Vivaldi Competition

Eligibility

The Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition is open to all cis and trans women, as well as non-binary people comfortable in spaces that center the experiences of women who are citizens of the Americas (North America, Central America, South America), or who are enrolled in school in the Americas during the year prior to the competition and who will not have reached their 24th birthday by the competition in January of 2023.

Prizes

  • First Prize: US $9,000

  • Second Prize: US $5,000

  • Third Prize: US $2,000

  • Two Honorable Mentions: US $1000 each

  • Five Semi-Finalist Awards: US $500 each

Mission

The mission of the Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition is to provide an international, competition of the highest caliber for young bassoonists in the Americas who are cis women, trans women, or non-binary individuals who are comfortable in a space that centers the experiences of women. By participating in the competition these individuals will build their confidence, hone their talents, and receive valuable experience towards performance careers. The organization will provide financial support, performance experience, artistic reinforcement, and inspiration through mentorship with world-class professionals. Each competition will feature a required repertoire piece by a living womxn composer, and will require speaking to the audience in order to cultivate in the young competitors a commitment to audience engagement and community involvement in the arts.

The name of the competition derives from the rich legacy of composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), who spent much of his prolific career working at a conservatory for young girls, the Seminario Musicale dell’Ospitale della Pietá in Venice. The spirit of creativity and benefaction of this competition is dedicated to Meg Quigley, an artist who had a passion for assisting young womxn in realizing their full potential.

Judging

Judging will occur in three rounds: preliminary, semi-final, and final.

Repertoire

The set MQVC repertoire is chosen to represent three areas: a new work for bassoon written by a living woman composer (Hye Kyung Lee, 2005; Nancy Galbraith, 2007; Libby Larsen, 2010; Margi Griebling-Haigh, 2012; Katherine Hoover, 2014), a Vivaldi concerto, and an unaccompanied work or etude. In addition, entrants choose a fourth work for the final round of competition. For a complete list of repertoire from past competitions, click here.

Preliminary Round

The preliminary round occurs via recording.

Semi-Final and Final Rounds

Up to ten applicants will be chosen to compete in the semi-final round in a concert format, open to the public, at the 2023 Meg Quigley Vivaldi Competition and Bassoon Symposium. The symposium and competition will take place in January 2023. The repertoire for the semi-final round will include portions of the three pieces from the preliminary round. The final round will also take place at the symposium, and will include the same repertoire as well as the additional piece chosen by the finalist from the repertoire list. The judges may choose to hear only certain portions of the repertoire. A professional accompanist (including one hour of rehearsal) will be provided by the MQVC; however, the semi-finalist may use an accompanist of her own choosing at her own expense. The judges may elect to award fewer prizes than outlined above, or no prizes at all. The judges' decision, announced after deliberations immediately following the final round, is final.

Audience Engagement Component: In the final round, the finalist should be prepared to speak to the audience about the works she is performing. These brief introductions to the works (1-2 minutes each) should demonstrate skill in audience engagement as well as knowledge of the work. This unusual element in the competition is in keeping with changing trends in the music industry, recognizing that the relationship between performer and audience has shifted and speaking skills are becoming more and more necessary.

Questions

Do you have a question about the competition or the submission process? Please contact Darrell Hale at submissions@mqvc.org