March 15-18, 2012 - Tempe, Arizona

1st Prize
$1,500 in cash and/or merchandise
2nd Prize
$1,000 in cash and/or merchandise
3rd Prize
$750 in cash and/or merchandise

Each prizewinner will be featured on a winner’s recital at the 2012 NASA Biennial Conference.

I. Eligibility
1.) Contestants must be 26 years of age or younger on March 15, 2012. Contestants must have been born on or after March 16, 1985.
2.) All contestants must be current members of the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) as of March 15, 2012.
3.) Contestants who are not current members of NASA must join online at: www.saxalliance.org/joinnasa.html Membership rates: Student: $25 Professional: $35
4.) 1st Prize winners from previous NASA Solo Competitions may not enter.

II. Application guidelines – Preliminary Round
1.) All application materials will be submitted online at the NASA website www.saxalliance.org. The online application webpages will be accessible by August 2011. The deadline for submission of applications, recordings and fees is: November 15, 2011.

2.) In addition to any necessary NASA membership fees, contestants must submit a competition entry fee of $50. All payments must be made on the NASA website www.saxalliance.org via PAYPAL by November 15, 2011.

3.) Incomplete applications will not be considered.

4.) There are three rounds of the NASA Classical Solo Competition; a recorded Preliminary Round, a live Semi-Final Round and a live Final Round. The deadline for the recorded Preliminary Round is November 15, 2011. The live Semi Final Round and live Final Round will be held in Tempe, Arizona on March 15, 2012.

• Preliminary Round. Preliminary Round. The preliminary round will consist of a recorded audio audition. Recordings should be in MP3 format and will be uploaded to the NASA website. (Please note that there is no longer a video requirement.) The recording must be submitted with the initial application materials by the deadline, November 15, 2011. Technical guidelines for the recording will be posted when the application webpages become accessible by August 2011. The recording should contain the following:

1.) Prelude Cadence et Finale – Alfred Desenclos (pub. Alphonse Leduc)
The recording should contain a complete performance, with live piano accompaniment. Digital versions of piano accompaniments such as smart music or music-minus-one play-a-long formats are not acceptable.

2.) From 5-10 minutes of music of the performer’s choice. The choice piece may be for any saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor or baritone), and may be either unaccompanied or for saxophone and piano. Transcriptions and piano reductions of concertos are allowed. The choice piece may be a complete work or one or more movements from a multi-movement work.

III. Semi-finals

• A maximum of 25 saxophonists will be invited to perform in the Semi-Finals. The Semi-Finals will be held on March 15, 2012 on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, in conjunction with the 2012 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference. Each semi-finalist will be required to play three pieces as follows:

1.) Sonata in C# minor - Fernande Decruck (pub. by Gerard Billaudot)
Mvt I. ONLY

2.) Concert Suite - William Bolcom (pub. by Hal Leonard)
Mvt I or Mvt III ONLY

3.) Wings – Joan Tower (pub. by G. Schirmer) (performed as an unaccompanied alto saxophone solo)

IV. Finals

• Up to 6 saxophonists will be advanced to the final round. The final round will take place during the 2012 NASA Biennial Conference. Each finalist will be allowed to play for 35 minutes. Due to time constraints, the judges reserve the right to request specific movements and/or excerpts of each performer’s program. Repertoire requirements are as follows:

1.) Partita in A Minor for Solo Flute, BWV 1013 - JS Bach
Allemande ONLY
Perform any transcription of this work, on any saxophone.

2.) Choose option A or B
Option A: Perform two of the following pieces.

Option B: Perform one of the following pieces plus one additional composition of choice. The choice piece may be for any saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor or baritone), and may be either unaccompanied or for saxophone and piano. Transcriptions and piano reductions of concertos are allowed. The choice piece may be a complete work or one or more movements from a multi-movement work.

Sonata - William Albright (pub. Peters) *
Music for Saxophone and Piano - Leslie Bassett (pub. Peters)
Lilith - William Bolcom (pub. Hal Leonard)
Sonata – Paul Creston (pub. by Shawnee Press)
Sonate - Edison Denisov (pub. Leduc)
Holy Roller - Libby Larsen (pub. Oxford Univ. Press)
Distances Within Me – John Anthony Lennon (pub. Dorn)
Sonata (Movement III only) – David Maslanka (pub. NASA)
Renewing The Myth - Marilyn Shrude, (pub. Lemoine)
Kotekan - Piet Swerts (pub. Zodiac Editions, http://www.zodiaceditions.eu/)
Fuzzy Bird Sonata – Takashi Yoshimatsu (pub. Gerard Billaudot)

* Please note that performers may choose to play either the complete version or the shortened version (as indicated in the score) of the Albright Sonata.

V. Additional Repertoire Requirements

• Please note the following regarding duplication of repertoire between rounds:

1.) It is acceptable, but not required, for performers to use works from the live round repertoire in their preliminary round audition recordings. (I.e. - your recording may contain Bolcom or Albright or other works to be included as semi-final or final round repertoire.)

2.) It is acceptable but not required, for performers to use works from the preliminary recording in their semi-final and final round programs (I.e – you may play Desenclos or your recorded choice piece in the Finals, if you choose option B)

3.) Final round repertoire MAY NOT DUPLICATE music performed in the semi-finals.

VI. General information

• The contestant’s birth date must be verified at the competition site with the contestant’s driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport. Any contestant who does not show proof of age, or is older than 26 years of age as of March 15, 2012, will be disqualified.

• The Winner’s Recital will feature the top three prize winners in the Classical Solo Competition and will be scheduled during the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference in Tempe, AZ, March 15-18, 2012.

• Eligible contestants may also enter the Jazz Saxophone Performance Competition and the Saxophone Quartet Chamber Music Competition, but they must submit a separate application and separate entry fee for each category entered.

• All fees and dues are non-refundable.

• All expenses, including lodging and transportation to and from the competition, are the sole responsibility of the contestants.

• A minimum of 15 entries is required to hold this competition. Entry fees will be refunded if the competition is cancelled.

• Semi-finalists and Finalists will have the opportunity to hire a NASA staff pianist. Details will be made available in January 2012. You must be available on site to rehearse on Wednesday March 14, 2012 if you request a staff pianist.

• Judging - Professional musicians will judge both the preliminary audition recordings and the live round performances. The recordings used in the preliminary round will be used by the judges only in the preliminary round. Finalists will be evaluated solely on their live round performances.

• Questions may be directed to the Competition Coordinator, David Dees via e-mail at: d.dees@ttu.edu