Young musicians invited to vie for music scholarship, chance to perform at Benaroya Hall

November 16, 2009 12:40 pm

Young musicians in Washington, Oregon and Idaho are invited to vie for a scholarship and a chance to perform on stage at Benaroya Hall during the third annual Ten Grands concert on May 21, 2010. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is part of the grand prize that awaits the winner of 98.1 Classical KING FM’s “Ten Grands Young Artist Awards.”

The competition, presented in collaboration with Ten Grands Seattle and The Snowman Foundation, is open to musicians between the ages of 6 and 18. Non-professional acoustic instrumentalists, vocalists, or ensembles of up to six people are eligible to submit the entry (consisting of an audition recording and entry form) until Jan. 31, 2010. Acceptable submissions are YouTube clips lasting no more than five (5) minutes.

“Ten Grands is a sensational evening for music lovers and people who share a passion for making music accessible to children. We created this program to honor young, up and coming artists, as an outlet to celebrate their talent and hard work,” said Bryan Lowe, Program Director at 98.1 Classical KING FM.

Twenty semi-finalists will be showcased for public voting online from Feb. 8 until March 1, 2010 at www.king.org, with half of them advancing as finalists. These finalists will perform together at the May 21 Ten Grands event, with the grand prize winner featured in a solo performance and presented with a $1,000 scholarship from KING FM.

JUDGING:

Entries will be judged in phases:

1. All entries are due by Jan. 31, 2010.

2. On or about Feb. 1, 2010, a judging panel will select 20 semi-finalists from all entries.

3. On or about Feb. 8 until March 1, 2010, these semi-finalist videos will be posted online for a public vote. One vote per household per week is allowed.

4. On or about March 15, 2010, KING FM will announce the top 10 finalists and the grand prize winner.

Along with the opportunity to perform at Benaroya Hall, contest winners will receive various prizes from KING FM, ranging from tickets to the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera to exclusive back stage meetings with major artists and CDs from KING FM and ArkivMusic. The top 10 finalist videos will also be featured on the front page of the KING FM website. Official contest rules and entry forms are online at www.king.org.

“We are excited by this partnership between KING FM and Ten Grands and the opportunities it provides for talented young musicians,” said Kathy Fahlman Dewalt, executive producer of Ten Grands Seattle and a longtime music educator. “Whether kids aspire to be professional musicians, or just want the fun experience of preparing an audition tape, the Young Artist Awards promises to be a memorable and rewarding experience,” she suggested.