School of Music > Community Music > Concerts & Events > DePaul National Concerto Competition

DePaul National Concerto Competition for Young Performers

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2025 violin concerto winner Kai Isoke Ali-Landing plays with the Oistrakh Symphony Orchestra behind her

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Students in piano, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and saxophone in 12th grade or younger are invited to audition for the annual DePaul National Concerto Competition for Young Performers. Violin, viola, and cello students may also enter the new string duo category.

What sets the DePaul CMD National Concerto Competition apart from other competitions is the selection of multiple winners performing on different instruments and the new duo string category. Selected applicants have the unforgettable experience of performing with a full, professional orchestra.

Winners perform a movement of a concerto with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago.


DePaul CMD National Concerto Competition Winner's Concert & Recording Sessions
  • March 2, 2026, 6:30pm​
  • March 23, 2026, 6:30pm


Please read through all guidelines carefully to ensure a complete understanding of the competition.

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2025-2026 Concerto Competition Repertoire​


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DePaul Concerto Competition History    

Click here to learn about past Concerto Competition Winners

The DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers was founded in 2003 to provide an opportunity for intermediate level pianists in the Community Music Division to perform with an orchestra. Repertoire was selected from sonatina movements and short piano pieces for which string accompaniments were available. Auditions were held and eight winners were selected to perform with the DePaul Youth String Orchestra. 


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n 2004, the Festival was expanded to include violin students and also offered a wider range of repertoire for pianists. In 2006, cello and flute were added to the roster of instruments. To accommodate the increasing difficulty of repertoire, a decision was made to conduct the Festival with a full symphony orchestra. A partnership was formed in 2007 with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago under the direction of Mina Zikri. That year, thirteen winners had the privilege of performing a concerto movement in concert. 


In 2008, the Festival was opened to students outside of the Community Music Division. Viola was added in 2009, clarinet in 2012, and oboe and bassoon in 2013. 

Today the DePaul Concerto Competition attracts nearly 150 participants in piano, strings, and woodwinds from the Midwest who audition for a chance to perform with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago. We invite and encourage young musicians to audition for an opportunity to participate in the Concerto Competition.