Your Carnegie Hall Debut Awaits July 2–3, 2026 | Video Auditions: Sept 1–Nov 30, 2025
Your Carnegie Hall Debut Awaits July 2–3, 2026 | Video Auditions: Sept 1–Nov 30, 2025
SOLO: $200 USD *
DUO: $300 USD per group *
CHAMBER MUSIC or CHOIR: $400 USD per group *
*A 5% processing fee will be applied to all submissions.
Important
Please note that two separate payments are required to perform at the Winners’ Recital:
All payments are non-refundable under any circumstances.
Application Starts: September 1, 2025
Application Deadline: November 30, 2025
We expect the spots to fill up quickly. Please secure your spots before they are gone.
Participants must submit:
Open to all nationalities, ages, and instruments, including:
piano, strings, winds, brass, classical guitar, harp, voice, traditional instruments, choir groups (up to 25 musicians), piano four-hands, chamber music, and more — including professional musicians.
Please note: We are unable to accommodate instruments that require delivery or shipping.
Applicants must submit ONE video recording with the following time limit:
SOLO
8 years old and under: 3 minutes
9 to 12 years old: 4 minutes
13 to 15 years old: 5 minutes
16 to 18 years old: 6 minutes
19 years old and older (no age limit): 7 minutes
DUO and CHAMBER MUSIC
12 years old and under: 4 minutes
13 - 18 years old: 5 minutes
19 years old and older (no age limit): 7 minutes
CHOIR (up to 25 musicians)
5 minutes
Applicants may present works from the classical repertoire, including the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or Contemporary periods.
Participants must upload a video recording of their performance to YouTube and include the URL in the Application Form.
Upload Settings:
- Videos recorded within the past year are accepted.
- The repertoire for the Winners’ Recital may be changed later with an additional processing fee.
- Recordings should fairly represent the performer’s abilities, but professional production quality is not required.
- Memorization is not required for the audition, but performances at the Winners’ Recital are generally expected to be memorized.
By December 5, the winners and each participant will be notified about the Competition results via email. All winners and participants will receive digital certificates.
From 90 to 100 points: 1st prize (100/100: Absolute First Prize)
From 80 to 89 points: 2nd prize
From 70 to 79 points: 3rd prize
All 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners will be invited to the winners' recitals.
Please note: We do not disclose the exact score earned by each participant.
Teachers whose students become winners will be recommended to apply for the Excellent Teacher Award (application fee: $38 plus 5% fee).
The Excellent Teacher Award Application fee includes:
The results will be sent directly to your students, so please check with them for the outcome and for detailed information included in the email.
Important
Please note that two separate payments are required to perform at the Winners’ Recital:
All payments are non-refundable under any circumstances.
Incomplete applications including failure to pay fees will result in disqualification.
All payments to Special Venue Music Award is non-refundable.
Venue: Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Date: Thursday, July 2 and Friday, July 3, 2026
Time: 7 pm - 10 pm
Payment Due: December 10, 2025
SOLO
DUO
CHAMBER MUSIC / CHOIR
*Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more musicians. Please reach out to us for more information.
*A 5% processing fee will be applied to all submissions.
All payments are non-refundable under any circumstances.
If you wish to change your piece, please submit the “Repertoire Change Request Form” and pay a fee of $55 by March 20, 2026.
Note: The time limit must still be observed. No re-submission of the video is required.
SOLO
8 years old and under: 3 minutes
9 to 12 years old: 4 minutes
13 to 15 years old: 5 minutes
16 to 18 years old: 6 minutes
19 years old and older (no age limit): 7 minutes
DUO and CHAMBER MUSIC
12 years old and under: 4 minutes
13 - 18 years old: 5 minutes
19 years old and older (no age limit): 7 minutes
CHOIR
5 minutes
Requests to extend the performance time may be granted if scheduling allows, with an additional fee of $150 per minute. Availability will not be confirmed until January 31, 2026.
Please Note: In most years, performance time extensions cannot be granted due to scheduling constraints.
Photography, Video Recording, and Audio Recording:
Unauthorized photography, recording, and filming are strictly prohibited inside Carnegie Hall. Violations may result in being asked to leave by Carnegie Hall staff.
Video Service at Carnegie Hall (Notification from Carnegie Officials):
If you cannot attend the recital, you may purchase a Winners’ Package for $250 plus 5% fee.
Includes:
For more details, please see the FAQ page.
Once you have submitted the Winners’ Recital Enrollment Form and completed the payment, a link to access the Exclusive Winners Page will be provided.
Please bookmark this link. All important announcements and communications will be made exclusively through this page.
If you forget to save the link, please contact us at admin@specialvenue.org
In the following, the organizer Special Venue LLC will be referred to as "Special Venue", the Special Venue Music Awards International Competition as "the Competition", and the Special Venue Winners Recital as "the recital". "Special Venue" includes the organizer Special Venue LLC and each operator of the competition.
Special Venue Music Awards
Special Venue reserves the rights to make any changes into the rules, dates, schedules and other information related to the Competitions or published on this site. Read our policies for complete set of rules and disclaimers.
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