Peabody Institute Competitions

Information for Peabody competitions can be found below.

For questions about Peabody competitions, contact Greg Hays at [email protected]

Art Song Competition

2022 PRIZE WINNERS
Undergraduate Division

1st Prize - Katelynn Cherry
2nd Prize - HyunWoo Song
3rd Prize - Maya Watson

Outstanding performance of a work by an African American composer - Giannie Nguyen

Graduate Division

1st Prize - Hannah Davis
2nd Prize - Christina Stewart
2nd Prize - Marjorie Sheiman

The jury decided that both contestants were worthy of second prize, therefore no third prize was awarded.

Outstanding performance of a work by an African American composer - Hannah Davis

PRIZES
Undergraduate Division: 1st-$500, 2nd-$300, 3rd-$150
Graduate Division: 1st-$1,000, 2nd-$750, 3rd-$500
Outstanding Performance of a Work by an African American Composer: $100
​​​​​​​(one award per division.)

All prize winners will be featured on the January 27th 2023 Noon:30 concert in Leith Symington Griswold Hall.

​​​​​​​*Prizes that are awarded are considered taxable income by JHU.

2022 Yale Gordon Competition for Piano

2022 PRIZE WINNERS
1st - Yilun Xu
2nd - Jiin Kim
3rd - Ningxin Zhan


ELIGIBLE DISCIPLINES

Strings
Conservatory majors enrolled in a degree, certificate, or diploma program for piano during the 2022-23 academic year may compete with the consent of their major teachers. Students not enrolled for lessons, as well as students excused from a large ensemble orchestral requirement because of injury during the semester which the competition is held, are not eligible to compete. Previous first prize winners are not eligible.



PRIZES
1st Prize

$1,500 cash prize
Solo performance with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra during the 2023-2024 academic year. A graduating student who wins this competition is expected to return to Peabody for the performance.
A recital on the Shriver Hall Concert Series, "Discovery Series"
2nd Prize

$750 cash prize
​​​​​​​3rd Prize

$500 cash prize


​​​​​​​*Prizes that are awarded are considered taxable income by JHU. ​​​​​​​

The Marbury Competition for Undergraduate Violinists 

Marbury Undergraduate Violin Competition

Endowed by the law firm of DLA Piper

2024 Prize Winners
Co-winners: Sylvia Yunjun Chen and Sumin Lee

ELIGIBILITY
Any Conservatory undergraduate violin major enrolled in a degree or certificate program for the 2021-2022 academic year. Students not enrolled for lessons, as well as students excused from a large ensemble orchestral requirement because of injury during the semester which the competition is held, are not eligible to compete. Previous first-prize winners are not eligible.


PRIZES
1st Prize:
$1,000 cash prize
Solo recital, open to the public
2nd Prize:
$500



2023 Prix d'Ete Composition Competition

Endowed by Walter Summer in 1994, this annual competition was established to encourage composition and computer music majors to compose chamber works exploring dimensions in performance, instrumentation, and multimedia. Entries ranging from chamber works with electronics to purely electronic compositions to interactive installations are welcome.

2023 Prize Winners

1st Prize – Chimera by Chenghao Li, an undergraduate student studying with Sky Macklay.
2nd Prize – Tile the Plane by Cameron Church, an MM student studying with Oscar Bettison.
3rd Prize – Timestreams by Zachary Fick-Cambria, a DMA student studying with Felipe Lara.

Macht Orchestral Composition Competition

2023 Prize Winner

1st Prize – Ocean Mist at Twilight by Zhitao Lin, a DMA student studying with Du Yun.

ELIGIBILITY
Any Conservatory student enrolled in a degree program for composition major study during the 2020-2021 academic year. Previous prizewinners are not eligible.


​​​​​​​REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS
Only one composition may be entered per student. The work should be composed for a standard symphonic or chamber orchestra (not to exceed three parts in each woodwind section, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, four percussionists, two harps, piano/celesta, and strings) and cannot be longer than 14 minutes in duration. The work submitted must have been written during the composer’s time at Peabody and played through by a Peabody ensemble in either a rehearsal or performance.

