HIGHWOOD, Ill. – Top Rated youth music school Midwest Young Artists (MYA) is accepting applications for its 17^th Annual Walgreens Concerto Competition, which will take place December 29 & 30, 2012 at the MYA Center  and Ravinia Festival. Grade school to High School aged musicians are encouraged to register online to compete – The deadline for registration is December 1^st.

Competitors performing on strings, piano, brass instruments and voice will perform to win cash prizes, scholarships to the MYA school and the opportunity to perform with the MYA Symphony orchestra and From the Top radio program as a featured soloist. The Walgreens competition experience is priceless to young musicians preparing for auditions and the demands of a rewarding music career.

Walgreens Corporation’s annual sponsorship of this event has enabled MYA to provide contestants with distinguished judges, a DVD recording of their performance, and personal written performance evaluations from the judges. Applications are being accepted online right now at: http://www.mya.org/competition.php The competition entry fee is $55 for students not enrolled in MYA programs.

There are two Divisions in the contest: MYA Orchestra Division (MYA Division) and Open Division. Students in the MYA Division must be an active participant in the MYA Orchestra Program. All other entrants will participate in the Open Division (including students in MYA Chamber Music, Choral and Jazz Programs).

There are two Levels in each Division:

1.Junior: for students in 8th grade and younger

2.Senior: for students in 9th through 12th grades

The competition is open to all instruments. Each Level is further divided into Categories:

• String
• Piano
• Voice
• Winds & Percussion
• Early Music

This event is free to observe and open to the public.  For more information please visit the Concerts & Events page at www.mya.org/events, or call (847) 926-9898.

About MYA: Midwest Young Artists is the top rated youth music ensemble programs in the Midwest and represents some of the best young musicians in the country. The program offers exceptional training in jazz, choral, chamber and orchestral instruction. MYA currently reaches more than 1,000 students from 74 communities in the metropolitan Chicago area with eight youth orchestras, more than 65 chamber music ensembles, three choral groups, an all-inclusive jazz program, early childhood education, and classes in music theory and history. Students have the opportunity to travel abroad and to perform in major venues throughout Chicago and around the world. MYA graduates are accepted at the most selective conservatories, universities and colleges in the country.

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