NINA SIMONE PIANO COMPETITION
Official Rules
The information and regulations in this section apply to the competition as a whole.
For division-specific information about application and performance requirements, scroll down.
Click here to see how the bracket system works (Artist Division only)
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Junior Division: Ages 10-13
(born between June 24, 2010 and June 19, 2013)
Senior Division: Ages 14 - 18
(born between June 24, 2005 and June 19, 2009)
Artist Division: Ages 18 and up (born on or before June 24, 2005)
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Grand Prize: $50,000
Artist Division Prizes (18 and up)
1st prize: $30,000 (+ $20,000 if this person wins the concerto portion/grand prize)
2nd prize: $20,000
3rd prize: $10,000
Senior Division (ages 14 - 18)
1st prize: $10,000 (+ $40,000 if this person wins the concerto portion/grand prize)*
2nd prize: $5,000
3rd prize: $3,000
Junior Division (ages 10-13)
1st prize: $5000
2nd prize: $3000
3rd prize: $2000
*The finalists who perform with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra may be selected from the Artists -OR- the Senior Division(s). This rests at the discretion of the judges and/or the artistic team, and winning first in the Senior Division does not automatically advance that person to the Grand Prize/Concerto portion of the competition.
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March 1, 2023: Application Deadline
*the deadline has been extended to April 15, 2023.
June 19 - 25, 2023: live competition rounds + events
June 19, 2023: all competitors must be on campus
June 19, 2023: Kickoff + Draw Party (draw for brackets and division order)
June 20, 2023: competition rounds begin
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General Information
1.The inaugural Nina Simone Piano Competition will be held from June 19 to 24, 2023.
2. Applications must be submitted via: getacceptd.com
3. This competition is for U.S. citizens.
4. This competition is for those who identify as Black or African-American.
5. The Nina Simone Competition reserves the right to adjust its participation requirements, including vaccinations, based on the evolving circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Ohio Department of Health.
6. All competitors are to arrive no later than June 19, 2023. Upon elimination competitors may leave Cincinnati or remain through the balance of the competition.
7. Accommodations will be provided for all competitors who do not live in the Cincinnati area. Housing and practice facilities will be provided for the performers and one chaperone. If additional spouses, relatives, or friends wish to accompany the competitor, they must provide lodging and transportation for themselves. Please contact the NSPC office for information on discounted hotel(s) for family, friends, etc. Accommodations are provided until June 25, 2023 Competitors are responsible for all lodging and travel beyond this date.
8. Competitors may not have any other commitments during the competition. All competitors must remain in Cincinnati during the competition.
9. Competitors are strongly encouraged to remain for the entirety of the competition.
Competitors who are eliminated but who elect to remain for the duration of the Competition may have the opportunity to participate in masterclasses on Friday and Saturday of competition week.
10. Attendance at opening party and all advancement announcements is mandatory. Failure to appear without prior approval of the Nina Simone Piano Competition may result in disqualification.
11. All information provided in this document is correct at the time of publication. However, the Nina Simone Piano Competition reserves the right to make changes if circumstances dictate. Check our website ninasimonepianocompetition.org for changes and updates. In differences between translations of texts and rules, the English language is definitive.
12. Competitors agree to be financially responsible for any and all medical needs and expenses during their visit as competitor of the Nina Simone Piano Competition, Inc.
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The screening jury, composed of three members, will evaluate all audition material and will select competitors according to the following procedures:
Competitors are identified to the jury by number only. No other information is given, nor is the jury allowed to view any applications, recommendation letters, or photographs.
The recordings are evaluated by each member of the jury based on commonly accepted musical criteria, without discussion.
The following number of competitors will be invited to participate in the competition:
Junior Division: up to 6 will be invited to participate.
Senior Division: up to 12 competitors will be invited to participate
Artists Division: up to 16 competitors will be invited to participate
The Jury reserves the right to select finalists who will perform with the Cincinnati Symphony from the Senior Division in addition to the Young Artist Division.
