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.

 

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2026 Piano Judge: Dr. Alexandre Dossin

Considered by Martha Argerich an “extraordinary musician” and by the international critics a “phenomenon” and “a master of contrasts,” Steinway Artist Alexandre Dossin keeps an active performing, recording, and teaching career.  

Alexandre Dossin is Professor of Piano and Chair of Keyboard at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance. Originally from Brazil, Alexandre Dossin is a graduate from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Russia) and holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin (USA). 

A prizewinner in several international piano competitions, Dossin received the First Prize and the Special Prize at the 2003 Martha Argerich International Piano Competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Other international awards include the Silver Medal and second Honorable Mention in the Maria Callas Grand Prix, and Third Prize and Special Prize in the Mozart International Piano Competition, in addition to several prizes in Brazil.

An active recording artist, he has numerous CDs released with several labels, including 10 CDs with Naxos. Dossin is an editor and recording artist for several Schirmer Performance Editions. Dossin’s edition and recording of complete piano sonatas by W. A. Mozart (2-volume edition and recordings, Schirmer Performance Editions) was released in the fall of 2023. Other recent releases include the complete piano works by George Walker in 2 CDs with Naxos (2024). A performance edition of the same works published by Keiser Southern Music will follow in 2026, in addition to an all-Prokofiev CD with Naxos. Soloist appearances in past seasons include the Eugene Symphony, the Austin Symphony, Porto Alegre Symphony in Brazil, in addition to the West Coast premiere of George Walker’s piano concerto with the University of Oregon Philharmonia. In 2025, he had his Central American debut during the Costa Rica Piano Festival, and in 2026 Dossin returned to Brazil for appearances as a soloist (Khachaturian Piano Concerto) in several states, and as a faculty/artist in the largest musical festival in Latin America (FEMUSC).

Dossin’s work was praised in reviews by Gramophone, Diapason, The Financial Times, Fanfare Magazine, American Record Guide, Clavier, and other international publications. 

Dossin is the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Oregon Piano Institute, Vice President of the American Liszt Society, and one of the recipients of the prestigious Faculty Fund for Excellence at the University of Oregon. 

2026 Piano Judge: Dr. Julia Lee

Born in Korea and now based in Portland, Oregon, pianist Julia Hwakyu Lee has garnered acclaim for her clarity, hauntingly beautiful sound, and distinctive interpretations across a diverse repertoire, ranging from Baroque to contemporary works. Recent highlights of her career include captivating performances of Rhapsody in Blue with orchestras in both the Pacific Northwest and Korea.

Julia Hwakyu Lee, a dedicated performer and educator in both the United States and Asia, launched her career by winning the Gold Prize at the Hankook Ilbo Competition. She has also secured accolades at the Yeum Chamber Music Competition, Beethoven Competition, University of Wisconsin Concerto Competition, and Niagara International Chamber Competition. Her achievements include receiving the Collins Scholarship Award, the Arthur Becknell Award for Outstanding Collaborative Pianist, and the Gilmore Fellowship. Her collaborative performances include engagements with the Seoul I’ Musici Chamber Ensemble, Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, North Oregon Symphony, University of Portland Symphony Orchestra, Ulsan String Players Chamber Orchestra, Southwest Washington Wind Symphony, and Camerata Chonnam.

As a music scholar, Dr. Lee’s paper, “Fractals in Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op. 28,” has been prominently featured at conferences organized by the College Music Society and the MTNA National Conference. This significant work is also cited in the fourth edition of Maurice Hinson’s “Guide to the Pianist’s Repertoire” and has been referenced in scholarly papers across the United States, Greece, and Italy.

Since relocating to Portland, Dr. Lee has been an active performer of contemporary music for over a decade, participating in the Makrokosmos Project and live broadcasts on All Classical Radio. She has also performed in the Inside Chamber Music Series and organized community-engaging performances. Her expertise as a jury member has taken her to various cities across the U.S., and she has conducted master classes as a visiting scholar at numerous universities.

Dr. Lee is deeply committed to nurturing emerging musicians. Her students have achieved notable success, winning local and international competitions such as the MTNA National Competitions and Seattle International Competitions. They have also collaborated with prestigious orchestras and secured scholarships and assistantships at renowned U.S. universities. Her graduates have gone on to teach at universities across Oregon and Washington.

Dr. Lee completed her education at Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School before attending Yonsei University. She earned her Master’s degree from the Korea National University of Arts and a Doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her previous teaching positions include Southern Utah University and the University of Portland, and she currently serves as the head of the Piano Department at Portland State University.

2026 Strings/Woodwinds/Brass/Voice Judge: Dr. Tigran Arakelyan

Armenian-American conductor Tigran Arakelyan is recognized for his dynamic leadership, community engagement, and innovative programming. Named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals of the Year and included in Yamaha Music USA’s 40 under 40 honorees. Described by The Leader as a “highly-esteemed conductor across the Pacific Northwest,” Tigran has served as the Music Director of the Northwest Mahler Festival since 2018. Previously, he was the Music Director of Port Townsend Symphony and assistant conductor of the California Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra. 

He was honored with the Seattle Sounders Community Assist Award and recognized by ParentMap Magazine as a Washington Superhero “The Conductor.” Under his leadership, Seattle Mayor Bruce A. Harrell officially proclaimed July 26, 2025, as Northwest Mahler Festival Day — a celebration of the festival’s artistic legacy and Tigran’s impactful leadership.

Tigran’s programming champions diversity and emerging talent, spotlighting underrepresented and young composers in thoughtfully curated concerts. He has conducted works by a wide range of voices, from Florence Price, Arthur Bird, John Barnes Chance, to William Grant Still, Amy Beach, and Karel Husa. He conducted over fifty regional and world premieres by acclaimed composers such as Paul Hindemith, Keith Jarrett, James Cohn and Peter Boyer.

As Music Director of the Federal Way Youth Symphony and Bainbridge Youth Orchestras, he led both organizations to record enrollment, expanded ensembles, premiered new works, and fostered collaborations with dance companies and choirs. Under his leadership, the Federal Way Youth Symphony toured South Korea three times. 

Yamaha Music USA stated, “Providing access to music education is the driving force behind Dr. Tigran Arakelyan’s work.” His profound dedication to equity and diversity is rooted in his formative experiences with equity-driven arts organizations during his youth. Invited by Maestro Ludovic Morlot, Tigran earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from the University of Washington, where he was the first student in the inaugural class of David A. Rahbee and Morlot.

He played alongside Sir James Galway during Galway’s induction into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and has shared the stage with legendary performers such as Dick Van Dyke, Richard M. Sherman, June Lockhart, Carol Lawrence, Pat Boone, Wink Martindale, and Army Archerd. Tigran conducted at prestigious venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Benaroya Hall but is equally passionate about taking classical music to unconventional venues. As Musical America noted, he is “known for finding unusual venues for all of his projects, from bars to cafes to homeless shelters.”