Competitions · Humanities and writing · American Protege Woodwinds and Brass
American Protege, the Woodwinds and Brass Competition.
The only competition in this series with its own age boundaries - every band sits a year younger than its siblings. Check which group the student is in before choosing between competitions, because it is not the one they are used to.
Read this first
The age bands here are a year out from the rest of the series.
This is the single most practical thing on the page. A performer who could enter more than one American Protege competition lands in a different band depending which they choose.
| Band | Woodwinds and Brass | Piano and Strings, Romantic Music | Vocal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young | 5 to 9 | 5 to 10 | 5 to 10 |
| Junior | 10 to 13 | 11 to 14 | 11 to 14 |
| Intermediate | 14 to 17 | 15 to 18 | 15 to 17 |
| Amateur | 18 and over | 18 and over (19 in Romantic Music) | 18 and over |
| College and professional | 18 and over | 18 and over | 18 and over |
A ten-year-old is Young in three of these and Junior here. A fourteen-year-old is Junior in three and Intermediate here. An eighteen-year-old at school has an Intermediate place in Piano and Strings and none here or in Vocal. The bands decide the field, so decide the band before the competition.
At a glance
The essentials.
The competition is designed for solo performers and ensembles of any age, nationality and country who want to test themselves in a competitive field. Everything is decided on a submitted video.
- Who can enter
- Solo performers and ensembles, school students and adults, of any nationality. Adults have no upper age limit
- Woodwind instruments
- Flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, and other woodwind instruments
- Brass instruments
- Trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and other brass instruments
- Age groups
- Young 5 to 9, Junior 10 to 13, Intermediate 14 to 17, Amateur 18 and over without a professional degree, College and Professional 18 and over
- Time limits
- Young, Junior and Intermediate five minutes. College and Professional, and Amateur, six minutes
- Repertoire
- One work from the standard repertoire - Baroque, Classical, Romantic or Contemporary
- From memory
- Required, with no repeats. Ensemble music need not be memorised
- Changing repertoire
- Not permitted after the application is submitted
- Application deadline
- Mid to late October, closing at the end of that day
- Results
- Mid to late November, published on the organiser’s website
- Fee
- $200 solo, $150 per member for an ensemble. Non-refundable
The deadline warning
This page says something the others do not.
Alone in the series, this competition spells out that applications close when the deadline day ends - and tells entrants to be ready before it.
Materials and fee ready in advance
The organisers ask entrants to have the application materials and the fee prepared, and to complete the application before the closing date rather than on it.
Payment can be slow
International entrants pay by certified bank cheque or international money order sent by courier with a tracking number, or by PayPal with a surcharge. A courier takes days, not hours.
And the video has to exist first
A single unedited take, from memory, inside five or six minutes. That is not something to record on the closing day.
The same applies across the series
The warning appears only here, but the payment methods and the video rules are identical in all seven competitions.
For wind players
Where else the series will take you.
Wind and brass players are accepted in several of these competitions, on different terms. This one is built for them; the others accommodate them.
Woodwinds and Brass - the dedicated one
Judged against other wind and brass players, on its own age bands. This page.
Concerto - judged by instrument category
Wind is one of four categories, so again you are compared with your own kind. Five or six minutes, and a simpler age structure.
Piano and Strings - the longest allowance
Despite the name, wind instruments are listed as welcome, and college and professional entrants get seven minutes there.
Music Talent - if the repertoire is not classical
Jazz, folk, musical theatre, crossover and original composition all have a route there and nowhere else.
The mechanics
What every entry in the series needs.
Common to all seven. The complete 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 limit. Spliced segments and edited clips are not accepted. The recording need not be professional, but it must fairly reflect the performer.
Four judges, five criteria
Technique, rhythm, difficulty, musicality and tone, scored 0.0 to 10.0. Comments are not released and decisions are final.
A CV under 150 words, and a portrait
Past competitions, festivals and public performances. The photograph is printed in the programme.
And the recital, if you win
One work at Weill Recital Hall in New York, at your own expense with your own accompanist - or the $300 winner’s package instead.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares a wind or brass entry.
Five minutes and one unedited take is a demanding format for a wind player, for reasons that have nothing to do with musicianship.
Recording a full take on one breath supply
No edits means no rescue. For a wind player a single continuous take is physically demanding in a way a listener never notices, and it needs rehearsing as a take rather than as a performance.
Choosing repertoire for the five minutes
The three school bands all get five minutes here, not six. That is tighter than the equivalent bands in Piano and Strings.
Getting the recorded sound right
Wind and brass are easy to record badly - too close and the tone hardens, too far and it disappears. The judges are scoring tone, so the microphone position is part of the preparation.
And confirming the band first
A fourteen-year-old is Intermediate here and Junior almost everywhere else. Knowing which field you are in changes what to play.
Talk to an advisor
Hanlin does not coach American Protege Woodwinds and Brass. 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
Woodwinds and Brass, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
Which instruments can enter?
Flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and other woodwind and brass instruments. Solo performers and ensembles are both welcome.
What are the age groups?
Young 5 to 9, Junior 10 to 13, Intermediate 14 to 17, Amateur 18 and over without a professional degree, and College and Professional 18 and over. These boundaries are unique to this competition - every other one in the series runs a year older.
How long can I play?
Five minutes for the Young, Junior and Intermediate groups, and six minutes for Amateur, College and Professional entrants.
What can I play?
One work from the standard repertoire - Baroque, Classical, Romantic or Contemporary. Performance must be from memory with no repeats; ensemble music need not be memorised.
Can I change my piece after applying?
No. Repertoire cannot be changed once the application is submitted. Changing the piece for the winners’ recital costs $55, within two months of the concert.
When is the deadline?
Mid to late October, closing at the end of that day. The organisers ask entrants to have materials and the fee ready and to apply before the closing date, not on it.
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-submissions, repertoire changes and extra recital time.
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. Results are published on the organiser’s website.
What happens if I win?
You perform one work from your audition repertoire at Weill Recital Hall in New York. Travel, accommodation and accompanist are at your own expense, or you can take the $300 winner’s package instead.
Should I enter this or another competition in the series?
If the repertoire is classical and you want to be judged against other wind and brass players, this one. If it is jazz, folk, musical theatre or your own writing, Music Talent. If you want a concerto judged by instrument category, the Concerto Competition.
Related
The other American Protege competitions.
Seven run each year, on different calendars and repertoire rules.
Woodwinds and Brass enquiries
Check the band before you check anything else.
The age boundaries here are unique in the series, which means the field a student lands in is not the one they would land in elsewhere. Tell us the instrument and the age and an advisor will work out which of the seven competitions gives the best season.