Seattle Young Artists Music Festival

A World Class Music Festival

Performance Opportunities, Adjudications, and Master Classes for Young Musicians

Important Announcements

Registration Is Now Open

The on-line registration system is now open. Use this
system to create and manage your registration forms.
Entries must be submitted online, as well as mailed.

You'll want to mail your registration early. Last year we ran out of space
in several of our classes. Entries are accepted on a first come, first served
class-slot system. Wait-listed entries will be accommodated as possible.

Registration forms must be postmarked by January 17th.

Help Wanted!

We need a volunteer who can help us during the week of the Festival (March 23-28), coordinating and overseeing a schedule of snacks and lunches for our adjudicators.

For details, please contact Aviva Leonard

Important Eligibility Rule Change For 2010

To simplify and clarify eligibility requirements, the festival will begin using age
to determine eligibility beginning with the 2010 festival. Our current system,
based on grade, will remain in effect for the upcoming 2009 festival. To be eligible
for the 2010 festival, students must be ages 10-18 on September 1, 2009.

2008 Concerto Concert Audio

Audio recordings of the 2008 Concerto Concert are now available on-line.

Harp and Brass Divisions

Visit our Brass or Harp division pages for important announcements

2008 Festival Photos

We hope you enjoy these pictures taken during festival week.
Perhaps there's a picture of you!

We Have a New Look

SYAMF is pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has selected a new logo for the the festival. Special thanks go to Loretta Matson for her tireless efforts in creating and refining design ideas for us to choose from. We're excited about our new look, and hope you are too!

Young Artists to Perform with the Seattle Symphony

The partnership between the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival Association and Seattle Symphony has provided a number of finalists of the 2008 Festival Concerto Competition the rare opportunity to perform a movement of a concerto with a major orchestra.

"The Seattle Young Artists Music Festival plays a critical role in music education for our young people and helps build the technical and artistic foundation for future classical music performers"

Gerard Schwarz
Music Director, Seattle Symphony

Performing with the Seattle Symphony will be SYAMF Finalists:

Grace Choi
Jila Dabestani
Angela Potter
Rachel Wong

Helen Taverniti Endowment Fund

Helen Taverniti (1921-2005), one of the five original founders of the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival, was a major figure in piano performance and instruction during her 50-plus year career. It was her teaching of gifted students and fellow teachers that she may best be remembered.

Helen was married to John "Jack" Morse, a well known Seattle architect who passed away 2000. The couple, who had so loved music and art, designated a major gift from their joint estate to benefit the SYAMFA and help sustain the Festival in coming years. We are pleased to announce the formation of the "Helen Taverniti Endowment Fund for the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival". The endowment will be reinvested to grow over time while small annual distributions will help cover anticipated increases in the Festival's expenses. Contributions to the endowment fund should be designated separately from gifts to the annual operating fund.

Nesholm Foundation Grant

The Seattle Young Artists Music Festival is pleased to announce that it has been a recent recipient of a $3,000 grant from the Nesholm Family Foundation. The Seattle based Nesholm Family Foundation has dedicated itself to serving the Seattle community by supporting a number of health, education, and performing arts organizations each year since 1986.

FESTIVAL DATES

Registration
December 15th, 2008 -
January 17th, 2009

Festival: March 23-28
(Monday - Saturday)

Concert: May l6, 2009

President's Corner

Greetings! We are gearing up for the 39th anniversary of our Festival. Please take time to browse the web site, get yourself acquainted or re-acquainted with all the rules and registration procedures, and visit the Festival page to meet our panel of adjudicators. I encourage you to register early, as we take participants on a first-come-first-served basis.

We have deliberately decided not to raise the registration fees this year, despite the fact that costs of holding the Festival have increased on all fronts. It is important that we remain financially accessible for the families of our young musicians during these challenging economic times. However, I urge you to consider making a donation, however small, when you register this year. The Festival is funded through fees and donations only. We count on you and your contributions to meet our increased financial obligations.

Think about it this way, you decide how much we should increase your registration fee this year, and add that as a contribution on your entry form. I think it's a fair way of helping each other out and still providing a world class music festival for our young musicians.

Many Thanks and Happy Holidays,
Firouzeh Nourzad

Volunteers Needed

Have you ever thought it might be fun to help with the Festival? The Seattle Young Artists Music Festival Association is a volunteer organization. The success of the festival depends entirely on the tireless efforts of dedicated volunteers. If you'd like to give some of your time to the festival, please contact us. We have opportunities both large and small.