REGISTRATION PERIOD: October 1st to November 15th, 2026.
COMPETITION DATE: Saturday, December 5, 2026
LOCATION: Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT ON WEBSITE: 6 pm, Saturday, December 5, 2026. Gold Medalists will be notified as soon as results are available that day.
GOLD MEDALISTS’ CONCERT: Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040
IMPORTANT: DUE TO LIMITED SPACE, NO WARM UP ROOMS OR WARM UP PIANOS ARE PROVIDED.
GENERAL RULES
INSTRUMENTS:
Piano, strings, woodwinds and brass
CATEGORIES:
Solo works, Ensembles & Concertos (PLEASE NOTE: For Ensemble Division: works for two pianos NOT permitted. Facility has only ONE piano per judging room. In addition, all performers must be students)
REPERTOIRE:
Musicians may play any published solo work(s) by any living or deceased composers of Russia and other Soviet era countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan). Musicians must use standard published repertoire (This refers to music printed for distribution and sale and available through the general market in printed form with legal copyright printed on the music). Public domain sheet music may be used, provided that the music must be printed in a way that ensures all musical content fits within the dimensions of the page. The first measure of every line of music must be numbered and the printed music should be organized in a binder so that each piece is easily identifiable. If multiple works are included, they must be clearly separated with a table of contents or divider pages. All repeats and Da Capos may be omitted.
MEMORIZATION:
Memorization is REQUIRED for ALL divisions EXCEPT for strings, woodwinds, brass, voice, adult amateur and chamber divisions. Chamber includes duos, trios, quartets, quintets, etc. A concerto may NOT be categorized as chamber work.
PRIZES & RECOGNITION:
Medals/Diploma may be given based on merit: Gold, Silver and Bronze. Up to 3 Gold medals and several Silver and Bronze Medals may be given to each age division. All musicians will receive Achievement Certificates, and valuable feedback from World-Class adjudicators from around the country. All top medalists will be featured on our Facebook page. Several outstanding musicians may be invited to perform in future RCMFS concerts.
FOR CONCERTO DIVISION: ONE winner from Concerto A and ONE winner from Concerto B will perform with a full orchestra in Tacoma on Sunday, May 2027.
AGE DIVISIONS (as of December 13th, 2025)
Solo Piano (IN-PERSON COMPETITION. soloist performs memorized):
PIANO A – up to 6 years (up to 4 minutes) – Fee $65
PIANO B – 7-8 years (up to 5 minutes) – Fee $70
PIANO C – 9-10 years (up to 6 minutes) – Fee $75
PIANO D – 11-12 years (up to 7 minutes) – Fee $80
PIANO E– 13-14 years (up to 8 minutes) – Fee $85
PIANO F– 15-16 years (up to 9 minutes) – Fee $90
PIANO G – 17-18 years (up to 10 minutes) – Fee $95
PIANO H – 19 years and older (up to 10 minutes) – Fee $95
Solo Strings (IN-PERSON COMPETITION. Memorization optional. Soloist performs with accompanist):
STRINGS A –13 and under (up to 8 minutes) – Fee $80
STRINGS B – 14-18 years (up to 11 minutes) – Fee $90
Solo Winds/Brass/Voice/Miscellaneous (IN-PERSON COMPETITION. Memorization optional. Soloist performs with accompanist):
BRASS, WIND, VOICE, MISC A – 13 and under (up to 8 minutes) – Fee $80
BRASS, WIND, VOICE, MISC – 14 and older (up to 10 minutes) – Fee $90
Ensemble (IN-PERSON COMPETITION. Memorization optional):
ENSEMBLE A – Average age 13 and under (NO concertos, up to 10 minutes) – Fee $80 per group
ENSEMBLE B – Average age 14 and older (NO concertos, up to 15 minutes) – Fees $95 per group
Concerto Competition (VIDEO FORMAT COMPETITION ONLY). Soloist performs memorized, with accompanist. ONE winner from Concerto A and ONE winner from Concerto B will perform with a full orchestra in Tacoma on Sunday, May 24, 2026. Video file must be received by December 1st, 2025):
CONCERTO, any instrument A – 13 years of age and under (one movement only) – Fee $90. VIDEO FORMAT ONLY. Soloist must have piano accompaniment and the accompanist’s face must NOT be visible. Video upload information will be provided via email.
CONCERTO, any instrument B – 14-18 years (one movement only) – Fee $95. Soloist must have piano accompaniment and the accompanist’s face must NOT be visible. Video upload information will be provided via email.