Announcing the 2012 Fischoff Competition

It’s almost here!  The 2012 Fischoff Competition is scheduled for May 11 – 13 on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA. Join us!

Did you know?

• 136 ensembles applied and 48 ensembles were accepted
• 28 nationalities are represented in the entries
• Youngest entry: age 9
• Live streaming of the 2011 competition reached 8,800 global viewers
• The last 4 Grammy Award winners in Classical ensemble music have been Fischoff alumni

Schedule

Friday, May 11 – FREE
Winds 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
Juniors 9:20 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Strings 11:50 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Juniors 1:50 – 6:45 p.m.
Winds 2:40 – 5:10 p.m.
Strings 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 12 – FREE
Winds 8:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Strings 11:15 a.m. – 1:40 p.m.
Juniors 2:20 – 6:35 p.m.

Sunday, May 13 – Finals FREE
Senior Finals 11:00 a.m. – 1:40 p.m.
Junior Finals 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Awards and Grand Prize Concert 3:30 p.m. Tickets required, call 574 631 2800
 

Directions & Parking Information

All Fischoff Competition rounds take place in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, just north of South Bend, Indiana, USA. For detailed directions, click here.

Tickets

Friday, Saturday and Sunday Competition rounds are free and open to the public. Tickets are required for the Sunday afternoon Awards and Gold Medalist Concert, and are available from the DeBartolo Ticket Office (phone 574-631-2800).

What to Expect at the Competition

Expect to hear extraordinary music performed by young people who will knock your socks off!  This unique weekend features remarkable young musicians from around the world in three divisions: Juniors, Senior Strings and Senior Winds. Ensembles may include brass quintets, string quartets, woodwind quintets, piano trios, saxophone quartets, string sextets, percussion ensembles, wind trios and an eclectic mix of winds and strings.

Attending the Performances

The Competition weekend features Quarterfinal Rounds on Friday, Semifinal Rounds on Saturday and Final Rounds on Sunday. Each round consists of 20 minutes (Seniors) or 15 minutes (Juniors) of music per ensemble.  Each round of the Competition is free and open to the public.  Audiences have 81 brilliant performances to select from throughout the weekend. Come for one performance or all 81!

Before you enjoy these breathtaking performances, please remember to turn off all cell phones and pagers.

When entering a venue, please follow the directions of DeBartolo ushers. If a performance has already begun, ushers will ask you to wait in the lobby until you can enter between movements. If ushers are not present, television monitors in the lobby will help you know when to enter the hall without disrupting the performance.

Audiences are encouraged to show their appreciation at the conclusion of the performance. Ensembles will stand and bow when they conclude, or a juror may indicate the conclusion of the performance by clapping (see below).

Audience attire generally ranges from informal to business casual during Competition rounds, and business casual to business attire for the Finals and Award Presentation on Sunday.  

Families are most welcome and encouraged to attend the Competition; however, in fairness to the competitors and jurors, we do ask that children sit quietly throughout each performance.

Competition Format

Ensembles submit their repertoire prior to the Competition. From this submitted repertoire, the jurors select the particular program for each round of the Competition.  If an ensemble’s performance exceeds 20 minutes (Seniors) or 15 minutes (Juniors), the jurors will stop the performance by clapping. Audiences are encouraged to clap and show support at the conclusion of the performance.

Dining

While attending the Competition, you may choose to dine on campus, or explore South Bend area restaurant options.

Accommodations

The official host hotel for the 2012 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition is the Inn at Saint Mary’s.  The Inn will offer Fischoff guests rehearsal space, shuttle service and more; click here to view a full list of amenities.  Be sure to mention you are participating in the Fischoff to receive discounted room rates.  A variety of additional accommodation options are also available throughout the South Bend area.

Additional Information

• Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter. You can request specific Competition news be sent directly to you, as soon as it’s available.
• Recordings of the 2011 Junior and Senior Division Finals and Grand Prize Concert can now be ordered.  Click here for more details.

2011 – 2012 Sponsors

The Fischoff Competition is made possible through the generous support of:

• College of Arts and Letters, University of Notre Dame
• Crowe Horwarth
• Indiana Arts Commission
• The Georgina Joshi Foundation
• University of Notre Dame
• Frederick S. Upton Foundation