Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition
An opportunity to perform a concerto movement with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra.
Held in conjunction with Oxfordshire County Music Service, the Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition takes place every other year and offers the county’s most talented young musicians the opportunity to perform a concerto movement with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra and win a cash prize.
Your time to shine
About the Junior Concerto Competition
The Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition is held every other year in conjunction with Oxfordshire County Music Service, alternating with the Senior Competition, and is a fantastic opportunity for young musicians to gain invaluable performance experience as soloists.
After an audition process and a semi-final in which competitors perform a short recital to our panel, three finalists proceed to perform one movement each from a concerto of their choice with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra. The winner, selected by our panel, will be awarded a trophy and cash prize.
The semi-final will take place on Friday 6 December 2024, 19:00 at St Anne’s College, and the final will take place on Saturday 8 February 2025, 18:30 at the Centre for Music, Headington.
How to apply
Applicants to the Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition must be at least Grade 8 standard and be residents or students in Oxfordshire, in full time secondary education or on a gap year following A-levels. For the 2024/25 competition, applicants must be aged 19 or under on 31 August 2025.
Please note that previous winners of the Junior Concerto Competition may not enter again.
Applications for 2026-27 will open in summer 2026.
Audition information
October 2026, date TBC
Centre for Music, Bayswater Rd, Oxford OX3 9FF
Candidates only applying for the Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition and/or Young Artists’ Platform will prepare the following for the audition:
- Two contrasting pieces lasting no longer than 10 minutes in total (movements and excerpts of longer works may be performed)
For those also applying for the Side-by-Side programme, candidates will also play:
- Two orchestral excerpts, which can be accessed here
- Sight-reading provided in the audition
If you have any questions about the Oxfordshire Junior Concerto Competition or any other student programmes, please contact Lydia Bennett, Education Officer.