Terms and Conditions

1. Eligibility

1.1 Applicants must be between the ages of 14 and 21 as of March 15, 2025.
1.2 Applicants must be US residents.

2. Accepted Instruments

2.1 The following instruments will be considered: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, violin, viola, cello, double bass.

3. Application Process

3.1 Applications must be completed online at fenimoreco.org no later than January 3, 2025.
3.2 Late applications will not be considered.

4. Submission Requirements

4.1 The application must include a link to a video recording of the student performing one complete work from the Required Repertoire list available at fenimoreco.org.
4.2 Applicant must provide their own accompanist.
4.3 Video recordings must be uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo or Google Drive, with accessibility provided to the jury via the provided link.
4.4 Video recordings must not include any third parties, including minors, celebrities, and friends, who have not expressly authorized the entrant to display their image or likeness in a submitted video.

5. Application Fee

5.1 A non-refundable application fee of $25 must accompany each submission, due no later than January 3, 2025.

6. Winner Announcement

6.1 The winner will be announced no later than February 3, 2025.

7. Performance Requirements

7.1 To qualify for the $1,000 award, the winner must perform the auditioned work as a soloist with Fenimore Chamber Orchestra at the March 15, 2025 concert in Cooperstown, New York.
7.2 The winner must be prepared and available to rehearse between March 11–14, 2025.

8. Runner-Up

8.1 A runner-up will be chosen who must also be prepared and available to rehearse and perform during the above dates to qualify for the $500 award.
8.2 In the event that the runner-up performs at the March 2025 concert instead of the winner, they will be named co-winner, and their award will be adjusted to $1,000.

9. Teacher Recognition Award

9.1 A Teacher Recognition Award equal to 50% of the winning students’ awards will be given to the primary instrumental teachers of the winner and runner-up.

10. Competition Cancellation

10.1 Fenimore Chamber Orchestra reserves the right to cancel the competition if there is an insufficient number of applicants necessary to conduct a competitive competition, or if, in the opinion of the judges, there is no adequately qualified candidate.

11. Refund Policy

11.1 In the event of competition cancellation per Article 10, all application fees submitted in accordance with Article 5 shall be refunded.
11.2 The decision of the Orchestra regarding the cancellation of the competition and the subsequent refund of the application fee shall be final and binding.
11.3 The applicant acknowledges and agrees that the application fee is non-refundable under any circumstances other than the cancellation of the competition by the Orchestra as specified in Article 10.

12. Judges’ Decisions

12.1 All decisions of the judges shall be final.

13. Contact Information

13.1 Any queries should be directed to: competition@fenimoreco.org.