Registration
- Registration will be open starting on January 4, 2026 until 11:59 PM February 11,2026. Late registrations will not be accepted.
- Registration is open to piano students in grades Kindergarten through 12.
- Registration fee is $18 per piece for students of MTNA members or $27 per piece for students of non-members. Payment can be done electronically through a credit card.
- Each student may register up to four pieces in the festival.
- The pieces to be performed must be entered during the time of registration. No substitutions will be allowed after a student has registered.
- No refunds.
Scheduling
- Once registration closes, the event organizers will set the schedule of performances and will communicate with students, teachers, and parents. We will do our best to accommodate student families by placing siblings close to the same time.
Students, parents, and teachers should keep their calendars open for March 8 until they receive confirmation of their time from the organizers. The festival is expected to run from 1:00PM to 6:00PM
- Students should plan on arriving 15 minutes before their scheduled performance time. Students playing pieces in the Primer through Early Advanced levels may leave once they have performed their piece(s) and received their recognition. Students in the Advanced levels should plan to stay for the entirety of the Advanced Recital they are participating and should wait to receive their recognition afterward.
Event Facility
- The 2025 Auditions Festival will take place at Cincinnati Music Academy: 7420 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236.
- Parking is limited and allowed in the premises of the music school as well as in its extended parking lot across the street. Please observe the parking instructions posted around the lots.
Levels
- Students enter a performance level based on the difficulty of their selected pieces. The following are examples of repertoire in each of the levels. For a comprehensive list, please refer to our Published Repertoire List.
Selecting Repertoire
- Students are eligible to perform any piece they have selected together with their teacher.
- As much as possible, students and teachers should select from our Published Repertoire List and, when registering, assuring that they are entering the piece in the appropriate performance level delineated on the list.
- If a selected piece is not in the published repertoire list, students and teachers should enter the piece under the appropriate level.
- After registration closes, the event organizers will review the repertoire selections to ensure they are placed in the appropriate levels.
- The organizers decision about placement level of repertoire is final.
Minimum and Maximum Performance Times
Pieces should not be longer than the following allotted performance times. Depending on the level of the piece, the performance should last a minimum amount of time.
- Points will be deducted for exceeding the time limits by more than 30 seconds.
- If a performance is 30 to 60 seconds over, there will be a 3-point deduction. If it is more than 60 seconds over, the judge may stop the student and mark a 6-point deduction.
- For Intermediate through Advanced levels, there will be a 3-point deduction if the performance does not meet the minimum time.
- For Intermediate through Advanced, repeats should be omitted when the time limit may be exceeded, but repeats may be incorporated to reach the minimum performance time.
Sheet Music, Memorization, and Copyright
- Students are allowed to perform regardless of their sheet music or memorization status.
- Students are required to bring their piece(s) in a performance-eligible, copyright-law compliant printed format. Photocopied or scanned music is not permitted unless prior approval has been granted by the publisher. If a performance does not meet this criterium, the judge will provide feedback and a final score but the student will not be eligible for the Honor’s Trophy.
- Students are required to perform their piece(s) by memory. If, by any reason, the performance needs to be assisted by the use of the score, the judge will provide feedback, but no final score. Students will still receive a participation ribbon.
- Please number each measure directly on the music score.
Judge’s Comments, Scores, and Prizes
- Students will receive feedback for each of the pieces they perform and the judge will assign a numerical score to their overall impression of the performance. The score ranges from 0-100.
- The judge’s feedback will be delivered through the Auditions Festival Performance Report, and a PDF copy will be emailed within one week from the date of the festival to students and teachers to the email addresses provided during registration.
- Prizes will be awarded to according to each performance’s score following the criteria outlined below:
Primer and Beginner Levels
Elementary through Advanced Levels
- Additionally, the top 10% performing students in each category will receive an Honor’s Trophy to be delivered to students at a posterior date through their teachers.
Student Performance Procedures
- Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled performance time.
- Upon arrival, go to the main desk to complete the check-in procedures. Then, go toward your assigned room and wait for your performance time. A list of the performing students will be posted on the door of each of the rooms, excepting the Recitals for the Advanced Students.
- Depending on the schedule of the room, the judge may be running ahead or behind. Please follow the guidance of your judge.
- After your performance is finished, exit the room and wait for the judge to hand the music back to you. Then, go back to the main desk to complete the check-out procedures and receive your prize.
Volunteering
We count on volunteers to run the event and to keep the entrance fees accessible. Teachers, please consider volunteering or asking older students or parents to volunteer a few hours during the festival. Iinformation about volunteers can be entered during the registration process.
Contact Information
If you have questions or need assistance please contact Chia-Jui He (Jah-Ray) at 513.739.3588 or chiajuimusicstudio@gmail.com