In Spring 2024, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival will offer its 22nd annual Youth Chamber Music Competition for musicians age 18 and younger in chamber ensembles. The competition will be held in late April or early May.

The Santa Cruz Baroque Festival’s founding Artistic Director, Linda Burman-Hall died suddenly on 21 August 2023 while attending a conference in Malaysia. It was her vision and boundless energy that has allowed SCBF to present excellent, historically informed performances of early music to the Santa Cruz community for decades.  The Board of the SCBF is committed to honoring Linda’s vision by moving ahead with our plans for the 2024 season, including the Youth Chamber Music Competition / Emerging Artist Showcase with the generous support from Concert Sponsor Dean Silvers.

Following the competition, the performances and awards ceremony takes place at the Emerging Artists Showcase, 5 May 2024, at Holy Cross Church, Santa Cruz. By entering the competition, ensemble members affirm their ability to attend the Emerging Artists Showcase. Admission is free, although a $10 donation is appreciated.

• Benefits: Monetary awards of $500, $300, and $200 will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ensembles respectively, to be divided equally among ensemble members. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ensembles, and honorable mentions at our discretion will perform at our Emerging Artists Showcase, 5 May 2023 at Holy Cross Church in Santa Cruz. Attendance and performance at the Showcase is required in order to receive prize money.
• Application Deadline: Competition appointments can be scheduled by completing the google form at https://forms.gle/QDZW4AxdHPC4im5R9 by TBD. You will then receive confirmation of your appointment by email.
• Competition: The competition will be held at a date to be determined in March 2024 in Santa Cruz CA. Judging slots are available from 8am to late afternoon, under the supervision of the Santa Cruz Baroque Festival Board of Directors. While we take into account schedule preferences for auditions, groups are recommended to be available at any time during the planned judging block. 
• Repertoire: For the competition, all classical music is accepted without bias. 
• Eligibility: The competition is open to musicians 18 years of age or younger on the date of the competition residing in Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Monterey, Santa Clara, or San Benito counties.

Winners of the 2023 YCMC competition held Sunday May 21, 2023 at Holy Cross Church:

1st Prize: Valley Christian Conservatory Piano Trio, coached by Lily Homer of San Jose.

2nd Prize: London Trio of Santa Cruz County Chamber Music Academy, coached by Kathleen Purcell.

3rd Prize: Guihaire Brothers Piano Duo of Mary Jane Cope Piano Studio, Santa Cruz.

Winners of the 2022 YCMC competition, Bellovio Quartet, appeared in our Music in the Parks free concert series,  April 3, 2022. Video may be viewed at this link: https://youtu.be/ciBprmc-KUU.