The JMU School of Music hosts an annual Concerto/Aria competition where students compete in a multi-round competition for a spot as a featured soloist with either the JMU Wind Symphony or the JMU Symphony Orchestra. 

The 2025-2026 winners of the Concerto/Aria competition will be featured soloists either on the JMU Wind Symphony Concert on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 1:00pm or the JMU Symphony Orchestra Honors Concert on Sunday, April 26, 2026 at 2:00pm. Please see below for guidelines and more information.

Register here

Application Deadline: 11:59PM EST on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. No exceptions.

• Preliminary Area Competitions from Brass/Percussion, Piano, Strings, Voice, & Woodwinds must be held by Monday, November 3, 2025. 
• The Final Round Dress Rehearsals will be on Saturday, November 8, 2025, in the Forbes Concert Hall.
•  The Final Round Competition will be held on Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 2:00pm in the Forbes Concert Hall.
• The winner (1 maximum) of the 2025-2026 Concerto/Aria Competition (Wind Symphony) will be the featured soloist with the JMU Wind Symphony on the VBODA All-State Wind Symphony Concert on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 1:00pm in the Forbes Concert Hall. 
• The winnder(s) (2 maximum) of the 2025-2026 Concerto/Aria Competition (Symphony Orchestra) will be featured soloists with the JMU Symphony Orchestra on the Honors Concert on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 2:00pm in the Forbes Concert Hall.

1. A maximum of two (2) winners will be selected to perform with the Symphony Orchestra. A maximum of one (1) winner will be selected to perform with the Wind Symphony. 

2. The JMU Concerto/Aria Competition is open to all JMU students enrolled in music lessons at JMU on a primary instrument/voice. Students should audition on their primary instrument of study. If students wish to audition on a different instrument other than their primary instrument, this must be discussed in consultation with the primary studio instructor prior to completing the application form. 

3. Students who are student teaching during the Spring semester are ineligible to compete. 

4. Winners of any past JMU Concerto/Aria Competitions are ineligible to compete. 

5. Students may apply to audition for either Wind Symphony or Symphony Orchestra, but not both. It is up to the student to ensure that score and parts exist and are available for rental or purchase for the ensemble they are auditioning for. This research must be completed prior to submitting the audition form. 

6. Students performing in the final round of the competition on Sunday, November 9, 2025, must be available to perform a dress rehearsal on Saturday, November 8, in the Forbes Concert Hall, or be willing to forfeit a dress rehearsal time. This date is set by Forbes management and cannot be changed for any reason. Adequate times will be allotted to participants throughout the day on November 8 for a dress rehearsal, on a first come first served basis. Finalists need to be available for the dress rehearsal on Saturday, November 8, and communicate pertinent information with their accompanist. Information about the dress rehearsal will be shared with the finalists when available from Dr. Cicconi and Dr. Omelchenko. 

7. Preliminary Area Competitions must be completed by Monday, November 3, 2025. 

8. The Final Competition will be held in the Forbes Concert Hall on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 2:00pm. This round of the competition will be live-streamed.

9. It is the applicant’s responsibility to secure an accompanist for each round of the competition. If no accompanist is specified on the application form, the applicant will be disqualified.

10. The decision of the judges in all rounds is final. The judges reserve the right to select only the number of finalists or winners that they deem qualified.

11. The final round will include five (5) external judges: 1 from woodwinds area, 1 from brass/percussion area, 1 from strings area, 1 from voice area, and 1 from piano area. 

12. The winner of the Wind Symphony must be available for regularly scheduled rehearsals with the JMU Wind Symphony leading up to the concert beginning on Wednesday, 1/21/26, until the date of the VBODA concert. The Wind Symphony class meets: Mondays, 4:10-5:00pm, Tuesdays, 4:10-5:25pm, and Thursdays, 5:30-6:45pm.

13. The winner of the Wind Symphony must also be available for the Wind Symphony Dress Rehearsal on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 7:30pm in the Forbes Concert Hall, and the VBODA All-State Wind Symphony Concert on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 1:00pm in the Forbes Concert Hall.

14. The winner(s) of the Symphony Orchestra must be available for regularly scheduled rehearsals with the JMU Symphony Orchestra leading up to the concert beginning on Monday, 3/23/26, until the date of the Honors Concert. The Symphony Orchestra class meets: Monday, 3:00-3:50pm, Tuesday/Thursdays, 2:20-3:35pm.

15. The winner(s) of the Symphony Orchestra must also be available for the Symphony Orchestra Honors Concert Dress Rehearsal on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 2:00-4:30pm, in the Forbes Concert Hall, and the Honors Concert on Sunday, April 26, 2025, 2:00-4:00pm in the Forbes Concert Hall.