Official Rules and Repertoire

1. The competition is open to all trumpeters born after January 1, 1994.

2. Completed online applications for the competition must be received by May 15, 2024. Applications may be found on the International Trumpet Guild’s competition website, beginning February 1, 2024 (12:01 AM EST). A link to that online application will also be found on this site.

The application must include:

a. Completed online registration form.

b. A non-refundable application fee of US$100. Applicants must pay online (using a credit card via PayPal or directly from a PayPal account) using only one valid email address.

c. Unedited recordings of the works specified in Round One (see repertoire list in Rule 5, below) in mp3 format only. Each work will be uploaded as a separate file.

d. A one-page typed curriculum vitae in PDF format.

e. A copy of a document verifying the applicant’s date of birth (such as a passport, identity card, driver’s license, birth certificate, etc.) in PDF format.

Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Acknowledgment will be sent upon receipt of the complete application.

Those applicants who are invited to the live rounds will be contacted by the competition host and required to provide specific promotional materials. Complete instructions and the deadline for receipt of the materials will be provided at the time of notification. A non-refundable accompanist fee of US$100 will be paid at that time unless the contestant indicates a commitment to hire a pianist at their own expense (see Rule 7).

3. The competition will consist of six rounds. The first round will be judged based on a recording (see Rule 5). Rounds two through six will be carried out live in Kalamazoo, Michigan (see Rules 8 – 10).

4. A first prize of US$10,000 and a second prize of US$5,000 will be awarded. The judges reserve the right to award no first or second prize if they feel no contestant meets the standards set for this competition. No ties will be awarded.

Please note: All winnings of US and non-US citizens are subject to applicable US and Michigan income tax laws and withholding requirements. 

5. Repertoire for Round One | Recorded Round

All accompanied works should be performed with accompaniment.

Please note the following with regard to the Telemann:

• Each soloist may play a trumpet in the key of their choice (e.g. piccolo trumpet in A, G trumpet, etc.), but movements must be performed in their published key of B minor (modern pitch, not Baroque), and ornaments should be played in Baroque style.

• Piano or harpsichord may be used for accompaniment (modern pitch, not Baroque).

• Published realization of the continuo line may be used, or accompanists may perform their own realization.

The indicated editions are to be used. The recording should be of the highest-quality fidelity and must be unedited (i.e., individual movements may not contain splicing). Do not announce the contestant’s name, titles of work, etc. on the recording. All recordings will be numbered and judged anonymously.

6. A maximum of eight contestants will be invited to compete in Rounds Two and Three, and a maximum of five contestants will advance to Round Four. Two to three finalists will participate in Rounds Five and Six. Participants selected for Round Two will be notified by June 15, 2024. After these performers are confirmed, other applicants will be notified.

7. Professional accompanists will be provided for the discounted rate of US$100. Contestants who bring their own pianists will do so at their own expense. Two sixty-minute sessions of rehearsal time with piano will be scheduled for each contestant on Monday, September 30, 2024. Sixty minutes of rehearsal time with piano will be scheduled for each finalist on Wednesday, October 2, and sixty minutes of rehearsal time with piano will be scheduled for each finalist on Thursday, October 3.

8. Repertoire for Rounds Two and Three

Round 2 (beginning late morning/early afternoon Tuesday, October 1, 2024)

• Hailstork, A., Variations for Trumpet (Presser)

and

• Böhme, O., Concerto in F Minor (Simrock) OR Peskin, V., Concerto no. 1 in C minor (Editions Marc Reift)

Round 3 (evening of Tuesday, October 1, 2024)   

• Honegger, A., Intrada (Salabert)

• Enesco. G.,  Légende (International)

and choice of

• Rueff, J., Mobiles (Leduc) OR Rueff, J., Sonatine (Leduc)

Rounds Two and Three will be held in the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan (USA). All works will be performed in their entirety and in the indicated order. Contestants advancing to the next round will be announced shortly after the conclusion of Round Three.

9. Repertoire for Round Four | First Final Round

Round 4 (afternoon on Wednesday, October 2, 2024)

• Telemann, G.P., Methodical Sonata of contestant’s choice (complete) with continuo (Bärenreiter or G. Henle)

and choice of

• Scelsi, G., Quatro Pezzi (Salabert) OR Maxwell Davies, P., Litany for a Ruined Chapel Between Sheep and Shore (Chester)

Round Four will be held in the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University. All works will be performed in their entirety and in the indicated order. Contestants advancing to the next round will be announced shortly after the conclusion of Round Four.

10. Repertoire for Rounds Five and Six | Finals

Round 5 (Finals A – with piano) (afternoon on Friday, October 4, 2024)

choice of

• Tomasi, H., Concerto (Leduc) OR Desenclos, A., Incantation, Thrène, et Danse (Leduc)

Round 6 (Finals B – with strings and continuo of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra

(evening on Friday, October 4)

• Telemann, G.P., Concerto in D Major, TWV 51:D7 (Sikorski)

and

• Neruda, J.P.B., Concerto (Henle)

Rounds Five and Six will be performed with piano and orchestra, respectively, and

will be held in the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University. Rehearsal with piano will take place during the morning of Thursday, October 3. Rehearsal with the orchestra will take place during the evening of Thursday, October 3.

10. General Remarks on Rounds Two through Five

The indicated editions are to be used. The order of appearance for Rounds Two and Three will be determined by random assignment after all participants in Round Two are confirmed. Rehearsal and performance times for these rounds will be communicated shortly

thereafter. The order of appearance for each set of live rounds will be determined by the drawing of lots immediately after the announcement of the participants. All rounds will be open to the public. Spectators will be allowed to enter and exit the performance spaces only between performers. All contestants herewith agree to allow the Columbus Foundation, the International Trumpet Guild, Western Michigan University, all competition sponsors, and the media to release post-competition publicity, which may include photographs. The winner of the First Prize will be invited to perform as a featured artist during the 2025 ITG Conference. If any part of the competition should be recorded in any way (including radio, TV, and internet), contestants herewith agree to perform without an additional fee.

11. The competition chair oversees the competition and may, in case of necessity or emergency, make decisions to adopt measures beneficial to the competition’s operation. Decisions by the competition judges for awards will be considered final.

12. The awards ceremony will occur at the conclusion of Round Six. The International Trumpet Guild and the Columbus Foundation provide all monetary prizes and operations for the competition.

13. Questions regarding the competition may be addressed to the competition host:

Robert White, D.M.
Irving S. Gilmore School of Music
Western Michigan University College of Fine Arts
Kalamazoo, MI 49008 USA
ellsworthcontest@trumpetguild.org
https://wmich.edu/ellsworthsmith