1. The 2017 Competition will be held in Palm Desert, California from March 26 through April 2, 2017.  The Palm Desert Campus of California State University, San Bernardino will be the venue for Competition Rounds and Master Classes from March 26 through April 1.  Master Classes with the jury will take place on Saturday, April 1. The Concerto Finals with Orchestra will be held in the McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert on April 2, 2017.
2. Contestants are financially responsible for their travel to and from Palm Desert.
3. All competitors must arrive by Saturday, March 25, 2017. Competitors are encouraged to stay for the entire competition.
4. All applicants invited to the Competition are responsible for their own travel documents: visas, passports, etc. Please ask the nearest US Embassy or US Consulate for required documents to enter the United States. It may take several  weeks to obtain the proper documents. Contact the competition office immediately if you need a letter for the US Embassy or US Consulate.
   
5. All contestants must give credit in all future publicity for all awards won in the 2017 Waring International Piano Competition.
6. The Competition reserves the right, without payment of fees, to record and distribute recordings for media and other purposes, including the Internet, and to televise, broadcast, film, record, videotape, photograph or stream live all stages of the Competition, all prize performances, and concerts.
7. By applying to the Competition, applicants agree to abide by all the rules and regulations of the Waring International Piano Competition.
8. The Competition reserves the right to make necessary changes as circumstances dictate.

1. Each contestant will be offered host-family lodging, local transportation and reasonable access to a practice piano.
2. Housing will be provided free of charge to each accepted contestant for the duration of the Competition.
3. Contestants who decline host-family housing will be responsible for their own lodging and local transportation, with possibly limited piano practice time.

1. 1. Application Deadline – November 4, 2016
   2. Online Application is now be available and found on this website.  You may also request a blank application as a Word Document or pdf by emailing the VWIPC office.  You may submit your application, attached as a Word Document, by emailing info@vwipc.org.  You may also send a photo in a high resolution jpeg or tiff format by emailing to info@vwipc.org
   3. All required supporting materials and application fees must be postmarked before November 4, 2016 and sent to  VWIPC, 73-710 Fred Waring Dr. # 201, Palm Desert, CA 92260 USA.
      
   4. All applications must be electronically prepared or typed; hand-written applications will be disqualified.
   5. A non-refundable application fee of US$200 (Two hundred US dollars) must be received in the VWIPC office at 73710 Fred Waring Dr. # 201, Palm Desert, CA 92260 USA. You may pay it online when you submit your application OR you may send in payment by US check or credit card with the mailed requirements of the application. (See Cover Pages for instructions)
   6. Required Supporting Materials are:
      • Proof of age (photo copy of birth certificate or passport) – do NOT email – must be mailed)
      • If US Citizen or Resident, copy of US Social Security Card – do NOT email, must be mailed.
      • A Non-Refundable application fee of US $200 (if not previously paid on line)
      • An unedited performance or rehearsal on DVD or CD accompanied by a list of the repertoire by track number, if not submitted online (see specifics below)
      • Recent high resolution head shot photo, if not previously sent by email. Please have in a JPEG or Tiff on a CD.
   7. KEEP COPIES OF ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS. You will receive an automatic email confirming your application once it is submitted online.

Please choose your repertoire carefully BEFORE you submit your application. Once accepted, NO REPERTOIRE CHANGES ARE ALLOWED

1. Judges will know each competitor ONLY by a randomly selected number.

2. Each competitor must prepare a 75 minute solo program. Solo repertoire for the Competition must include works from the categories listed on page 5, including any categories not included on the audition DVD / CD. (All periods of repertoire must be presented, whether on the audition DVD/CD or in the solo program. Particular repertoire should be identified for each round of the solo competition. Repertoire may be repeated only in the final round.

