MSV Awards and Competitions
Competitions for 2024
The MSV offers a series of annual awards and competitions. At auditions candidates can provide their own accompanist or, for most competitions, may request the use the Society's official accompanist for which a fee is charged. Winners are invited to perform in prize winners concerts and may be called upon to give a recital for Society members. Previous winners are prohibited to enter the same section again and the Society reserves the right to cancel a section. Decisions made by adjudicators are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding competition outcomes.
COPYRIGHT POLICY
In accordance with copyright law, performers using sheet music subject to copyright in their performance MUST USE ORIGINAL MUSIC. A photocopy of the original marked "NOT FOR RETURN" is acceptable for the purposes of adjudication in auditions and will be destroyed after the audition.
Primary responsibility for adherence to Copyright Law rests with the person doing or authorising the photocopying and it is also the performer's responsibility to acquaint themselves with regulations available from APRA/AMCOS, 3-5 Sanders Place Richmond (www.apra-amcos.com.au). The MSV does not condone the unlawful copying of Copyright material.
Below is a list of current awards. In order to access requirements scroll down to the relevant award and download the one that is wanted.
- 12 Years and Under Awards
- 15 Years and Under Awards
- 18 Years and Under Awards
- 18 Years and Under RON McNICOL VOCAL AWARD
- Chamber Music Award
- Armstead Singing Awards
- Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Awards
- 3MBS FM Victorian Young Performer Award
- Fine Music Australia Young Performer Award
- Overseas Scholarships
- David Henkels Composition Award
12 Years and Under Awards
2024
12 Years and Under Awards are open to students aged 12 year and under as of December 31, 2024
Competitors may enter the 12 and Under OR 15 and Under Awards.
These Awards comprise the following awards:
- DES STEVENSON AWARD for Piano
- FRANK BIESTERFELDT AWARD for WINDS
- STELLA NEMET AWARD for Strings (including Classical Guitar)
Prizes in each section:
$150 first, $100 second, $75 third
Up to two Encouragement awards may be selected in each category
Entries this year will be accessed through Stardom
15 Years and Under Awards
2024
15 Years and Under Awards are open to students aged 15 years and under as of December 31, 2024
These Awards comprise the following awards:
- EDA SCHURMANN AWARD for Piano
- MSV AWARD for Strings (including Classical Guitar)
- MSV AWARD for Winds (including Brass)
Entries this year will be accessed through Stardom
18 Years and Under Awards 2024
- NEHAMA PATKIN MEMORIAL AWARD for Piano
- HERBERT DAVIS MEMORIAL AWARD for Winds
- JOHN CHANDLER MEMORIAL AWARD FOR STRINGS
- A SEPARATE AWARD MAY BE MADE FOR BRASS INSTRUMENTS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ADJUDICATOR
18 Years and Under RON McNICOL VOCAL AWARD 2023
Prizes will be:
$300 first, $200 second and $100 third.
Entry Fee: $25 non-member $20 member Fee for official accompanist: $20.00
Chamber Music Award 2024
This award is available to groups of up to eight instrumental players up to 23 years of age. First Prize $1000 per group; Second Prize $500 per group. It will be held as a public concert on May 25th in the Stonnington Uniting Church corner of Coppin Street and Burke Road EAST MALVERN at 6.00 p.m. Further details on the entry form
The Chamber Award will open on Monday, 22nd April and close on 16th May.
Please enter via Stardom. You must have a Stardom account to enter the award. Below are the instructions on how to enter the Section in Stardom.
For any chamber group belonging to an organisation member, e.g., VCASS, please select the following sections: CH02M, CH02MM and CHO2MN. All players within the chamber group must be a student of the organisation, e.g., If the chamber group is part of VCASS and has 4 players, all 4 players must be a student of VCASS. Please put your chamber group name to Section CH02M, add players who are a MSV member to Section CH02MM and add players who are not a MSV member to Section CH02MN as shown below.
Armstead Singing Awards
This award is offered to singers aged 30 years and under on December 31st 2023
$1500 first, $1000 second, $500 third.
The Armstead Singing Award winner is eligible to compete with the winners of the Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Award for the 3MBS FM Victorian Young Performer Award, the winner of which will be invited to compete in the MBS Fine Music Australia Young Virtuoso Award.
Entry Fee: $40 non-members; $35 members
An official accompanist will be available to entrants on the day of the audition, free of charge.
Hephzibah Menuhin Memorial Awards 2023
This competition is conducted in two stages:
Stage 1: a preliminary audition at which three finalists will be selected from three sections:
wind and brass, strings, piano.
Stage 2: the nine finalists selected in Stage 1 will compete in a public concert at St Johns SOUTHGATE
The following three prizes will be awarded in each section:
$1500 first, $1000 second, $500 third.
Winners of first prize in each section are eligible to compete with the winner of the MSV Armstead Singing Award for the 3MBS FM Victorian Young Performer Award, The winner of this will be invited to compete in the MBS Fine Music Australia Young Virtuoso Award
Entry fee: $35.00 nobn-members; $30 members
3MBS FM Victorian Young Performer Award -
The winners of the Hephzibah Menuhin awards in Piano, Wind and Strings, together with the winner of the Armstead Singing Award, will compete for the 3MBS FM Victorian Young Performer Award.
Fine Music Australia Young Performer Award
The 3MBS FM Victorian Young Performer of the Year will compete with the winners of the NSW, QLD, ACT AND SA Young Performer of the Year. The winner of this will be invited to compete in the MBS Fine Music Australia Young Virtuoso Award
SPECIAL PROJECT AWARD
These grants are open to musicians who intend to develop a career in performance.
In order to qualify, students must have been members continuously for the last five years; and have a clear plan of how they wish to use the award.
Two grants of up to $1000 will be available
David Henkels Composition Award to be offered in 2023
This award will be offered in 2023
This award is offered every two years to a composer eighteen years or under on December 31st of the year it is offered. Details are on the entry form