2. The order of competitor performances will be determined by random drawing at the kickoff party, the attendance of which is mandatory. The Competition will follow this order except for reasons of accident, illness, or other unusual circumstances, at the discretion of the artistic director of the Nina Simone Piano Competition. Semi-finalists will appear in the order they performed in the first round. The order of appearance in the concerto/Grand Prize portion will depend on rehearsal scheduling, program content, and administrative requirements, and may vary from that of the previous rounds.
3. All works must be performed from memory. Any exceptions to this rule must be approved by the NSPC.
Royalty rights for all performances of 20th or 21st century repertoire are the full and exclusive responsibility of the competitor.
4. Competitors are required to be ready and willing to perform earlier or later than their assigned time.
5. No competitor will be admitted who has:
Ever studied in any capacity with a jury member
OR
Has been coached by a jury member in preparation for the competition.
OR
Is a relative of a jury member
6. Once accepted to the competition, competitors are forbidden to play for members of the jury in master classes or privately. Any such violation will result in disqualification.
7. There shall be no contact or conversation between any competitor and any juror prior to the competitor’s elimination. Any such willful violation will disqualify the competitor.
8. Cash awards are subject to applicable U.S. income tax laws.
9. Any and all repertoire changes must be approved by the Artistic Director. No repertoire changes may be made after April 15, 2023. Please note that after the application is submitted, the concerto and Baroque requirement CANNOT be changed.
10. Works cannot be repeated during the competition.
11. All rounds of the Competition may be broadcast live or may be recorded and videotaped for subsequent broadcast, video, internet, or audio recording use. Camera crews may document all Competition events. Neither the Nina Simone Piano Competition, Inc. nor its assignees or licensees may be held liable for any payments to competitors arising out of materials derived from Competition performances. Applicants are required to sign a release form yielding all rights on such materials to the Nina Simone Piano Competition, Inc., its assignees, or its licensees.
12. All performances are property of the Nina Simone Piano Competition and may only be reproduced and disseminated with the Nina Simone Piano Competition’s express and written permission.
13. While we intend to award all announced prizes, final decisions in this regard will be at the discretion of the jury. The judges and the artist committee together reserve the right to decide if a given competitor is not prepared to continue.
14. The jury for the Finals with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra may differ from the jury(ies) of the initial rounds of the competition.
15. All decisions made by the jury/ies are final.
Artist Division
Application & Performance Requirements
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The Artist Division is open to applicants 18 and up, born on or before June 24, 2005.
Applications must be received by April 15, 2023, 11:59pm EST. The Nina Simone Piano Competition reserves the right to request additional information from applicants.
The following must be included in the online application form via getacceptd.com/artofthepiano. No physical application will be accepted by the NSPC office.
a. A non-refundable charge, in the amount of one hundred U.S. dollars ($100.00). After February 28, 2023, the application fee is $120.00.
b. A digital, high-resolution (300 dpi or higher) photograph of the applicant.
c. A copy of an official birth certificate or passport.
d. An electronic copy of the applicant’s biography of at least 100 words, but no more than 200 words, suitable for publication in the program and/or publicity.
e. Information about the applicant’s prior musical activities: details of competitions entered, awards received, press releases, reviews, recordings released, and management agencies.
f. Details of the applicant’s musical studies. Names of the applicant’s present and most recent teachers, and institutions where studies took place, if applicable. Please include details of any master classes in which the applicant has participated.
g. A video upload is required. This shall consist of:
Up to 30 minutes of music of your choice, including at least five minutes of the Baroque composition (see Performance Requirements and Repertoire).
The recording is to be performed entirely by the applicant with no alterations (edits) and recorded within one year prior to the date of submission. The recording of must be in one (1) take and the hands must be visible at all times on camera. TO PRESERVE ANONYMITY, DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME AS PART OF THE FILE NAME. DO NOT ADD TITLES WITH YOUR NAME TO THE VIDEO.
The recording must be properly marked with the compositions recorded, and the PRECISE timing of each piece.
h. A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s current teacher including an assurance that the applicant has already learned or performed the concerto chosen for the final round. In the event that a competitor advances to the Finals and is unable to perform their concerto with the CSO, the Competition reserves the right to disallow performance in the Final Round. If a competitor is unable to perform their concerto, no prize money will be awarded to the competitor.
i.Your programs for each round of the competition.