The Harrison-Winter Competitions for Piano

Endowed by gifts in memory of Judge Winter given by family, friends, and former law clerks

2021 PRIZE WINNERS

1st Prize - Victoria Young
2nd Prize - Zoie Tse

ELIGIBILITY
Any Conservatory student enrolled in a degree, certificate, or diploma program for piano major study during the 2021-2022 academic year. Students not currently enrolled for lessons are not eligible to compete. Previous first-prize winners are not eligible. 

REPERTOIRE REQUIREMENTS:
Contestants are allowed to choose any piano concerto (excluding Rachmaninoff 3)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, December 5th, 2021 by 11:59 pm EST

PRIZES
1st Prize:
$1,000 cash prize
Solo Performance with a Peabody Orchestra during the 2022-2023 academic year. A graduating student who wins first prize will be expected to return to Peabody for the performance.

2nd Prize:
$500 cash prize

​​​​​​​*Prizes that are awarded are considered taxable income by JHU.

Yale Gordon Competition for Other Instruments

ELIGIBLE DISCIPLINES
Instrument other than piano and orchestral bowed strings
(Eligible disciplines include: Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Harp, and Guitar)

Conservatory majors enrolled in a degree, certificate, or diploma program for bowed strings or any instrument other than piano and orchestral bowed strings during the 2021-2022 academic year may compete with the consent of their major teachers. Students not enrolled for lessons, as well as students excused from a large ensemble orchestral requirement because of injury during the semester which the competition is held, are not eligible to compete. Previous first prize winners are not eligible.

2022 Prize Winners
1st Prize - Jasmine Pigott
2nd Prize - Denis Savelyev
3rd Prize - Bailey Liu


​​​​​​​REPERTOIRE

Preliminary Round: A full recital of solo works (at least 50 minutes of music)
**Final Round concerto may not be featured on the Preliminary Round program.**
​​​​​​​Final Round: A concerto from the standard repertoire for solo instrument. Finalists will play the entire concerto with predetermined cuts of orchestral tuttis. Concerti selected from outside the standard literature are subject to approval by the Ensemble Office and the Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Artistic Director of Ensembles.
At this time, double concerti are not permitted to be entered in the competition.

REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION

Students must submit a list of all repertoire for both the preliminary round and file round, including complete title(s), timings, composer name and composer birth/death dates.
Headshot and Biography (200 word maximum)​​​​​​​

PRIZES
1st Prize- $1,500
2nd Prize- $750
​​​​​​​3rd Prize- $500

​​​​​​​*Prizes that are awarded are considered taxable income by JHU.

DeLillo Composition Competition

2022 Prize Winners

1st Prize - Zhishu Chang, Into the Red
2nd Prize - Andrew Burke, Juniper

ELIGIBILITY
Any Conservatory student enrolled in a degree program for composition major study during the 2021-2022 academic year. Students not currently enrolled in lessons are not eligible to compete. Previous first-prize winners are not eligible. This competition is held every other year.

Sylvia Green Voice Competition

Sylvia Green Voice Competition
​​​​​​​The Sylvia Green Voice Competition is held every other year and will be held in the 2021-2022 academic year.

2022 Prize Winners

1st Prize - Helena Colindres
2nd Prize - Syrena Torres
3rd Prize - Manli Deng

ELIGIBILITY
​​​​​​​Any Conservatory voice major enrolled in a degree or certificate program with junior status or higher during the 2021-2022 academic year. Eligibility includes graduate students, except for degree-in-progress students not enrolled for lessons. Students excused from large ensembles for injury during the spring semester are not eligible to enter. Previous first prize winners of this competition are ineligible. It is expected that students will seek the advice of their major teachers on their suitability to take part in the competition and on the choice of program.

​​PRIZES
1st Prize- $2,000
2nd Prize- $1,000
3rd Prize- $500