Manhattan School of Music
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A pianist performs with orchestra.
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Chamber Music

The following competitions are held at the School for currently enrolled Manhattan School of Music students in the College Division.

Students and alumni seeking information about regional, national, and international competitions sponsored by other organizations should visit the Office of Career Development.

Concerto Competitions


Through annual concerto competitions held each spring, departments in the college division choose winners by audition. The Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition is open to all musicians and the Zaslavsky-Koch competition is for pianists only. Successful competitors are offered a public performance with orchestra in the subsequent academic year.

Some departments have adjudicators from within the department, while others invite outside judges. The brass department alternates yearly winners with the percussion, guitar, and harp departments; the guitar, harp, and percussion departments hold one collective audition from which one winner is chosen. The piano department has two annual competitions: a general competition with open repertoire and the Koch competition, which features specific repertoire that changes each year.

All full-time students are eligible to compete, provided that the major teacher has given prior written approval. Application forms are available in the Office of Chamber Music and Ensembles, Room 201. Completed forms are submitted to the appropriate department chair by February 1.

Artur Balsam Competition for Duos

Manhattan School of Music wishes to honor the memory of the great pianist and its former faculty member, Artur Balsam, by establishing the Artur Balsam Competition for Duos. Mr. Balsam was an active member of the Manhattan School of Music piano and chamber music faculties from 1965 – 1993. In addition to establishing a venue to memorialize Mr. Balsam, the competition acknowledges those young artists who are striving for the highest musical and ensemble standards as exemplified by the artist himself. It should be noted that the purpose of this competition is educationally based. The prizes will serve to honor those winners, however, the motivation of the process is to build an ongoing higher musical and performance standard as well as a unique recognition of the duo as a significant chamber music medium.

  • To download a pdf of the Guidelines, click here.
  • To download a pdf of the Duos Application, click here.

Lillian Fuchs Memorial Chamber Music Series

Toward the end of each semester, the manager of chamber music and ensembles holds auditions for the Lillian Fuchs Memorial Chamber Music Concert. Coaches recommend groups who audition for this series, which is a public event. Many of the vocal ensembles perform publicly each semester as well. Chamber Music Festivals — weekend-long series of string, piano, woodwind, guitar, and vocal ensembles — take place each winter and spring.
For more information, visit the Office of Chamber Music and Ensembles, Room 201.