USA

About the Festival

Dear Colleagues,
Since its inception in 2002, the Golden Key Music Festival of the United States has established itself as a major cultural event that attracts young instrumentalists and vocalists from across the United States and other continents. Its mission is to give young musicians the opportunity to display their talents on some of the most prestigious concert stages in the United States, to open for them the door into the magic world of art—a realm where almost everyone who steps on the stage is gratified with an incomparable feeling of self-affirmation

Age Categories

For the 2025 festival, applicants in seven age categories will be evaluated:

•5-7
•8-9
•10-11
•12-13
•14-15
•16-18
•19 and older

We calculate the category according to the age of the participant on the 1st of February.

Program’s Requirements

Each application requires a recorded performance of the complete music selection intended for performance at the Festival. The music selection should be a part of the standard repertory from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or Modern Era. *Please, note: a Sonata/Sonatina movement or a part of another cyclic form (Suite, Prelude & Fugue, Concerto, etc.) is considered as one music selection. All but ensemble pieces of two performers or more must be performed from memory.

Solo instrumental and ensemble performances (e.g. one piano four-hands, violin and piano duet, chamber groups, etc.) are welcome. *Please note: only one piano in all concert halls is available. Selections are usually five minutes or less in performing time. Longer selections require additional fees. See the explanation of Fees here.

Multiple entries from the same participant or ensemble are also accepted.

Golden Key Music Festival encourages teachers to support their students by joining them in the Festival’s ensemble performances (duets, trios, etc.).

Video-performance Requirements

We suggest you to upload the pre-recorded performance on Youtube or similar public site and send us the clickable link. We do not require professionally made recording. The home video made by iPhone or simple video camera will provide to us acceptable level of quality.

How to Apply

The 2025 Festival is open to instrumentalists (solo and ensembles) and vocalists ages 5 and older.

Registration:

You are welcome to apply before February 1, 2025 for the online audition by following link: APPLY

*Please, before the registration read our program’s requirements here

Fees

There are two fees:

Application Fee (Due by February 1st, 2025)

Recital Fee (After receiving the results)

Fee payments are only accepted via PayPal (our ID is goldenkeyfest@gmail.com). If you do not have PayPal in your country, please contact us via email gk.musicfest@gmail.com

All fees are non-refundable.

Application Fee

The standard Application Fee is $85(incl. PayPal fee) for a single selection of no more than 5 minutes in performing time. Longer and additional selections are charged as listed below. A selection of more than 10 minutes requires double fee ($170 incl. PayPal fee). We do not accept selections longer than 15 minutes.

Recital Fee

Here are the fees for the live recitals at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Virtual Recital. The fee covers the stage time, awards, guests tickets, design and printing, and other the recital related costs, including professionally made archival pictures of the performer (not guaranteed).


Live Recital Registration Requirements

*(Registration for the Live recital is possible only after receiving the audition result from us (usually not later than March 1.)

In order to register for the live recital, please send an e-mail to goldenkeyfest@gmail.com with the following information:

1. The Winner’s file number (you will receive it)

2. The Winner’s first and last name

3. Proof of the Live Recital(s) Fee Payment

4. Full name of the remitter

After you have emailed us all the required information, you should receive a confirmation from us within 72 hours.

Virtual Recital Registration Requirements

*(Registration for the Virtual recital is possible only after receiving the audition result from us (usually not later than March 1.) by March 25th

In order to register for the Virtual recital, please send an e-mail to goldenkeyfest@gmail.com with the following information:

1. The Winner’s file number (you will receive it)

2. The Winner’s first and last name

3. Proof of the Virtual Recital(s) Fee Payment

4. Full name of the remitter

5. Short (up to 50 words) presentation of the Winner Optional

6. The Winner’s picture Optional

After you have emailed us all the required information, you should receive a confirmation from us within 72 hours.

For the virtual recital,you are welcome to submit updated video recording of your performance, if you wish. Video recommended resolution and aspect ratio: 16:9 and HD 1920 x 1080. If you decided to send updated video, please, use the following Services:

https://www.youtube.com/

https://wetransfer.com/

https://www.google.com/drive/

And for our participants from China:

AWS

https://www.getfilecloud.com/

Please, send the video to gk.musicfest@gmail.com before April 15, 2025

Audition Results

Result of the audition process will be e-mailed to the application submitter before or on March 1,
2025.

We reserve the right to cancel your application without refund if you:

  1. didn’t provide proof of payment or/and the name of the remitter;
  2. didn’t provide us with the correct video link or video link with open access to the video;
  3. didn’t pay for overtime;
  4. provided us incomplete application (without video, music score, etc.)
  5. didn’t answer our request to open the video access, provide proof of payment/remitter information/additional payment for overtime or fee for your entry by 15 February.

