Information updated for 2024 Competition!
IMPORTANT!: The Mailing Address for the Mika Hasler Competition has changed.
The new mailing address to send donations and application submissions to is:
15919 Clearcrest Drive
Houston, TX. 77059
The Mika Hasler Competition (MHC) is open to young musicians who are not older than 25 and are legal residents of the United States.
Preliminary Round: Contestants must be prepared to play their piece in it’s entirety in the preliminary and final rounds. The concerto movements or pieces of similar level of difficulty must be performed from memory in both rounds.
Instrumentalists: Total of two – Movements from two different major concerti or two equivalent concert pieces with technical difficulties similar to a concerto, with a performance time from 45 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, from the Classical or Romantic Periods. One of the works may be substituted with a work from the 20th century.
Vocalists: MHC is not currently accepting vocalist applications for the competition.
Preliminary Round:
The preliminary round must be uploaded to YouTube you must properly share the video with mhyac2016@gmail.com. An entry fee of $90.00 must be sent to 15919 Clearcrest Drive
Houston, TX. 77059 by December 17th, 2023. MHC will not process any application without a working YouTube submission and payment.
MHC reserves the right to dismiss any applicant if his or her application is found to be ineligible or misleading in any way. Such disqualification may be made at any time, up to and including the date of the scheduled performance. A disqualified applicant will forfeit the performing experience and prize and no refund of fees or expenses will be given. The MHC will have sole discretion to award the prize and the opportunity to an alternate candidate.
Final 10:
The applicants selected to participate in the Final 10 competition will be notified of their results by email. Application fee payment should be by money order or cashier’s check; please do not send cash. Checks should be made payable to MHYACF.
Final Round:
Finalists will perform live on a zoom call with the panel of judges on [date and time TBD]. Contestants must perform the same concerto movements or pieces of music they performed and recorded for the preliminary round. At least one original solo part/piano reduction/score plus two copies must be supplied to the adjudicators. Contestants must perform with their own piano accompanist. MHC will not provide accompanists.
Awards:
Prizes are $10,000.00 plus a 45 minute solo recital for first place and $5,000.00 plus a 30 minute solo for second place. The winner’s recital will occur at [date and time TDB] on stage at Duncan Recital Hall at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Winners must perform at this recital; failure to perform will result in the loss of the prize. Awards will be presented at the conclusion of the performance event.
Please be aware: All Final Ten performances will be video recorded and archived on the website and You Tube open for viewing. Winners will perform at the Winners’ Concert and will be required to perform at other times too, at their availability.
Directions to Shepherd School of Music – Duncan Recital Hall, Rice University:
Please use entrance 18 off of Rice Boulevard, or entrance 8 off of University Boulevard.