Competitions · Humanities and writing · American Protege Romantic Music
American Protege, the Competition of Romantic Music.
A ninety-five year window - late Beethoven to Rachmaninoff, 1815 to 1910 - and nothing outside it. It is the narrowest repertoire rule in the series, and the only one that will let you add a second piece with no time limit at all.
The repertoire rule
One period, defined by dates rather than by name.
Most competitions say "Romantic" and leave you to argue about the edges. This one gives you years, which is far more useful.
Late Beethoven to Rachmaninoff
Audition works may be chosen from music written between 1815 and 1910. That is the whole rule, and it settles every borderline case that usually needs adjudicating.
And a second piece, with no clock on it
A second work from the Romantic period is accepted with no time limit, for an extra $50. Nothing else in the series offers this - everywhere else the time limit is absolute.
Which changes what you can show
The first piece has to fit five or six minutes. The second does not. A performer with a substantial work in their repertoire has somewhere to put it.
Difficulty is scored
One of the five judging criteria. A ninety-five year window contains an enormous range of difficulty, so the choice within it matters.
At a glance
The essentials.
Open to instrumentalists of every nationality - piano, piano duet, orchestral instruments, strings, chamber ensembles and voice - with entrants reported from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand and Australia.
- Who can enter
- School students and adults, of any nationality. Adults have no upper age limit
- Instruments
- Piano, piano duet, orchestral instruments, strings, chamber ensembles and voice
- Age groups
- Young 5 to 10, Junior 11 to 14, Intermediate 15 to 18, Amateur 19 and over, College and Professional 18 and over
- One anomaly
- The amateur group opens at 19 here, and at 18 everywhere else in the series. Confirm where an 18-year-old amateur belongs
- Repertoire
- Works written between 1815 and 1910 - late Beethoven to Rachmaninoff
- Time limits
- Young five minutes. Every other group six minutes
- Second piece
- A further Romantic-period work, no time limit, for an extra $50
- From memory
- Required, with no repeats. Ensemble music need not be memorised
- At the recital
- One work only. A set of different pieces is not accepted
- Application deadline
- Early to mid-October
- Results
- Early to mid-November
- Fee
- $200 solo, $150 per member for an ensemble. Non-refundable
What 1815 to 1910 contains
The window in practice.
The dates are generous once you look at what falls inside them. This is not a restriction to a handful of composers.
| Roughly | What is inside the window |
|---|---|
| 1815 onward | Beethoven’s late period, and everything Schubert wrote from his early twenties |
| The core | Schumann, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Liszt, Brahms, Tchaikovsky - the repertoire most young performers are already studying |
| Late in the window | Fauré, Grieg, Dvořák, Elgar, and the earlier works of Rachmaninoff |
| Just outside | Anything written before 1815, and anything after 1910 - which excludes a great deal of what is loosely called late Romantic |
Check the composition date rather than the composer. Several composers wrote on both sides of 1910, and it is the date of the work that the rule turns on.
The second-piece option
Worth $50, or not, depending on the performer.
This is a real decision rather than an upsell, and it is worth thinking through before applying.
When it is worth it
If the student’s strongest Romantic work runs past six minutes, this is the only way in the series to submit it. A ballade, a substantial nocturne, a full sonata movement.
When it is not
If the first piece already shows what the performer can do, a second adds cost without adding evidence. The judges score five criteria, not quantity.
The recital is still one piece
Winners perform a single work. A set of different pieces is not accepted at the recital, so the second piece is for the audition only.
And the extra minute is separate
Adding up to one minute at the recital itself costs a further $100. These are two different charges for two different things.
Dating a work
How to check a piece falls inside the window.
Eligibility turns on when the music was written, and that is not always the date printed on the copy in front of you.
Composition date, not publication date
Many Romantic works were published years or decades after they were written, and some posthumously. A first edition dated 1912 does not put the piece outside the window if it was composed in 1897.
Opus number is not a date
Opus numbers were assigned by publishers as often as by composers, and several major figures have opus sequences that run out of chronological order entirely.
Watch the composers who span 1910
Rachmaninoff, Fauré, Elgar and Sibelius all wrote on both sides of it. The composer being Romantic does not make every one of their works eligible.
And check before you record
This is the one rule here that invalidates an otherwise strong entry, and it takes five minutes in a catalogue to settle.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares an entry.
A defined period and a scored difficulty criterion make this the most plannable competition in the series.
Choosing inside the window on purpose
Ninety-five years is a lot of music. Picking a work that shows the performer’s strengths and carries real difficulty is a better use of the constraint than picking the first Romantic piece to hand.
Timing before recording
Six minutes, or five for the youngest group. Going over means a $50 re-submission. Timing the piece first costs nothing.
Deciding on the second piece early
It changes what the student prepares. Adding it after the first recording is done is a much larger job than planning for it from the start.
And verifying the composition date
Not the composer’s dates - the work’s. This is the one rule on this page that will invalidate an otherwise strong entry.
Talk to an advisor
Hanlin does not coach American Protege Romantic Music. Ask what it does coach.
The services below are real, but not for this competition. An advisor will say plainly whether there is a route here and what is worth entering instead.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
Competition coaching
Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
Scan to add an advisor
Say which competition or course you are asking about. Replies in Chinese or English.
Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
The Romantic Music Competition, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
What repertoire is accepted?
Works written between 1815 and 1910 - from late Beethoven through to Rachmaninoff. The rule turns on the date the work was written, not on the composer.
Can I submit two pieces?
Yes. A second work from the Romantic period is accepted with no time limit, for an extra $50. This option exists only in this competition.
How long can the first piece be?
Five minutes for the Young group, six minutes for every other group.
What are the age groups?
Young 5 to 10, Junior 11 to 14, Intermediate 15 to 18, Amateur 19 and over, and College and Professional 18 and over. Note that the amateur group opens at 19 here and at 18 elsewhere in the series, so confirm where an 18-year-old amateur belongs.
Which instruments can enter?
Piano, piano duet, orchestral instruments, strings, chamber ensembles and voice.
What does it cost?
$200 for a solo entrant and $150 per member for an ensemble, non-refundable, plus $50 if you add a second piece. Further charges apply for over-length re-submissions, repertoire changes and extra recital time.
Do I perform both pieces if I win?
No. Winners perform a single work at the recital. A set of different pieces is not accepted there, so the second piece is for the audition only.
How is it judged?
Four judges score technique, rhythm, difficulty, musicality and tone from 0.0 to 10.0, entirely on the submitted video. Comments are not released and decisions are final.
When does it run?
Applications close in early to mid-October and results follow in early to mid-November.
How international is the field?
The organisers report entrants from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand and Australia.
Related
The other American Protege competitions.
Seven run each year, on different calendars and repertoire rules.
Romantic Music enquiries
Ninety-five years of music, and one date to check.
The window is wide enough to hold most of what a young performer already studies, and precise enough that the date of composition decides eligibility. Tell us what the student plays and an advisor will confirm it falls inside 1815 to 1910 and help plan the recording.