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Young Artist Competition

       

The 50th annual Young Artist Competition for outstanding flutists will include 15 qualifying round contestants chosen from the first recorded round to compete at the 2025 NFA Convention in Atlanta. These contestants will perform an unaccompanied audition on Wednesday (the day prior to the convention). A panel of judges will select six of these contestants to compete in the semifinal round and will then choose three finalists to appear in a final round. The NFA will provide a pianist for the semifinal and final rounds.

Cash prizes of $8,000, $4,000, and $2,000 will be awarded to the finalists, as well as $100 to each semifinalist not chosen as a finalist. An additional $250 prize will be awarded to the finalist with the "Best Performance of the Newly Commissioned Work" supported by The Paul Taub Fund. The NFA will present the first-prize winner in a performance at its 2026 convention and honor the winner in The Flutist Quarterly.

>The Application Portal will open in December<

Competition Requirements*

  • AGE REQUIREMENT: All entrants must be 30 years of age or younger by the last day of the convention (born on or after August 10, 1994). Entrants may be required to show proof of age.
  • All flutists must be current NFA members at the time the entry is submitted. If chosen to perform or present during the convention, flutists must also be current members at the time of the convention and register for the convention by July 1, 2025. To join or renew, go to nfaonline.org/signup.
  • Completed entry
  • Uploaded files
  • $100 entry fee (paid during submission process)
  • Previous first-place winners of this competition are ineligible to compete again in this event.

All entrants must submit their entry, upload recordings/supplemental materials, and pay competition and membership fees by 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time, Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

Sophia Jean_crop

"The NFA’s Young Artist Competition was incredibly influential to my growth as a flutist and truly helped me explore my identity as a musician. I am very grateful to have had such a formative, inspiring, and memorable experience."

-Sophia Jean, 2024 winner of the Young Artist Competition

Recorded Round Repertoire 

Each piece should be uploaded as a separate file in the following order. Movements may be uploaded separately if you choose. All uploaded files must be audio recordings. No videos are allowed.

  • Sergei Prokofiev, Sonata, Mvt II Scherzo: Presto (Any edition)
  • Christoph Willibald Gluck, Minuet and Dance of The Blessed Spirits (Any edition)
    • No repeats
  • Jennifer Higdon, Flute Poetic for Flute and Piano, Mvt. I First (Lawdon Press)

All Recorded Round repertoire must be recorded WITH piano accompaniment.

SPONSOR THIS COMPETITION

Quarterfinal Round Repertoire

This repertoire will be presented at the 2025 NFA Convention in Atlanta. All repertoire will be performed unaccompanied.

  • David Biedenbender, Detroit Steel for solo flute (Self-published)
  • Jacques Ibert, Piece for solo flute (Leduc Editions)
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Sonata in A minor for solo flute. Wp. 132, H 562., Mvt. I Poco Adagio (Publisher: Henle Verlag or Wiener Urte)
    • Ornament as desired

Semifinal Round Repertoire

This repertoire will be presented at the 2025 NFA Convention in Atlanta. The NFA will provide a pianist for the semifinal round, although contestants may bring a pianist at their own expense.

  • Nina Shekhar, Bedtime Stories for flute and piano (Self-Published)
  • Arthur Foote, A Night Piece for flute a piano (Southern Music)
  • NFA Newly Commissioned Work (to be distributed to all quarterfinalists no later than June 1, 2025)

Final Round Repertoire

  • Finalists' choice

Each finalist shall create a program to be presented at the NFA Convention demonstrating artistic maturity, technical and tonal qualities, and knowledge of program design and balance, excluding any repetitions of recorded round, quarterfinal round, or semifinal round repertoire. Single-movement works originally written for flute with orchestra (e.g., Martin Ballade, Mozart Andante, Griffes Poem) may be performed, but all or part of multi-movement concerti (Ibert, Jolivet, or Nielsen concertos, for example) may not be included on the program. Each program should be a maximum of 25 minutes. Please time your program carefully, as all contestants will be stopped after 25 minutes. Performers may omit repeats, long introductions or interludes in the piano score, or entire selected movements or variations. Otherwise, cuts are not permitted in the final round repertoire selection. Since the YAC is primarily a C flute competition, the vast majority of final round repertoire must be performed on C flute. Works must be unaccompanied OR accompanied by piano (i.e. no works for flute and electronics or flute and harpsichord). The NFA will provide a pianist for the final round, although contestants may bring a pianist at their own expense. Final round repertoire, including titles, movements, exact timings, composer’s dates, and publishers, must be included with your competition entry. Finalists will be bound by their original selections.

* Competitions are subject to all rules and regulations on this page as well as the General Competition Information and Rules and Regulations. Incomplete entries will be subject to disqualification.

Coordinator

Maria Fernanda Castillo
mariacastillomusic@gmail.com

Those entering this competition may also may also be eligible to apply for the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship, which provides $1500 toward NFA convention expenses.