CS Vocal Competition

Cash Prizes, Scholarships, Masterclasses, and more!

Online First Round: Now through – May 1
Live First Round in San Francisco: May 26
Second, Semifinal & Final Rounds in San Francisco: May 27-29

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Competition Registration includes a FREE Convention Attendee Pass for the 70+ masterclasses and college recruiting fair! View Masterclass Schedule

CLASSICAL and MUSICAL THEATRE Divisions

High School, University, and Young Artist/Pre-Professional Levels

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Sponsored by Appcompanist, the perfect practice tool!


  • $13,000 in Cash Prizes

 

  • Millions in University Scholarships

 

  • Written Feedback from University Faculty and Industry Professionals

 

  • Free Convention Masterclass Pass

 

  • $75 registration fee


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*Singers can do both Classical and Musical Theatre divisions, but must register for each division separately.

First Round Auditions

Choose an Online or an In-Person First Round Audition

All qualified singers advance to the Second Round, May 27-28, at the CS Music Convention. Singers can do auditions in both classical and musical theatre, but must register separately for each instance.

Singers submit ONE song selection (no longer than 7 minutes) for the First Round; the same selection or a new one can be used for later rounds.

Online Auditions

Deadline May 1

Submit a Video

Upload to YouTube a new self-recording and add it to your application. Click for more INSTRUCTIONS

Get Reviewed

CS judges review your video and give you written feedback and an overall score.

Advance

All qualified singers advance to the LIVE Second Round in San Francisco, May 27-28, at the CS Music Convention.

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In-Person Auditions

Live Locations

 

  • April 22 – California State University, Fresno
  • May 26 – San Francisco, CA (CS Music Convention)

*Check back later as other live locations will be added.

 

Live Audition Guidelines

  • One selection up to 7 minutes in length.
  • Accompanists are provided, but singers can bring their own.
  • There is no time to rehearse with accompanists.
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Second Round and Finals

All Second Round and Final events are held at the CS Music Convention.

  • May 26-29, 2023 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in San Francisco.
    • Participants receive:
      • FREE Convention Masterclass Attendee Pass
      • Free entrance to the College Expo Recruiting Fair
  • There are no additional registration fees, but participants are responsible for hotel, travel, and food.


Final Rounds Schedule

  • Second Round

    Saturday, May 27 – Sunday, May 28 (10 am – 8 pm each day)

    • Singers perform 1 selection
    • Top 25-40 from each division advance to the Semifinal Round
    • Daytime audition attire appropriate
    • Accompanist provided

 

  • Semifinal Round

    Monday, May 29 (9:30 am – 1:30 pm)

    • Singers perform 1 selection
    • Top 5-10 from each division advance to the Final Round
    • Daytime audition attire appropriate
    • Accompanist provided

 

  • Final Round

    Monday, May 29 (2:30 – 6:00 pm)

    • Singers perform 1 selection
    • Formal attire appropriate but not required
    • Accompanist provided

 

  • Awards Concert

    Monday, May 29 (7:30 pm)

    • Top 3 winners announced
    • First Place winner from each division performs
    • University Scholarships announced

Competition Divisions:

*Singers can do both Classical and Musical Theatre divisions, but must register for each division separately.
Classical Divisions (click to view)

High School I (Fr/So/Jr)

  • Minimum age of 14
  • Must be a current high school Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior
  • Cannot be attending a university program

High School II (Sr)

  • Minimum age of 16
  • Must be a current high school Senior
  • Cannot be attending a university program

University

  • Ages 18-23 as of May 28, 2023
  • No undergraduate or graduate performance degree as of January 1, 2023
  • High school graduate or equivalent

Classical Young Artist/Emerging Pro

  • Minimum age of 22
  • No age limit
  • Recommended to have a degree in vocal-related field or significant vocal training
  • No principal roles with A or B level companies

Musical Theatre Division (click to view)

High School I (Fr/So/Jr)

  • Minimum age of 14
  • Must be a current high school Freshman, Sophomore, or Junior
  • Cannot be attending a university program

High School II (Sr)

  • Minimum age of 16
  • Must be a current high school Senior
  • Cannot be attending a university program

University/Pre-Professional

  • Minimum age of 18
  • No age limit
  • Recommended to have a degree in vocal-related field or significant vocal training
  • No lead experience on Broadway

General Guidelines

Classical Divisions Rep

  • Singers should choose repertoire at a level appropriate to their vocal development.
  • Art songs or Arias are accepted.
  • Repertoire can be in any language.

Musical Theatre Divisions Rep

  • Selections can come from Broadway, off-Broadway, and revival shows.
  • Both mix/belt and legit style singing are accepted and judged equally.
  • Singers should be able to demonstrate strong acting abilities as appropriate to the literature.

Scholarships

  • More than $5,600,000 of university and summer program scholarships will be offered to Competition participants.
  • Any singer who advances from the First Round is eligible to win a scholarship.
  • Scholarships are given completely at the discretion of the school offering it. The majority of the scholarships will go to juniors or sophomores as most seniors have already committed to a specific school.
  • $14,000 in cash prizes will also be given to the national winners at the Awards Concert.

 


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