Rules Governing The Instrumental Solo and Ensemble Contest For Adjudicators - Piano
The following information is from the I.G.S.M.A. Constitution and By-Laws. To read the complete rules concerning Solo & Ensemble Contest - Click Here
To download the Solo & Ensemble Contest Adjudication sheets PDF - Click Here Revised November, 2013
To download the complete Piano Solo & Ensemble Judges Packet PDF - Click Here
To read how to use the Scoring Scale - Click Here
Return to Judging Information Home Page - Click Here
A. SOLOS
1. Events
b. Piano
2. Classification
a. Solos are to be classified solely according to the difficulty of the selections as given on the required lists published by this Association. (School enrollment classifications are in no way correlated to the classifications given to these events.)
Class A Difficult
Class B Medium Difficult
Class C Medium
Class D Easy
Class E Beginner
Class D and E are restricted to District participation.
b. The soloist may be entered in any classification desired during his first year of participation in the contests. Thereafter he is REQUIRED to advance at least one classification higher, having received a Division I rating the previous year at District Contest. The soloist may advance as many classifications as desired regardless of previous ratings earned, but is NOT permitted to enter a lower classification.
3. Participating schools will be permitted an unlimited number of solo entries.
4. If a student chooses to participate in more than one solo event, he must perform a different selection each on different instruments i.e. piccolo and flute, baritone and trombone, etc.
5. A soloist shall not perform a composition performed by him in former District or State Contest.
6. All soloists will be required to perform the same selection at the State Contest that was performed at the District Contest.
8. All piano solos must be memorized. Piano soloists shall not read from a score upon penalty of being placed one Division lower in the final rating.
10. The performance time of a composition shall not exceed six minutes.
12. Students appearing without an accompaniment or without an adjudicators score shall be referred to the contest chairperson. They shall make the decision whether or not the student shall perform.
13. A soloist will not be permitted to wear uniform, medals or in any other way reveal his or his schools identity to the adjudicator. A director will not identify a soloist to the adjudicator by any action or deed.
14. To be eligible to perform, soloists shall provide for the adjudicator one original score of their performance selection. All measures must be numbered consecutively from the beginning to the end of the selection. Failure to have the measures numbered will result in a penalty of being placed one Division lower in the final rating.
16. Piano solo participants must be performing members of the band, orchestra, chorus or accompany events in the solo and ensemble contest.