Submissions for Minnesota Varsity 2019 now being accepted through Dec. 3, Open house kickoff held at MPR Oct. 23

Classical MPR is gearing up for its ninth annual Minnesota Varsity, a showcase in which instrumentalists, vocalists and composers, ages 14 to 18, from the region are featured.

Music students living in or attending school within a Minnesota Public Radio signal are invited to submit a solo or ensemble recording of an instrument or vocal performance of a classical or musical theater work, performed by an ensemble or soloist.

For a seventh year, American Composers Forum (ACF) will partner with Classical MPR in the Composition category. Student composers are also invited to submit an original score for piano, violin, and cello, or for any solo or combination of those instruments.

All entrants become members of the Minnesota Varsity Team and are given exclusive entry to the Minnesota Varsity social community. Starting in December, registered Minnesota Varsity Team members will have the opportunity to participate in special events and contests. Each entrant/group member is offered a free two-ticket reservation to a Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concert or two-ticket voucher to a Minnesota Orchestra concert in the 2018-2019 season.

The submission deadline is 9 a.m. on Dec. 3. Official rules, FAQs and submission specifications are available at www.classicalmpr.org/topic/minnesota-varsity.

Minnesota Varsity Rounds

From the submissions, MPR judges will select ten instrumental and vocal entrants for the Featured Round. These Featured Artists are then invited to make a professional recording in MPR’s Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Studio. These recordings will be made available for streaming online, and excerpts will be broadcast on Classical MPR.

Five featured composers will be chosen by an ACF panel of judges. Featured composers will attend a workshop day with composer Edie Hill as mentor to have their works performed by an ensemble and receive assistance in polishing and presenting their compositions.

Of the remaining instrumental and vocal entrants, four will be selected as showcase artists by a panel of professional musicians and educators, and one will be selected by an online audience vote. Two showcase composers will be selected by the ensemble musicians, Hill, and American Composers Forum.

Minnesota Varsity will culminate in May with a live radio broadcast and showcase performance by the Showcase Artists onstage at the University of Minnesota’s Ted Mann Concert Hall. The showcase composers’ works also will be premiered at the theater.

Kickoff event

New this year, Classical MPR will host a free Minnesota Varsity Kickoff event on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at Minnesota Public Radio’s UBS Forum in St. Paul. An information session about Minnesota Varsity will take place from 6-8 p.m., where interested high school classical musicians, composers, and musical theater singers can learn more about Minnesota Varsity, along with their teachers and parents.

Classical MPR staff and American Composers Forum staff will be on hand, with a special appearance by Minnesota Varsity alumna Karen Baumgartner. A brief studio tour and light refreshments will also be available for attendees.

RSVP to this event and find more information at www.classicalmpr.org/story/2018/09/28/2019-minnesota-varsity-kickoff-event.