Platform Rules
Please note that these are the rules for the 2024 competition, which will be updated for 2025 in due course.
Prizes
Junior Section: First Prize £750; Second Prize £400
Senior Section: First Prize £1,000; Second Prize £400
See Rule 24 (below) for information about how they will be given
Criteria for Adjudication
Please click here to download a copy of the criteria that the adjudicators use when judging performances during the Young Musicians' Platform.
Eligibility
1. The Competition is open to all instrumentalists, pianists and singers of any nationality; organists are at present excluded. Applications are only accepted from singers within the Senior Section – see Rule 2.
2. There are two sections in the Competition: a Junior Section and a Senior Section. Applicants for the Junior Section must be at least 9 and no older than 13 on 31st August 2024, and for the Senior Section at least 14 and no older than 17 on 31st August 2024, provided you are still in full time education. They must be resident in or in full time education in any part of the United Kingdom.
3. All instruments used must be completely acoustic (not electronic) and the use of backing tracks is not permitted.
4. The competition will be held at the Routh Concert Hall at Bromsgrove School, Worcester Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B61 7DU, as follows:
- The audition rounds on Friday, 23rd February 2024 and Saturday, 24th February 2024
- The Young Musicians' Platform rehearsal and finalists' concert on Saturday, 1st June 2024
Applications
5. Applications should be completed online or submitted by post to The Bromsgrove Young Musicians Platform, c/o Bev Needham, Bromsgrove School, Worcester Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs. B61 7DU. Applications must be received no later than 16.00 hours on Sunday, 28th January 2024. The Trustees acting through its Competitor Selection Adjudicators may accept or reject applications at their discretion.
Please note that there is an application fee of £10. This should be paid directly to the BIMC bank account (Sort Code 30-63-94 and Account Number 30002260).
6. Proof of age must be submitted with your application by post or by email. This can either be a copy of a birth certificate, passport, or ID card. Please see the Application Form for details.
7. Applicants for the Junior Section must have attained a standard at least equivalent to Grade 4.
8. Applicants for the Senior Section must have attained a standard at least equivalent to Grade 6.
9. Applicants are required to submit a list in the Application Form of not more than three pieces they wish to play during the Competition. Those pieces should be of contrasting styles and periods. All music chosen is subject to approval by the Competitor Selection Adjudicators. From your list you will need to be able to select programmes that comply with the following time limits:
- Audition Round – not more than 7 minutes
- Finalists’ Concert – 10 minutes
It is imperative for competitors to keep to these time limits. Failure to do so may mean that a Competitor is stopped and/or disqualified if the time limit for the particular round is exceeded.
10. Competitors on arrival at the Routh Concert Hall on the day of their Audition and (if selected) prior to their performance in the Finalists' Concert must hand-in to the administration desk for the Adjudicators' use, three photocopies of a score including accompaniment, of each piece of music to be performed in that round. Whilst facilities for photocopying are available, copies must be paid for in advance in cash at a rate of £0.05p per page. For the avoidance of doubt, it is the Competitor’s personal responsibility to ensure that there is no infringement of copyright in the submission and/or use of any photocopy.
12. The list of music the competitor wishes to perform in the Competition must be entered on the Application Form. However, competitors may alter a maximum of one piece per round. The change must then be communicated by email to the Competition Administrator at least 24 hours prior to it being played.
13. Competitors are expected to provide their own accompanist for both the auditions and the Finalists' Concert.
14. A Bosendorfer grand piano is provided. Competitors must bring any other instrument they wish to perform on. Percussionists should email the Competition Administrator on admin@bromsgrovecompetition.com as to what instruments might be available.
15. Competitors are solely responsible for the care and security of their instrument(s). They should make sure that any insurance of their instrument is valid throughout the time they take part in the competition and/or during the time they spend on Bromsgrove School’s premises. Neither the BIMC nor Bromsgrove School accept any liability in respect of any damage to any of their property including their instrument whether caused accidentally or negligently whilst it is on Bromsgrove School’s premises.
