The MTACC Piano Competition

Competition Guidlines

Competition Guidelines

• Competition hours are Sunday, 2-5pm

• The MTACC Piano Competition is open to eligible students regardless of ethnicity or nationality.  The eligibility rules are listed below. 

• The MTACC Piano Competition is a formal classical piano competition, featuring 1st Place, 2nd Place, and Honorable Mention placements.

• To minimize performance pressure, enhance focus, and ensure fairness, the competition is a closed event.  Only the student and the Visiting Artist will be present during the performances.  Parents and teachers are not allowed in the performance room but may wait in the designated area. 

• Please note that recording performances (both audio and video) is prohibited. 

• All decisions made by the Visiting Artist are final.

• Students who have participated in the WSMTA Music Artistry Program may also opt to represent Clark County and perform at the WSMTA State Conference in June.

Registration Guidelines

• All registrations to be submitted online

• Please input your student's full name properly and correctly, as participation certificates will be printed using this information

• Please input all repertoire information, including catalog number and key

• Memorization is required

• Please mail checks made payable to MTACC to the Treasurer within one week of registration

Student Eligibility​

• The competition is open to students who are currently studying piano with a teacher who has been a member of the Music Teachers Association of Clark County for at least six months

• Students must be in grades K-12 at the time of the competition

• Previous winners are allowed to compete again, but they must present new repertoire

• Students of the competition's Visiting Artist may be ineligible to participate

Student Divisions

• Competitors will register according to their school grade as of the competition dates, organized as follows:​

  • Children (Grades K-3)

  • Lower Elementary (Grades 4-5)

  • Upper Elementary (Grades 6-8)

  • Lower High School (Grades 9-10)

  • Upper High School (Grades 11-12)​

Application​

• The application deadline is Sunday, February 22, 2026 at 9pm.  To allow sufficient time for scheduling and planning the competition, late applications will not be accepted, and no exceptions will be made. 

• Applications must be submitted online through the MTACC website.

• The application fee of $35 ($38.05 w/ sales tax) per student is due upon completion of the application and can be paid online.  All registration fees are final and non-refundable.

• Please note that registration may close early if the applicant capacity is reached before the registration deadline. 

• The detailed piano competition schedule will be sent to participating teachers via email by March 1st.

• Any scheduling requests from competitors and/or teachers are not permitted to ensure equity and fairness.

Repertoire Requirements

• All competitors must perform one classical piece from one of the following historical periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionism, or Contemporary (20th-21st Centuries).

• Performance time is limited to a maximum of 5 minutes.

• Competitor may perform two movements of the same opus number (such as two movements from the same sonata), two numbers from a collection of short pieces (such as Schumann's Papillon or Kinderszenen), or a Prelude and Fugue.  The total performance must be within the 5-minute time limit.

• No repeats are required due to time constraints. 

• Visiting Artists reserve the right to stop any performance that exceeds the time limit.  Stopping a performance does not affect the overall evaluation. 

• Memorization is required for all repertoire.

• Repertoire changes are not permitted after registration is complete.

• Competitors must provide the Visiting Artist with a published score of the music being performed.  Photocopies or other reproductions of the music are not allowed.

• If the music is only available in digital format from the publisher or online sources, competitors must provide proof of purchase or legal download of the music and present the Visiting Artist with a clean copy in a binder. 

• For any questions or clarifications regarding the repertoire, please email the MTACC Piano Competition Chair.

Adjudication Criteria

• Performances will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

  • Accuracy: notes, rhythm, articulation, dynamics​

  • Technique: fluency, control, pedaling, hand position

  • Musicality: tone, phrasing, style, interpretation

  • Stage Presence: confidence, professionalism

  • Overall Impression

Awards

• In each division, 1st and 2nd Place prizes will be awarded.  At the discretion of the Visiting Artist, 3rd Place and Honorable Mentions may also be given. 

• Every participant will receive a Certificate of Participation. 

• All decisions made by the Visiting Artist are final and cannot be questioned, reviewed, or appealed.  The MTACC does not influence or direct the Visiting Artist final decisions. 

• The announcement of awards will take place on the Monday following the competition.  The awarded prizes will be available at the competition chair's studio and must be arranged for pickup within one week after the competition. 

WSMTA Honors Recital (Annual State Conference)

• The Visiting Artist will select two (2) representatives to perform at the WSMTA Honors Recital at the annual WSMTA State Conference in June.  Details will be sent to representatives in the early spring. 

• To be eligible for consideration, competitors must be students of teachers who are MTACC members and must be registered and participate in the WSMTA Music Artistry Program before the competition.  MTACC will verify students' registrations for MAP during the competition registration.  

• Visiting Artist's decisions regarding Honors Recital finalists are final. 

Competition Procedures

• Competitors must arrive at least 15 minutes before their assigned performance time. 

• Only the performer and the Visiting Artist are allowed in the performance room. 

• Parents, teachers, and other participants must wait in the designated waiting area. 

• Each competitor is required to provide the Visiting Artist with a clean copy of the score for the music they are performing. 

• Measures must be numbered at the beginning of each line of music. 

• Competitors must announce their name an the title of their repertoire to the Visiting Artist before beginning. 

• Competitors are encouraged to take the time to properly adjust the piano bench before starting their performance.

• After completing their performance, competitors may collect their music and exit the competition room; there is no need to wait afterward.

• The competition results will be announced on the following Monday to the competitors' teachers via email.

• The competitors' teachers must make arrangements to collect the awards within a week after the competition.