Marimbafest Australia’s 2019 Marimba Competition is a three-stage solo-marimba competition open to players of all levels. Its published period is 2019-07-03/2019-07-05, including the opening reception on 3 July; the live semifinal and final are scheduled for 2019-07-04/2019-07-05 at the Callaway Music Auditorium, UWA Conservatorium of Music, Perth. The wider Marimbafest festival is scheduled for 2019-07-03/2019-07-07.

Entry and format

Competitors must register for either a Festival Pass or a Competition Only Pass and attend the Wednesday 3 July reception. The three stages are:

  1. Stage 1 — online video submission. Entrants submit an unedited, unlisted YouTube video of an unaccompanied marimba solo of at most 10 minutes. The organizer recommends a work from its Competition Repertoire List (CRL); an alternative of comparable difficulty requires prior consultation.
  2. Stage 2 — live semifinal, Thursday 4 July. Those selected from Stage 1 perform a CRL work of at most 10 minutes. A CRL solo used in Stage 1 may be repeated. The faculty panel selects four finalists.
  3. Final stage — Friday 5 July. Each finalist plays one unaccompanied marimba solo of their choice, at most 20 minutes, without repeating repertoire already played in Stage 1 or Stage 2. The panel chooses the winner.

The 2019 rules require solo marimba without accompaniment; solo-marimba transcriptions are permitted. A competitor using music on stage must have an original published copy. See the organizer’s repertoire list for the full, levelled CRL. The 2019 schedule places Stage 2 at 14:00–18:00 on 4 July and the final within the 19:30–21:30 concert on 5 July.

Jury

The announced faculty judging panel comprises:

Announced prizes

The organizer lists sponsor-funded top-four prize packages valued at more than $3,000, $2,000, $1,500 and $1,200, respectively, within an announced total prize and gift pool of more than $10,000. It also lists an audience-voted Edition Svitzer Choice Award, several distinction awards available to participants, and awards limited to participants aged 17 or under.

Organizer competition information · Official schedule · UWA festival information