1. Festival Dates. MLTW Festival starts at on October 1, 2022 and ends on March 22, 2023.
2. Eligibility and Festival Categories. MLTW Festival is open to piano students (“Students”) resident in Canada or the United States who meet the eligibility requirements set out in the Contest Rules. The full Contest Rules are available at rcmusic.com/festival (“MLTW Website”). MLTW Festival is comprised of two (2) divisions: (i) Youth Division; and (ii) Adult Division, and fourteen (14) Categories. Limit of one (1) entry per Student.
3. How to Enter. No purchase is necessary to enter MLTW Festival. To enter, Students must record a video submission of their performance of a repertoire selection from the Celebration Series®, Sixth Edition Repertoire book (“Video Performance”). Students who do not have a copy of the Celebration Series®, Sixth Edition Repertoire book may request a copy of a selection on the MLTW Website. Video Performances may be submitted from October 1 to December 1, 2022.
4. Festival Rounds.
YOUTH DIVISION. Youth Division Categories will consist of three (3) rounds: (i) the First Round; (ii) the Semi-Finals; and (iii) the Finals. The First Round and the Semi-Finals will be held virtually. The Finals for the Elementary Categories will be held virtually. The Finals for the Intermediate and Advanced Categories will be held live at Koerner Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Approximately twelve (12) Semi-Finalists will be selected in each Category. Winners of all Categories will be announced on March 22, 2023 at Music Lights the Way Gala (“Gala”) at Koerner Hall.
ADULT DIVISION. Adult Division Categories of the MLTW Festival will consist of two (2) rounds: (i) the First Round; and (ii) Second Round. The First Round and Second Round will each take place virtually. Approximately twelve (12) Students in each Category will be selected for the Second Round. Winners will be announced at the Gala.
The jury for all Categories will consist of distinguished professional musicians, including members of The Royal Conservatory College of Examiners. The jury will review Video Performances using the marking guidelines of The Royal Conservatory Certificate Program, available for review on the MLTW Website.
PARTICIPATION DRAW. Students will be included in a random Participation Draw from all eligible entries for the participation prizes.
TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP DRAW. Teachers whose names have been submitted to MLTW Festival will also be entered into a random draw to receive one (1) of twelve (12) scholarships worth CAD $1,500 for one of the teacher’s students.
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD. All Video Performances will be made available on the MLTW Website for viewing by the public for the Audience Choice Award. Members of the public may vote on their favorite Video Performances. Winners of the Audience Choice Award will be announced at the Gala.
5. Prizes. There are 124 prizes to be won, valued at over CAD $150,000! Prizes include thirty-three (33) Celebration Series®, Sixth Edition Piano Repertoire and Etudes, and Celebrate Theory, Levels 1-10, (33) opportunities to win free one (1) year access to the RCM’s Digital Musicianship Tools, Scholarship Opportunities (approx. retail value CAD $1,500 each), YDP-105 Standard Size 88-Key Arius Digital Pianos (approx. retail value CAD $1,400 each), Yamaha Portable Keyboard PSRE373 61-Key Touch Sensitive (approx. retail value CAD $270 each), Yamaha 88-Note Digital Pianos – P125 Touch Sensitive (approx. retail value CAD $900 each), CLP 785 - Standard Size Clavinova Digital Pianos (approx. retail value CAD $5,500 each), Yamaha B1 Acoustic Upright Pianos (approx. retail value CAD $6,500 each), Yamaha P22 Acoustic Upright Pianos (approx. retail value CAD $10,000 each), and a Yamaha GC Series Acoustic Grand Piano (approx. retail value CAD $40,000). A full and detailed list of Prizes for each Category is attached to the Contest Rules. The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received as well as the musical merit of the Student’s performance.Music Lights the Way Piano Festival (“MLTW Festival”) is organized by the Royal Conservatory of Music (“RCM”).