DePonte Creativity Partners (DCP) announces:
The Young Artists
Professional Development
Competition
Season TWO
A COLLABORATION BETWEEN DCP & chatterPDX,
and media sponsor All Classical Radio's ICAN Network
After 25+ years of producing concerto concerts for young artists, conductor Niel DePonte has created a new opportunity for young artists in the Portland, SW Washington area. The Young Artists Professional Development Competition (YA-PDC) is a program for talented students that will provide the winners with performance opportunities at one of two established performance stages: the Sunday morning series known as chatterPDX in downtown Portland, or The Concerts At The Barn summer music festival in late July and August in Beaverton.
Applicants must be between 14 and 18 years of age. This year's competition is for violin, cello, piano, flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon only. There will be six finalists. Two winners will be chosen to perform with professionals and receive the $1000 Lewis-Goldstein Scholarships. The other four honorees will receive $250 scholarships provided by DePonte Creativity Partners.
Application Deadline: 11:59PM September 1, 2026. You must be available for the Live Audition Round Sunday, October 11 from Noon-2:00 PM at Portland State University Lincoln Hall, room 75.
Each winner will perform a significant chamber music piece during the year that follows our live audition round, with professional musicians from the ranks of the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet and/or Opera Orchestras at one the two venues mentioned above. The intent of the competition is to expose young artists to the professional expectations and preparation protocols that come with working with veteran chamber music musicians and reward them with a public performance opportunity and an honorarium of $1000.
Please Read the Additional Information and Competition Rules below.
2026 Young artists
professional development competition form
Competition info & rules
The competition has two rounds:
Note: The instruments eligible for competition year 2026 are piano, violin, cello, flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon.
The Application Round
Applicants must fill out the application form completely and accurately. Each applicant must submit an unedited YouTube video of the first movement of a major concerto or romantic period sonata with accompaniment. The video should be as close to professional video and audio quality as possible. All videos must have piano accompaniment for the soloist including pianists. Your solo must be the same work you would play at the competition if selected for the Live Performance Round. Applications must be submitted to Chief Judge Niel DePonte using the form by 11:59PM, September 1, 2026. They must be submitted as YouTube videos that are unedited and between 10 and 20 minutes in length (Judges will accept shorter videos as long as they show outstanding talent and artistry.)
The Live Performance Round
To be held on October 11, 2026 in Room 75 of Lincoln Hall on the campus of Portland State University from Noon-2:00 pm.
Candidates will perform a movement of a major concerto or sonata with piano accompaniment. They will then “sit-in” with professional musicians and play through a pre-selected chamber music work alongside them. THIS WORK MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE PIECE CHOSEN TO BE PREPARED FOR THE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY IN 2026. THAT WORK IS TBD AFTER THE COMPETITION. After these performances, the professional musicians, chatterPDX artistic staff and chief judge Niel DePonte will choose winners to perform in concert with the professionals.
Winners are required to attend up to three rehearsals with professional colleagues to prepare the chamber music work selected for performance at either ChatterPDX or The Concerts At The Barn stages. Winners may be asked to attend private coachings on their parts with professional mentors.
Note: An important part of our process is the coaching sessions. Winners will be expected to attend rehearsals as often as the program directors deem necessary to optimize their performance experience. Students will be encouraged to take any technical issues back to their teachers for their input. Interpretation of a work will be primarily driven by the ensembles themselves but we encourage young artists to have a point of view on the work themselves. It is important to note that DCP reserves the right to cancel an applicant’s right to perform at any time and for any reason.
Awards:
Besides the performance opportunity afforded to winners, two winners will be awarded a $1000 scholarship, and the other four winners a $250 scholarship for their participation in the concert performance opportunity, to be paid at the performance events scheduled for 2027. Performance dates at either chatterPDX or The Concerts At The Barn’s venue will be determined in consultation with the winners and the ensemble members.
Note: WINNERS MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR THE CONCERT DATES OFFERED TO THEM AND COMMIT TO THOSE PERFORMANCES. UNAVAILABILITY FOR THESE PERFORMANCES VOIDS WINNING A POSITION IN THIS COMPETITION. THE COMPETITION WILL STRIVE TO IDENTIFY MUTUALLY AGREEABLE PERFORMANCE DATES.
Applicants must reside within a two-hour commute to downtown Portland (essentially from Eugene, OR to Vancouver, WA or points east) and be available for rehearsals at mutually agreeable times in the Portland area.
About the officials
About the Chief Judge:
Niel DePonte, creator and artistic director of the Young Artists Debut Concerto Competition (1995-2021), former music director and conductor of Oregon Ballet Theatre, Grammy nominated concerto soloist, and designer of the DePonte Protocols for Professional Performance (D3P), a program designed to maximize performance success during concert appearances and especially auditions, juries, and competitions. Maestro DePonte is a national judge for The American Prize competition in the areas of ensemble performance, conducting, and composition. Artistic Directors from Chatter-PDX will also join the judges panel. Other judges to be announced later this year.
James Shields, Former Principal Clarinet of the Oregon Symphony, co-artistic director and founder of chatterPDX. Soloist and chamber music artist.
Other judges TBD
About iCan Radio
The International Children’s Arts Network (iCAN) is a free award-winning 24-hour radio station that provides access to music, arts, and literature programs designed for children, educators, and families. The station complements in-school and at-home learning and helps young people explore creativity and art, learn about other cultures, and build confidence. ICAN is a service of All Classical Radio.
Listen to iCAN’s streaming or on demand programs at icanradio.org.
iCAN is a proud sponsor of the 2026 Young Artists Professional Development Competition.