How to Prepare for a Concerto Competition

Your piece should show off your strengths without stretching you beyond what you can play beautifully under pressure. Judges would rather hear a slightly easier work performed with confidence and musicality than a showpiece that falls apart in the hard passages.

Before committing, read the competition's rules carefully. For the UPO competition, contestants prepare a single movement from an advanced-level concerto, an aria from an opera or oratorio, or another standard solo with orchestral accompaniment — and the orchestral parts must be readily available commercially. Check the list of ineligible pieces too: works performed by recent winners are off the table.

Start months ahead, not weeks. Break the movement into sections and set weekly goals: notes and rhythm first, then phrasing, then tempo, then polish. Slow practice with a metronome is unglamorous but unbeatable — if you can't play it perfectly slowly, you can't play it reliably fast.

Record yourself regularly. What feels expressive in the moment often sounds different from the outside, and recordings reveal rushed passages, uneven tone, and habits you stop noticing in the practice room.

Playing for an audience is a separate skill. Schedule run-throughs for family, friends, your teacher's studio class, or anyone who will listen. Treat each one like the real thing: walk in, tune, breathe, and play straight through without stopping.

If the competition involves an accompanist, rehearse with them early and often. Knowing exactly how the accompaniment breathes with your part removes a huge source of day-of uncertainty.

Nerves are normal — every competitor feels them. The goal isn't to eliminate adrenaline but to play well alongside it. Develop a pre-performance routine: a good night's sleep, a normal meal, a calm warm-up, and a few slow breaths before you walk in.

Visualization helps too. In the weeks before the competition, mentally rehearse the whole experience — the room, the judges, the first notes — so the real moment feels familiar rather than foreign.

Submit your registration form and fee well before the deadline, confirm the venue and your time slot, and plan to arrive early. Bring copies of your music if the rules require them, and double-check what the competition provides (accompanist, music stands, warm-up space) so nothing surprises you.