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TIME LIMITS: If a competitor's program is over the allotted time (see below for requirements by round), the jury reserves the right to stop the performance.
|| REPERTOIRE ||
Note: improvisation and/or arranging, whether in the classical or any other genre, are welcome and encouraged, for any round.
In any one of the first two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
First Round
An up to fifteen (15) minute recital of the competitor’s choice, which must include one work or set of works of at least five (5) minutes duration from the following composers:
J.S. Bach J.P. Rameau
François Couperin Domenico Scarlatti
G.F. Handel Antonio Soler
In any one of the first two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
Second Round
An up to fifteen (15) minute recital of the competitor’s choice.
In any one of the first two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
Semifinal Round
An up to twenty (20) minute recital of the competitor’s choice.
Finals
An up to thirty (30) minute recital of the competitor’s choice.
Grand Prize/Concerto Portion
(NOTE: whether a competitor advances to this round of the competition is at the discretion of the jury)
Any concerto, in consultation and as approved by the Artistic Director and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
NOTE: In the event that a competitor advances to the Finals and it becomes apparent that the competitor is unable to perform their concerto with the CSO, the Competition reserves the right to disallow performance in the Final Round.
If a competitor is unable to perform their concerto for any reason, no prize money will be awarded to the competitor.
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Click here for a visual on how this works
The Artist Division will use a bracket-type structure, similar to tennis tournaments. In the first round, each performer will play against another by draw. The judges will determine a “winner” from each set of two competitors. The winners will advance in “Bracket A” and the runners-up move to “Bracket B.” Everyone will compete again in his or her respective brackets in the second round before any elimination from the competition occurs and no one will be judged any differently based on the bracket in which they end up competing.
At the conclusion of the second Artists round, there will be four (4) competitors on each side of the draw for a total of eight (8) competitors advancing to the semi-finals. The jury reserves the right to save one (1) competitor from the second round and advance a total of 9 competitors to the semi-finals. The “save” will be based on the total number of votes a competitor has received during the first and second rounds. If there is a tie as to the number of votes, the jury will then vote on the save. Whether or not any save occurs is completely at the discretion of the jury; a save is not guaranteed.
Round 3 (the Semifinal Round) will mark the end of the “tournament style.” At this point, competitors will be judged according to their composite performances and will not compete head to head against another competitor.
After the semi-final performances, the jury will choose up to three (3) for the finals round, which consists of a 30-minute recital.
Please note that the jury and/or the artistic team reserves the right to select from BOTH the Senior and Young Artist Divisions, for the concerto/Grand Prize portion of the competition with the Cincinnati Symphony.
Senior Division
Application & Performance Requirements
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The Senior Division is open to applicants born between June 24, 2005 and June 19, 2009.
Applications must be received by April 15, 11:59pm EST. The Nina Simone Piano Competition reserves the right to request additional information from applicants.
The following must be included in the online application form via getacceptd.com/artofthepiano. No physical application will be accepted by the NSPC office.
a. A non-refundable charge, in the amount of one hundred U.S. dollars ($100.00). After February 28, 2023, the application fee is $120.00.
b. A digital, high-resolution (300 dpi or higher) photograph of the applicant.
c. A copy of an official birth certificate or passport.
d. An electronic copy of the applicant’s biography of at least 100 words, but no more than 200 words, suitable for publication in the program and/or publicity.
e. Information about the applicant’s prior musical activities: details of competitions entered, awards received, press releases, reviews, recordings released, and management agencies.
f. Details of the applicant’s musical studies. Names of the applicant’s present and most recent teachers, and institutions where studies took place, if applicable. Please include details of any master classes in which the applicant has participated.
g. A video upload is required. This shall consist of:
Up to 15 minutes of music of your choice, including at least five minutes of the Baroque composition from the first round (see Performance Requirements and Repertoire).
The recording is to be performed entirely by the applicant with no alterations (edits) and recorded within one year prior to the date of submission. The recording of must be in one (1) take and the hands must be visible at all times on camera. TO PRESERVE ANONYMITY, DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME AS PART OF THE FILE NAME. DO NOT ADD TITLES WITH YOUR NAME TO THE VIDEO.
