p.m. 0 days leftState associations add their own earlier steps: one state requires the TEACHER's fee and application by the same 9 September date, and a student's application is not considered complete until the teacher's fee is received. Another state sets a video submission deadline of 11 October 2026 after the September registration.
- Competition dates
- National Finals are 2 to 6 April 2027 at the MTNA National Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. State competitions run in the autumn, with examples on 7 November 2026 in Massachusetts and 8 November 2026 in Hawaii. Division rounds are video-only in the winter.
- Difficulty
- Highly competitiveNational-level field. Expect months of structured work, and usually a coach or a strong team.
- Prizes
- Monetary awards, but with a condition: to receive one, national performance competition winners are REQUIRED to perform on the appropriate Winners Concert, held 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. the day after the competition at the National Conference. Additional named awards include $500 from Ebony Music for the best performance of a work by a Black composer and $500 from the Chopin Foundation of the U.S. for the best performance of a work by Chopin.Cash awards for division and national winners, plus performance opportunities at the national conference. Amounts vary by year and division.
What MTNA Performance Competitions is
The Music Teachers National Association runs performance competitions in piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, voice and chamber music, with Junior, Senior and Young Artist divisions. Competitors advance from state through regional divisions to a national final held at the association's conference. It is the most systematic performance competition ladder available to young classical musicians in the United States.
How the competition works
Competitions cover Composition, Brass, Piano, Piano Duet (Senior only), String, Voice and Woodwind, plus Chamber Music, where ensembles must have at least three and no more than six performers. A crucial rule: NO CHANGES IN REPERTOIRE are allowed after registration, and the same repertoire must be prepared for all three levels. At Nationals judges hear selected portions rather than the whole programme, so every section must be performance-ready.
Eligibility notes
Your teacher must be a current MTNA member and enters you into the competition. Exact age cut-offs for each division are published each year and are strictly enforced.
How to register
- Confirm your teacher is a current MTNA member. This is a hard requirement and you cannot enter without it.
- Read the repertoire requirements for your instrument and division, which are detailed and strictly applied.
- Your teacher enters you into your state competition before the early autumn deadline.
- Perform at the state competition; winners advance to the division round and then to nationals.
What skills you need
- Advanced instrumental or vocal performance
- Repertoire preparation to competition standard
- Memorisation where required
- Performing for a jury
Recommended resources
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MTNA competitions page
Divisions, repertoire requirements, deadlines, fees and state contacts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I enter without an MTNA member teacher?
No. Entry requires that your teacher is a current member of the Music Teachers National Association. If your teacher is not a member, they can join.
How strict are the repertoire requirements?
Very. Each instrument and division has detailed requirements covering period, length and sometimes memorisation, and entries that do not meet them are disqualified. Read them before choosing repertoire.
Reviews, tips and resources from other students
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