16. Competitors will be advised shortly after the closing date for entries whether they have been accepted for audition and the date and time of their performance in that round. The playing order of competitors for auditions, the finalists' rehearsal and the finalists' concert will be determined by the Competition Administrator whose decision shall be final.
17. Competitors must arrive at least 30 minutes before their allocated performance time for their audition. If selected for the finalists’ rehearsal and concert again they must arrive at least 30 minutes before their allocated times. They must notify their arrival to the Competition Administrator's staff at the administration desk at the Routh Concert Hall where the auditions, the finalists’ rehearsals and finalists’ concert will be held.
18. Competitors must be accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian.
19. Competitors and Accompanists whilst taking part in the competition will obey all reasonable restrictions in place whether laid down by Government or Bromsgrove School’s Governors for the protection of health and safety. The BIMC and the Governors of Bromsgrove School reserve the right to ask any competitor or accompanist who disobeys such restrictions to leave the school premises immediately and refusal shall be deemed trespass.
20. By taking part, competitors and accompanists, together with parents/guardians expressly agree that no liability shall fall upon either the BIMC or the Governors of Bromsgrove School should any one of them contract COVID-19 during the competition. Further, that if any one of them exhibits any symptom of such a virus whilst on the Bromsgrove School premises, each expressly agrees to immediately notify the Competition Administrator or her staff by text; to leave the Bromsgrove School premises forthwith together with those with them that day and to take no further part in the competition.
21. Competitors and their parent/guardian accept that by entry to the competition, they unconditionally agree that their competition performance(s) may be recorded or broadcast in any media form by the Bromsgrove Young Musicians’ Platform acting on behalf of The Bromsgrove International Musicians’ Competition for use at the Trustees' discretion wholly or in part, without payment of any fee to the competitor or their parent/guardian, to promote the Competition and/or to raise funds to support the Competition. Copyright in such recordings shall be the intellectual property of The Bromsgrove International Musicians’ Competition.
22. Finalist Competitors may purchase a copy of their recorded performance. Applications may be made online after the end date of the Platform to marketing@bromsgrovecompetition.com. Payment of £30.00 GBP per round recording must be received online at the time of the download, or if applying by post/email, a transfer should be made to the BIMC bank account sort code 30-63-94; account no. 30002260 before the recording can be downloaded. Please allow 14 days from the date of payment for electronic delivery. For the avoidance of doubt such recordings are supplied strictly for the Competitor's personal use only. If required for public performance of any kind - which includes use by the Competitor on their own website - then it is the Competitor's responsibility to contact the PRS.
23. As a matter of custom and rule, no First Prize Winner may enter the Competition again in a subsequent year unless as winner of the Junior Section they become eligible by age to enter the Senior Section.
24. Prize monies will be paid for the furtherance of the winner’s musical education and for no other purpose. The monies may for example be used to pay in whole or in part for additional lessons from an accredited teacher, the purchase of instruments, and/or the purchase of musical scores. Such monies will only be paid direct to the accredited teacher and/or supplier(s) and not to the competitor or parent/guardian.
25. Accredited music teachers – to be an accredited music teacher for the purpose of Rule 18 the particular teacher must have the following qualifications and/or experience:
- a degree or diploma in music from an established recognised educational institution and/or,
- be currently employed either full time or regularly as a instrumentalist teacher by a City or County Music Service or Trust providing public music services in a particular area or
- be currently employed either full time or regularly as a performer by a recognised professional music ensemble or
- be a self-employed independent music teacher.
If there is any doubt whether a teacher nominated to receive prize monies is an accredited teacher under this Rule, you should send his or her CV including qualifications and contact details to the Competition Administrator, who will make a final decision.
26. The Trustees of The Bromsgrove International Musicians' Competition reserve the right to amend any if these rules without notice.
27. In the case of any difficulty that a potential competitor may have in meeting the requirements of the rules, they should contact the Competition Administrator.