The recording must be properly marked with the compositions recorded, and the PRECISE timing of each piece.
h. A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s current teacher including an assurance that the applicant has already learned or performed the concerto chosen for the final round. In the event that a competitor advances to the Finals and is unable to perform their concerto with the CSO, the Competition reserves the right to disallow performance in the Final Round. If a competitor is unable to perform their concerto, no prize money will be awarded to the competitor.
i. Your programs for each round of the competition.
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Rounds and Performance Time Limits
The Senior Division will not utilize a bracket system. Instead, the following number of people will play in each round: Round 1, 12; Round 2, 6; Finals, 3.
If a competitor's program is over the allotted time (see below for requirements by round), the jury reserves the right to stop the performance.
|| REPERTOIRE ||
Note: improvisation and/or arranging, whether in the classical or any other genre, are welcome and encouraged, for any round.
In any one of the first two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
First Round
An up to fifteen (15) minute recital of the competitor’s choice, which must include one work or set of works of at least five (5) minutes duration from the following composers:
J.S. Bach J.P. Rameau
François Couperin Domenico Scarlatti
G.F. Handel Antonio Soler
In any one of the first two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
Second Round
An up to fifteen (15) minute recital of the competitor’s choice.
In any one of the first two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
Finals
An up to twenty (20) minute recital of the competitor’s choice.
Grand Prize/Concerto Portion
(NOTE: whether a competitor advances to this round of the competition is at the discretion of the jury)
Any concerto, in consultation and as approved by the Artistic Director and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
NOTE: In the event that a competitor advances to the Finals and it becomes apparent that the competitor is unable to perform their concerto with the CSO, the Competition reserves the right to disallow performance in the Final Round.
If a competitor is unable to perform their concerto for any reason, no prize money will be awarded to the competitor.
Junior Division
Application & Performance Requirements
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The Junior Division is open to applicants born between June 24, 2010 and June 19, 2013.
Applications must be received by April 15, 11:59pm EST. The Nina Simone Piano Competition reserves the right to request additional information from applicants.
The following must be included in the online application form via getacceptd.com/artofthepiano. No physical application will be accepted by the NSPC office.
a. A non-refundable charge, in the amount of one hundred U.S. dollars ($100.00). After February 28, 2023, the application fee is $120.00.
b. A digital, high-resolution (300 dpi or higher) photograph of the applicant.
c. A copy of an official birth certificate or passport.
d. An electronic copy of the applicant’s biography of at least 100 words, but no more than 200 words, suitable for publication in the program and/or publicity.
e. Information about the applicant’s prior musical activities: details of competitions entered, awards received, press releases, reviews, recordings released, and management agencies.
f. Details of the applicant’s musical studies. Names of the applicant’s present and most recent teachers, and institutions where studies took place, if applicable. Please include details of any master classes in which the applicant has participated.
g. A video upload is required. This shall consist of:
Up to 15 minutes of music of your choice, including at least five minutes of the Baroque composition from the first round (see Performance Requirements and Repertoire).
The recording is to be performed entirely by the applicant with no alterations (edits) and recorded within one year prior to the date of submission. The recording of must be in one (1) take and the hands must be visible at all times on camera. TO PRESERVE ANONYMITY, DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME AS PART OF THE FILE NAME. DO NOT ADD TITLES WITH YOUR NAME TO THE VIDEO.
The recording must be properly marked with the compositions recorded, and the PRECISE timing of each piece.
A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s current teacher.
Your programs for each round of the competition.
-
Rounds and Performance Time Limits
The Junior Division will not utilize a bracket system. Instead, the following number of people will play in each round: Round 1, 6; Round 2 (Finals) 3.
If a competitor's program is over the allotted time (see below for requirements by round), the jury reserves the right to stop the performance.
|| REPERTOIRE ||
Note: improvisation and/or arranging, whether in the classical or any other genre, are welcome and encouraged, for any round.
In any one of the two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
First Round
An up to ten (10) minute recital of the competitor’s choice.
In any one of the two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.
3. Second (Final) Round
An up to fifteen (15) minute recital of the competitor’s choice.
In any one of the two (2) rounds, at least one work written by a composer from the African diaspora must be programmed. Whichever piece you choose must be memorized.