Spotlight on Youth
Sunday, March 2, 2025
Starts at 3 p.m.
Lecture Hall, Dalton Center
Western Michigan University
Starts at 3 p.m.
Lecture Hall, Dalton Center
Western Michigan University
Calling all young musicians!
Want more performance experience? Want to try out that new piece you’ve been working on? Want the chance to be recognized in a local recital?
Spotlight on Youth is an adjudicated recital that gives deserved recognition to outstanding young musicians. For 38 years, the Kalamazoo Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota has been providing this opportunity to encourage the growth and development of these young musicians in our community.
Applications for the 2025 Spotlight on Youth will open in November 2024.
Congratulations to the 2024 finalists!
Heron Bothwell, piano
Mylo Chow, cello
Lena Engelkemier, piano
Katherine Mu, piano
Jonah Scoles, trumpet
Nina Shaye, flute
Terry Stamp, violin
Vela Sun, violin
Emma van der Westhuizen, piano
Benjamin Wang, piano
JaeEun Yun, piano
Chase Zhu, piano
Alice Zuccali, piano
Recital Format
All finalists will perform in person at the recital in the Dalton Center Lecture Hall at Western Michigan University on Sunday, March 2, 2025, starting at 3 p.m. A live stream of the recital will be broadcast via WMU's School of Music YouTube channel.
Spotlight on Youth 2025 will be open to the general public. This, along with the format of the recital, is subject to change depending on local and state health restrictions and WMU safety protocols.
Eligibility
Vocalists and instrumentalists from grades kindergarten through eighth grade are eligible to audition. This includes students from anywhere throughout southwest Michigan.
A student soloist may not be chosen as a winner during two consecutive years on the same instrument, but is eligible to win, the second year, as a member of an ensemble using the same instrument.
Performance Requirements
Repertoire: Free choice from the baroque, classical, romantic, or contemporary periods. An applicant should perform a piece that best demonstrates their talent and musicality.
Performance length: Maximum performance time is 5 minutes. There is no minimum length requirement.
Accompaniment: For pieces with an accompaniment, it is preferred that the audition recording includes the accompaniment, but is not a requirement. However, accompaniment is required for the recital.
Memorization: Memorization is strongly recommended for the recital, but not required.
Judging
All submitted recordings will be judged by a committee made up of members of the Sigma Alpha Iota Kalamazoo Alumnae Chapter.
Auditions are blind. Judges are provided the instrument, title of musical work, and composer of the piece as well as age, grade, and the number of years of study of the applicant.
The judges typically take into consideration the complexity of the piece, the number of years the applicant has been studying their instrument, and how they compare to other applicants who have been studying a similar amount of time.
Finalists will be notified by email no later than Saturday, February 15, 2025.
Application Process
Applications and audition recordings (audio or video file), using the composition to be performed, must be submitted online.
There is no charge for entering the Spotlight on Youth competition. Any number of entries may be submitted by a teacher.
The deadline for submissions was 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Important Dates
January 31, 2025: Applications due by 11:59 p.m.
February 15, 2025: Finalists notified by email no later than this date.
March 2, 2025: Spotlight on Youth recital with all finalists starts at 3 p.m.