Competitions · Humanities and writing · American Protege Music Talent
American Protege, the Music Talent Competition.
The only one of the seven where you can play jazz, sing Broadway, improvise, or perform something you wrote yourself. Everywhere else in the series the repertoire is the classical canon.
The six routes
Choose one, and they are genuinely different.
Entrants select a single work from an expanded repertoire. This list is the reason to look at this competition rather than one of its siblings.
| Route | What it covers |
|---|---|
| One - classical | Standard repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic or Contemporary periods. The same ground the rest of the series covers |
| Two - folk and traditional | Traditional and folk repertoire, from any culture |
| Three - Broadway and musical theatre | Repertoire from musicals. Not accepted anywhere else in the series |
| Four - jazz | Jazz repertoire, with no drums |
| Five - open | A performance that combines two or more styles. Explicitly permitted rather than tolerated |
| Six - your own work | The performer’s own compositions |
One important exclusion: singers are discouraged from choosing pop repertoire, and the organisers direct pop singers to their separate We Sing Pop contest instead. Jazz, folk and musical theatre are all fine here.
Who it suits
The performer the rest of the series has no category for.
A great many capable young musicians do not play the classical canon, and this is where they belong.
The student who writes
Route six accepts the performer’s own compositions. Very few competitions at this level will judge a young musician on something they wrote themselves.
The jazz player
A full jazz route, without drums. Elsewhere in the series jazz would simply be out of repertoire.
The musical theatre singer
Broadway repertoire is a named route here. In the Vocal Competition it is not specified, and in Concerto singers must sing an aria or a folk work.
And the player who crosses styles
Route five explicitly welcomes a performance combining two or more styles - which is usually the hardest thing to enter anywhere.
At a glance
The essentials.
Open to instrumentalists on any instrument including traditional ones, to singers, and to folk and jazz groups. The organisers describe themselves as looking for genuine talent, creativity and stage presence, and invite performers of any age and any genre.
- Who can enter
- Performers of any age and any genre, of any nationality - instrumentalists, singers, and folk and jazz ensembles
- Age groups
- Not published on this page. Time limits are given by age instead, and the awards refer to age groups - ask the organiser
- What you play
- One work, chosen from the six routes above
- Time limits
- School students aged 6 to 12, five minutes. School students 13 to 18, six minutes. Amateurs without a professional degree, six minutes. College students and professionals, six minutes
- If you are signed
- Applicants under contract to a manager or producer must email a general statement and release form signed by that manager or producer to be eligible
- From memory
- Required, with no repeats. Ensemble music need not be memorised
- Application deadline
- Early April
- Results
- End of April
- Fee
- $200 solo, $150 per member for an ensemble. Non-refundable
The release form
A requirement that appears nowhere else in the series.
Because this competition invites performers of any genre, it accommodates entrants who already have professional representation - and asks for paperwork accordingly.
Signed performers need a release
Any applicant who has signed with a manager or producer must submit a general statement and release form, signed by that manager or producer, by email.
Without it, the entry is not eligible
The organisers state this as a condition of eligibility rather than a formality. Arrange it before the deadline, not on it.
Which tells you who else enters
A competition that needs a manager’s release is expecting entrants who have representation. That is a useful signal about the field.
Most school students will not need it
If the student has no manager or producer, this requirement does not apply.
The mechanics
What the series requires of every entry.
Common across all seven competitions. The full fee schedule and the Carnegie Hall recital conditions are set out on our Piano and Strings page.
One unedited video
A single take within the time limit, from memory. Spliced or edited clips are not accepted. Your name and the exact title of the work must appear in the video description.
Four judges, five criteria
Technique, rhythm, difficulty, musicality and tone, scored 0.0 to 10.0. Comments are not released and decisions are final.
Over-length costs $50
A winner whose solo entry exceeded the stated time must re-record within the limit and pay $50. Only after that second audition is a recital performance arranged.
And the recital is in New York
Winners play one work from their audition at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, at their own expense and with their own accompanist.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares an entry.
A wide repertoire choice sounds easier than a narrow one. It is usually harder, because the decision is yours.
Choosing the route deliberately
Difficulty is one of the five scored criteria, and it reads differently in each route. A demanding jazz head and a straightforward Broadway number are not equivalent to a panel.
Taking the own-composition route seriously
If the student writes, this is a rare chance to be judged on it. But it will be scored on technique, rhythm, difficulty, musicality and tone like anything else - originality is not one of the criteria.
Recording a single clean take
From memory, within five or six minutes, unedited. For an improvised or crossover performance that is a real constraint worth rehearsing against.
And sorting the release form early
If the student has any professional representation, the signed release has to be in before the deadline.
Talk to an advisor
Hanlin does not coach American Protege Music Talent. 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.
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Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
The Music Talent Competition, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
What can I perform?
One work from six routes: classical repertoire; folk and traditional; Broadway and musical theatre; jazz without drums; an open route combining two or more styles; or your own compositions.
Is this the right competition for jazz or musical theatre?
Yes. It is the only one of the seven American Protege competitions that accepts them. The others are confined to the standard classical repertoire.
Can I perform something I wrote?
Yes - own compositions are one of the six routes. Note that the judging criteria are technique, rhythm, difficulty, musicality and tone; originality is not among them.
Can singers enter with pop songs?
No. The organisers discourage pop repertoire here and direct pop singers to their separate We Sing Pop contest.
What are the age groups?
This page does not publish them, though the awards refer to age groups. Time limits are given by age: five minutes for school students aged 6 to 12, and six minutes for school students 13 to 18, amateurs, and college and professional musicians. Ask the organiser for the current age bands.
Do I need anything extra if I have a manager?
Yes. Applicants signed with a manager or producer must email a general statement and release form signed by them. Without it the entry is not eligible.
How many pieces do I submit?
One, from your chosen route, performed from memory with no repeats. Ensemble music need not be memorised.
What does it cost?
$200 for a solo entrant and $150 per member for an ensemble, non-refundable, with further charges for over-length re-submission, repertoire changes and extra recital time.
When does it run?
Applications close in early April and results are announced at the end of April - the shortest gap between deadline and result in the series.
What happens if my video runs over time?
A winner whose entry exceeded the limit must submit a second video within the time, for an extra $50. Only then is a recital performance arranged.
Related
The other American Protege competitions.
Seven run each year, on different calendars and repertoire rules.
Music Talent enquiries
For the musician the classical competitions have no box for.
Jazz, folk, musical theatre, crossover and original work all have a route here, and nowhere else in the series. Tell us what the student actually plays or sings and an advisor will help pick the route and the piece.