The ISEC 2023 is divided into two stages, the preliminary round and the final round.

The preliminary round will be held on various competition sites internationally. Preliminary competition venues are located at designated ISEC partner centres, supported by local co-organisers worldwide. The finals will be held in Singapore.

Preliminary Round Schedule

• Preliminary Stage: Between May 1, 2023 – May 15, 2023 (Please refer to the local organisers for the exact timing of your selected competition venue)
• Application deadline for Preliminary Stage: Registration April 30, 2023
• Announcement of Preliminary Round Results: May 22, 2023 – May 25, 2023
• For the final round, qualified contestants will be recommended to participate in the Singapore final, including award ceremonies, master classes, master concerts, environmental protection lectures, and other activities.

 Final Stage

• Venue: Singapore
• Date: August 6, 2023 – August 13, 2023
• Deadline for Final Round Registration: July 9, 2023

Note:

1. Please follow the latest updates on the competition’s progress and final round arrangements through this WeChat official account.
2. Please refer to and observe our official channels to get updated information regarding competition regulations and any unavoidable changes. 

1. Participants are required to perform or sing two pieces of music from different eras (complete works or movements) or choose repertoires from different genres or from different ethnic. It is strongly recommended to use original sheet music for the competition to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

2. Repertoire for the competition should be from different genres and time periods, and should not include film music except for popular singing. 

3. Repertoires used for grading examinations are allowed i.e. ABRSM, LCM, Trinity, or other equivalent examinations internationally. Composers who span two different eras will be categorized based on their compositional style, to ensure fair judging.

4. For adapted classical music pieces will be categorized based on the era of the original composer, unless they are widely known to be arranged by a specific composer, in which case they will be categorized based on the age of the arranger.

5. When registering repertoire, participants need to provide complete and accurate information, including the composer’s name, the title of the piece, the key, the opus number, and the full name of the movement. It is highly recommended to provide the original title of the piece in the original language to avoid confusion.

6. Changes to repertoire and participant information will not be allowed after the registration deadline for each regional competition, hence participants should double-check and confirm their repertoire before the deadline.

7. Partial performances of repertoire will not be accepted, and judges may request a specific part of the repertoire to be performed if the selected repertoire or movement is too long. If the repertoire performed by a participant does not meet the competition requirements, a deduction of 5 points will be applied according to the rules and regulations.

8. Participants who qualify for the finals can repeat their repertoire from the preliminary round during the finals, allowing them to showcase their best performance.

9. It is important to note that the actual performance time for repertoire in all age groups must not be less than the minimum performance time requirement, as a deduction of 3 points will be applied for performances that fall short of this requirement. Participants should carefully manage their performance time to ensure compliance with the rules.

According to the composition period, the repertoire is classified as follows: For all solo and ensemble (chamber music) categories, except for saxophone, Chinese music, and vocal categories, applicants are required to perform at least two pieces from different periods (complete works or movements) based on the classification of composition period, or one Chinese piece and one Western piece.

• Renaissance and Early Baroque (before 1650) e.g. Couperin, Monteverdi
• Baroque period (up to 1750) e.g. Handel, Bach, Vivaldi
• Classical period (1750-1820) e.g. Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn
• Romantic period (1820-1910) e.g. Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Debussy, Brahms, Chopin, Saint-Saens, Rachmaninoff, etc.
• 20/21st Century Modernism (post-1910 works) e.g. Hindemith, Stravinsky, Bartok, Kodaly, Martinu, Shostakovich, Britten, Khachaturian, Kabalevsky, Prokofiev, Ligeti, Copland, Prangcharoen, Krenek, Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, Schnittke, Szymanowski, Lutoslawski, Kancheli, Aho, Berg, Cage, Kurtág, Berio, Brouwer, Crumb, Rihm, Unsuk Chin, Penderecki, Zimmerman, etc.
• Chinese works

Solo Category

• 1st Prize (1 winner) – S$2000 cash prize
• 2nd Prize (2 winners) – S$500 cash prize per person
• 3rd Prize (3 winners) – S$300 cash prize per person

Note:

The top scorer has the privilege to perform at the award ceremony and collaborate with a chosen orchestra as a soloist (timing to be determined by the orchestra). Please follow our WeChat notification for more notifications. 