3. Each competitor must prepare an Earl Wild transcription of not more than 5 minutes from the following list to be played during Solo Round I performances.

a. Gershwin/Earl Wild-Virtuoso Etudes
i. Liza
ii. Somebody Loves Me
iii. The Man I Love
iv. Embraceable You
v. Lady Be Good
vi. I Got Rhythm
vii. Fascinatin’ Rhythm

b.Rachmaninoff / Wild – Song Transcriptions for Piano
i. Floods of Spring Op. 14, NO. 11
ii. Misummer Nights Op. 14, NO. 5
iii. The Little Island Op. 14, No. 2
iv. Where Beauty Dwells Op. 21, NO. 7
v. In the Silent Night Op. 4, NO. 3
vi. Do Not Grieve Op. 14, No. 8
vii. Sorrow in Springtime Op. 21, No. 12
viii. On the Death of a Linnet, Op. 21, No. 8
ix. To the Children Op. 26, No. 7
x. The Muse  Op. 34, No. 1
xi. Dreams Op. 38,. No. 5
xii. Harvest of Sorrow Op. 4, No. 5
xiii. O, Cease They Singing  Op. 4, No. 4

c. Various Transcriptions
i. Tchaikovsky/Wild – Dance of Four Swans
ii. Tchaikovsky/Wile – At the Ball
iii. Handel / Wild – Air & Variations – Harmonious Blacksmith
iv. Faure / Wild – Improvisation on Apres Un Reve
v. Bach / Wild – Hommage a Poulenc
vi. Marcello/Wild – Adagio
vii. Earl Wild / Jarabe Tapatio (Mexican Hat Dance)

All Earl Wild transcription music is available at a 30% discount for VWIPC applicants through the Earl Wild website:

Click on the word TRANSCRIPTIONS in the lower left hand side of the homepage;  Type in WARING COMPETITION on the on-line order form to get the 30% discount!

4. If entering the Concerto Round, you must prepare one complete concerto, chosen from the following:

5. All solo and concerto pieces must be performed by memory and must be prepared in their entirety. (The Earl Wild Transcription may be performed with sheet music)

6. The Competition will provide accompanists for Concerto Round One. Appropriate rehearsal time will be arranged.

7. One published score of each work to be performed must be provided for judges. Contestants may pick up their scores from the check in desk immediately after performing.

8. All decisions of the jury are final. Written comments from judges will be mailed to all contestants within six (6) weeks of the end of the competition.

9. All rounds of the competition and master classes are open to the public.

Solo Round I:

All Contestants will perform a 30 minute solo program including the Earl Wild transcription

Solo Round II – Semi Finals: Approximately 12 (twelve) contestants will be selected to compete in the Semi-Final round, performing 45 minute solo programs of different repertoire.

Solo Round III – Finals: Up to six (6) finalists will be selected to present 45 minute solo programs. Prizes will be awarded following the solo finals. The first place solo winner and the Earl Wild transcription winner must perform at the McCallum Theatre after the concerto finals on Sunday, April 2.

Concerto Round I: Those entering the concerto competition must perform a concerto from the list provided with second piano accompaniment. Appropriate cuts may be made if the work exceeds 20 minutes.

Concerto Round II – Finals: Three (3) finalists will be selected to perform full concerti with orchestra, with one rehearsal on Sunday April 2. Prizes will be awarded immediately following the performances.

MASTER CLASS: Contestants will have the opportunity to perform in a Master Class with one of the adjudicators free of charge on Saturday April 1.

1. Applicants may choose preliminary audition repertoire different from the works they plan to perform during the Competition.

2. The audition CD must have at least 30 (thirty) minutes of diverse solo repertoire including:

a. One etude that demonstrates the applicant’s technical dexterity.  The etude must be chosen from the Etudes of Chopin, Debussy, Ligeti, Liszt, Rachmaninoff or Scriabin.

b. Preliminary audition solo repertoire must be chosen from these categories:

• Baroque / Classical Sonata
• Major Romantic Work or Group
• Works written after 1920

3. NOTE:  The Unedited Audition DVD or Audio CD is the Deciding Factor on Acceptance into the Competition!

a. The DVD or CD must be playable on a regular DVD or CD player (not VCD or computer)

b. Each piece of repertoire on the audition DVD or CD needs a separate track number and must be listed correctly on the application form

c. The DVD must be an unedited performance / rehearsal

4. Each applicant should listen to his or her DVD or CD on a DVD or audio CD Player to confirm its quality and completeness.

5. Screening judges will not have any biographical information on the applicants. Decisions are made solely based on the audition DVD or CD.  All selections will be made without regard to prior awards, education, age, nationality, gender or teacher.