2026 UTAH ASTA STATE SOLO COMPETITION

Categories: Junior (age 14 and under) Senior (ages 15-17) and Collegiate (age 18-25 undergrad)

Instruments: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Classical Guitar & Harp

ENTRY FORM AND PRELIMINARY RECORDING 

DUE OCT 10, 2026

ENTRY FEE:

$35 Collegiate and Senior

$25 Junior

Submit online or mail to:

Dr. Ka-Wai Yu

Utah ASTA State Solo Competition Coordinator

225 S University Avenue: Eccles Fine Arts Bldg

St. George, UT 84770

utahasta@gmail.com

Repertoire

VIOLIN
 1) One movement from J. S. Bach’s Solo Sonatas or Partitas, 2) Contestant’s own choice.  

VIOLA
 1) One movement from J. S. Bach’s Cello Suites, 2) Contestant’s own choice.  

CELLO  1) One movement from J. S. Bach’s Cello Suites, 2) Contestant’s own choice.  

DOUBLE BASS
1) One movement from Bach’s Cello Suites or a comparable piece composed before 1750, 2) Contestant’s own choice.

GUITAR
 1) One movement from a Baroque composition by J. S. Bach, Sanz or Weiss, 2) Contestant’s own choice.

HARP
 1) One movement from a solo work by J. S. Bach, Händel, Andrès or Tournier, 2) Contestant’s own choice.

*Junior Level may choose any baroque work; along with a work from a different time period, i.e., “non-baroque”

It is suggested that repertoire beyond the required work be varied in both time period and style. Either unaccompanied works or works with piano accompaniment (original or orchestral reductions) are allowed in all rounds of the Competition.

Total Performance Time 

Collegiate Division - 15-20 minutes 

Senior Division - 10-15 minutes

Junior Division - 8-12 minutes 

a) Time limits are suggestions only. Recordings and performances under the minimum will not be disqualified. Nevertheless, contestants are encouraged to fully utilize the performance time to feature themselves in the best possible light. Recordings or performances exceeding the maximum will be stopped, but entrants will not be penalized. 

b) The cutting of lengthy piano tutti sections is strongly encouraged.  

Further repertoire guidelines and considerations

a) Complete works or complete single movements from works will be required of all contestants.

b) No composer may be represented more than once in each contestant’s program.  Multiple movements of the same work are permitted but two composers MUST be represented.

c) All works (including sonatas) performed in the Utah State Finals must be played by memory.

Preliminary Recording

a) The required repertoire must be included. Other works presented on the recording may be different from those performed in the live Final Competition.

b) Recordings must be in video format. Please upload it to YouTube and submit the link to your video.  Each piece or movement must be recorded without editing. Edited performances will be disqualified. Contestants should submit as high quality recordings as possible. 

Awards

Collegiate Division

First Prize $300

Second Prize $200

Senior Division Junior Division

First Prize $175 First Prize $100

Second Prize $125 Second Prize $75

Final Round will be held at Utah Valley University Saturday, October 24.  The first-prize winners will perform in the ASTA Midwinter Conference on February 4, 2027 (Thursday) in St. George.  Awards sponsored in part by a generous donation of Dennis C. Brimhall

ASTA Membership

ASTA membership required for the collegiate entries and teachers of junior/senior  entries.  Entering students must be a resident in the state of Utah.