Named for musicologist and author William Waite, MUS ’51, this competition is open to all undergraduate classical instrumentalists enrolled in their first year, sophomore year, or junior year at Yale. Winners are invited to perform their concerto at a Yale Symphony Orchestra concert the following season at a date to be determined by the Music Director.
William Waite Competition
The competition is open to all first years, sophomores, or juniors in Yale College with priority given to YSO Members. Applicants must be available to perform with the Yale Symphony Orchestra during the 2026-2027 season, the exact date at the discretion of the Music Director.
One winner will be invited to perform the concerto on which they auditioned on a YSO concert next season at a date to be determined by the Music Director.
Applicants should prepare a video recording containing ten minutes of music from the concerto on which they are auditioning. Your ten minutes must include selections from each movement. Please no composite recordings from different times, places etc. The first round recordings must be complete and recorded within the last 3 months.
Applicants should submit a ten minute video via unlisted YouTube link. Accompaniment is not required for the YouTube submission. Please put “William Waite Concerto Competition Application” in the subject line of your e-mail, and provide the following information in the body:
- Name
- Class Year
- Name of the work being performed
You may submit your YouTube audition link to brian.s.robinson@yale.edu by 5:00pm on December 19, 2025.
Applications submitted that lack the above specifications will be disqualified.
Late entries will not be considered.
Four finalists will be chosen from the preliminary round and all applicants will be notified by Monday, January 5, 2025.
The final round competition will be held in Morse Recital Hall on Saturday, January 24, 2025 between 11am and 2pm by three judges to be revealed at that time.
Finalists will be asked to prepare their entire concerto in the final round. Finalists will each have a half hour to perform, and may be asked for specific passages by the jury.
Please bring three copies of scores for judges to reference.
Accompaniment is required of all finalists. You are responsible for finding your own accompanist if you are selected as a finalist. If you need assistance with compensation for an accompanist, contact Brian Robinson directly at brian.s.robinson@yale.edu
One winner will be selected from the final round. Competition winner will be notified of the judges’ decision after the final round is complete. The decision of the judges is final.