We reserve the right to adjudicate only one (first submitted) application, if you paid for only one application but submitted two or more.

Awards

The Gold and Silver level Winners will be invited to perform in the Golden Key Festival Recitals at Carnegie Hall or Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, New York, and receive their Diplomas, Medals, and Trophies (if eligible).

The Super Bronze and Bronze level Winners are welcome to perform and receive their Diplomas, Medals, and Trophies at the Lincoln Center, New York.

Participants in the Festival for 3, 5, 7, 8, or 9 consecutive years will also receive a corresponding festival trophy and recognition on this website (See Hall of Fame) Participants in the Festival for 10 and more consecutive years will be eligible for cash prizes.

Participants in the Festival for 7 or more consecutive years, regardless of their Award level, will be invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Teachers of the participating in the Winner Recital’s students will receive a Certificate of Excellence so long as they are the submitters of the applications for their students.

NOTE: In order to receive the Awards, Winners must have registered for the recital and paid the appropriate recital fee. If the registered Winner could not perform in the live recital, we can offer him participation in the virtual recital for no extra fee, if you will notify us about your concern no later than the deadline for the virtual recital.
All participants in the Virtual Recitals will receive their diplomas by mail. Medals and trophies will not be mailed.

Recitals

Below are the dates for the Winners’ Recitals in the new GK-2025 season.

You are welcome to find the Live Winners’ Recitals Schedule-2024 here

The Golden Key Festival at Carnegie Hall general procedure and requirements: SEE HERE

The Golden Key Festival at Lincoln Center general procedure and requirements: SEE HERE

The Golden Key Festival Virtual Recital general procedure and requirements: SEE HERE

Judges

Shou Ping Chiu (USA/China)

A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Shou Ping Chiu is well–known in China as the resident piano soloist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and for frequent recitals in major cities and on radio and television. In 1978 Mr. Chiu left for

Stephan Möller (Austria/Germany)

Stephan Möller first gained prominence as a prizewinner at the 1985 International Beethoven Competition in Vienna. Since then his busy concert schedule has taken him to Japan, China, North and South America as well as all over Europe. Performing all

Elizabeth M. Guerriero (USA)

Elizabeth M. Guerriero, Ph.D. is assistant professor of music education at Rowan University, where she instructs General Music Methods, Foundations of Music Education, Principles and Pedagogies in the Inclusive Classroom for the College of Education

Vyacheslav Gryaznov (USA)

Vyacheslav Gryznov graduated with honors from the Central Music School of the Moscow State Conservatory where he studied with Professor Manana Kandelaki and the Moscow Conservatory (class of Professor Yuri Slesarev). He continued at the Moscow Conser

Gregory Gelman (USA)

Gregory Gelman received his professional training in art of violin, viola and cello performance at Juilliard School of Music and Novosibirsk State Conservatory of Music. Among his teachers were David Oistrakh, Alexander Uriev, Tossy Spivakovsky, Paul

Marianne Lauffer (USA)

Marianne Lauffer holds a BM and MM in piano performance from Indiana University, studying with Karen Shaw. She did post graduate work at The Juilliard School as a student of Irwin Freundlich, Jacob Lateiner, and German Diez. Ms. Lauffer was the featu

Fei Ju Lin-Bradeen (USA/Taiwan)

Pianist and composer, Fei Ju Bradeen, was born in Taiwan. She started her professional musical training at the age of 7 and was selected for the department of music prodigy education in Taiwan. Throughout her early life in music education, she earned

Chao Tang (China)

Pianist Chao Tang received his early professional training in Shanghai. He came to the United States to complete a Master of Music degree with distinction and Clark Scholarship at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, studying with Dr.

Marina Strakovsky (USA)

Marina Strakovsky received her M.A. degree in Piano and Conducting from St. Petersburg State University of Culture and the Arts and a B.A. “with distinction” in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the N. Rimsky-Korsakov State College of Music in Psko

George Borisov (USA)

George Borisov received his professional training in Piano Performance and Chamber Ensembles from S.Rachmaninov State Conservatory in Rostov City (B.M, M.M.), M.Glinka State Conservatory in Novosibirsk (D.M.A.), and completed his Ph.D. in Musicology

Anna Leyerer (Austria)

Anna Leyerer is a concert pianist living in Vienna, Austria. Her latest achievement is the 1st Prize at the International Piano Competition “Franceso Paolo Neglia” 2022 in Enna, Italy.