Ensemble Category 

• 1st Prize (1 group) – S$2000 cash prize
• 2nd Prize (2 groups) – S$500 cash prize per group
• 3rd Prize (3 groups) – S$300 cash prize per group 

Excellent Performance Award

Note:

1. The competition organizing committee has established a comprehensive award system based on a rigorous and fair scoring mechanism to encourage and guide young musicians and allow more children to enjoy the joy of competition.
2. All winners will receive a preliminary round certificate issued by the organizing committee without quantity limitation.
3. Teachers of Gold with Honours and Gold Award winners will be awarded the “Outstanding Mentor Award” certificate.
4. Each age group must have at least three competing contestants; otherwise, the champion of this category will be considered invalid.

1. Fill in the registration form online at www.hitmaker.sg/isec2023 and attach the recording link at the specific column

2. Preliminary Stage:

   • Solo Category: S$100/person

   • Ensemble Category: S$100/group

3. Final Stage | For Singapore Participants ONLY (Without masterclass)

   • Solo Category: S$180/person

   • Ensemble Category:

     • S$180 per person for a group of 2 people;

     • S$300 for 3 people;

     • S$350 for 4 people;

     • S$400 for 5 people;

     • S$450 for 6-10 people

     • S$600 for 11-19 people

     • S$800 for a group of 20 people or more

4. Finals with Masterclass fee:

   • For both categories: S$250/person

   • (Duration for masterclass is 45 minutes per person)

Finals | Fees for International Participants:
Solo Category:

• Fee SGD 1988/person (including the registration fee of SGD 100);
• 1st accompanying parent: SGD 1500/person;
• 2nd accompanying parent/relative: SGD 1200/person (sharing accommodation);
• Family members under 3 years old: SGD 200/person

Ensemble Category:

• Fee SGD 1988/person (including the registration fee of SGD 100)
• 1st accompanying parent: SGD 1500/person;
• 2nd accompanying parent/relative: SGD 1200/person (sharing accommodation);
• Family members under 3 years old: SGD 200/person

Important Note:

• If a participant registers for two or more categories, the fee for each additional category is only SGD 180 on top of the fee for the first category.
• The organizing committee provides 30 minutes of piano accompaniment practice. It is recommended that participants prepare their own piano accompanist for better performance in the competition. If additional piano accompaniment practice is needed from the organizing committee, it is available at SGD 60 for 30 minutes. Please indicate your request during registration.
• If you would like to schedule a one-on-one masterclass with a judge, please indicate which judge you would like to have the class with during registration. The fee for a 45-minute masterclass is SGD 250. Please note that the masterclass schedule may conflict with the “Cultural Tour”.

For international candidates, registration and fees for the finals are in Singapore Dollars. The final fees shall include a competition fee, awards ceremony, accommodation + breakfast, masterclass, master concert, art study tour, environmental conservation lecture, and charity donation certificate. Please refer to the official WeChat announcements for the specific registration method, payment method, and detailed schedule of activities for the finals.

Note:

The registration information submitted by the applicant must be true and valid. The organizing committee reserves the right to request incomplete registration information to be completed. Registration forms that do not meet the requirements will be considered invalid, and the registration fee will not be refunded after the registration deadline.

Important Notes:

1. Participants must strictly comply with all regulations of these regulations and must not engage in fraudulent or other unethical activities. Violators will have their participation qualifications and awards revoked by the organizing committee.

2. Winners who receive official invitations from the event must participate in all activities of the various stages.

3. For preliminary rounds, except for piano, participants of other instrumental categories must prepare their instruments and have no right to request instruments from the organizing committee. For the finals (if coming to Singapore), the organizing committee may provide cello and double bass rental, and the participants will bear the rental cost.

4. To ensure the competition’s transparency, participants agree to have their competition results, name, age, and registered categories publicly disclosed on the competition’s official website. The competition will be open to the public throughout the entire process.

“PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ANY PAYMENT UNTIL YOU RECEIVE AN INVOICE UPON CONFIRMING YOUR ENTRY FOR THE ISEC 2023”

1. Bank Transfer
   • Bank Name: OCBC Bank
   • Account Name: Hitmaker Records Private Limited
   • Account Number: 595-141-326-001
   • SWIFT: OCBCSGSG
2. PAYNOW (Singapore only): 202122500N

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