2025 World Music Competition
APPLY NOW
Deadline: August 15, 2025
Online: No Traveling Required!
Join 7,000+ Musicians From 90+ Countries
🎓 Students at Harvard, Juilliard, and Stanford
🎼 Performers at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and Musikverein
📺 Guests on America’s Got Talent, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Why Apply?
🏫 School Excellence Trophy
The elementary, middle, and high school with the most outstanding team of student performers will be awarded a premium custom trophy honoring their school's musical excellence. See full rules here.
🎶 Teacher Recognition
All teachers receive a personalized certificate of recognition, and the teacher with the most student winners will be featured on our Home Page alongside their students.
🌐 Professional Online Presence
Receive a custom website page with your photo and biography designed to rank high on Google when people search your name.
🌍 Global Recognition
Get your performance featured on our YouTube Channel with over 20,000 subscribers, receive an email with your results on September 10th, and discover finalist rankings for each age group and instrument category on our Results page with a history of 50+ past competitions.
⚖️ Prestigious Jury
Be evaluated by our Judges from over a dozen countries, including world-class musicians, acclaimed educators, and industry professionals.
🗞️ Exclusive Press Coverage
Get featured in a press release distributed to Google News, AP News, NBC, FOX, ABC & CBS affiliates. View our April Press Release.
🎓 Scholarship & Career Boost
1st Prize winners receive a personalized confidential letter of recommendation for college applications upon request.
📄 Guaranteed Awards
Receive a Musical Achievement Statement officially recognizing your musical level together with a personalized certificate of recognition designed to be printed and framed at your convenience.
💵 Cash Prizes
Be eligible for $1,000 in cash prizes awarded to the Exceptional Performer and the Audience Favorite. View our Cash Prize Winners.
🏆 Trophies & Special Features
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prize winners may order a personalized trophy at an additional cost. Our Trophy Winners will be invited to submit a photo with their trophy together with an optional short video speaking about their musical journey to be featured on our Instagram Page (10,000+ followers) and on our YouTube channel’s Finalist Interviews Playlist.
See What Others Are Saying
★★★★★
"Receiving 1st place in the Charleston International Competition is a milestone in my musical journey that I will forever cherish. It is an honor to have my dedication and passion recognized by such a prestigious institution. The competition provided me with an accessible platform to showcase my musical talents and connect with fellow musicians from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Participating in the competition multiple times was an exhilarating and enriching experience that challenged me to push the boundaries of my artistic expression and allowed me to participate on both the trumpet and violin." - Alexander Romanov
★★★★★
"First and foremost, I would like to express that it is an incredible honour to be the second prize winner of this month’s Charleston international music competition. This competition and prize is such a big milestone in my musical journey and it has helped me showcase what I love doing the most and it has also helped me expand my musical repertoire even further. I look forward to my next achievements in my musical journey and once again I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all my supporters and the people at Charleston International Piano Competition." - Emily Lee
★★★★★
"Entering this competition is one of the coolest musical experiences I have participated in so far! Being able to be connected with, and watch the performances of finalists from all over the world was really inspiring and refreshing to watch, especially when it came to watching other young aspiring musicians like me. I was incredibly surprised and happy when I was a first prize winner for my age division and greatly enjoyed the videos of the other finalists. I feel a great honor with my achievement through this competition and will most certainly participate in future competitions!" - Cole Flores
Read dozens of other glowing reviews from finalists and their teachers on our Testimonials page. Finalists love our monthly competitions so much that many apply multiple times—some up to 17 consecutive times, as seen on our Leaderboard page.
Join the growing community of musicians pursuing excellence!
As Featured In
FAQs
How do I enter?
Submit the World Application Form by August 15.
If you are approved by the judges to pass pre-screening, you will receive an email invitation on August 20 with instructions on how to apply to the final round. Make sure to check your primary email inbox, promotions tab, and spam folder on that day.
Keep in mind that the performance video you submit for the pre-screening round will be evaluated again for the final round.
Please do not be disheartened if you do not advance to the final round, as we receive applications from many talented musicians. Keep trying and never give up!
If you are invited to the final round, you must submit the final round application fee here by August 25 to secure your spot in the finals.
What is the competition schedule?
Free Entries: Now – August 15
Pre-screening: August 16 – 19
Final Round Applications: August 20 – 31
Judging: September 1 – 9
Prizes & Recognition Announcement: September 10
Who can participate?
The competition is open to singers, instrumentalists, and ensembles of all ages and nationalities. All musical instruments, including piano, string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion, will be accepted.
What categories are there?
The competition has age group and instrument categories.
What are the performance video requirements?
In the World Application Form, please submit the YouTube link to your performance video that is no longer than 15 minutes in length, ensuring that you are clearly visible as the performer. The video should be a live, continuous performance that is not edited, with no cuts. It must not be an audio recording.
What are the repertoire requirements?
The competition is open to all repertoire from any composers, past or present.
Where can I find past competition results?
How can I contact you?
2025 World Music Competition
Online: No Traveling Required!
DEADLINE: AUGUST 15, 2025
Join 7,000+ Musicians From 90+ Countries
🎓 Students at Harvard, Juilliard, and Stanford
🎼 Performers at Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, and Musikverein
📺 Guests on America’s Got Talent, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Why Apply?
🏫 School Excellence Trophy
The elementary, middle, and high school with the most outstanding team of student performers will be awarded a premium custom trophy honoring their school's musical excellence. See full rules here.
🎶 Teacher Recognition
All teachers receive a personalized certificate of recognition, and the teacher with the most student winners will be featured on our Home Page alongside their students.
🌐 Professional Online Presence
Receive a custom website page with your photo and biography designed to rank high on Google when people search your name.
🌍 Global Recognition
Get your performance featured on our YouTube Channel with over 20,000 subscribers, receive an email with your results on September 10th, and discover finalist rankings for each age group and instrument category on our Results page with a history of 50+ past competitions.
⚖️ Prestigious Jury
Be evaluated by our Judges from over a dozen countries, including world-class musicians, acclaimed educators, and industry professionals.
🗞️ Exclusive Press Coverage
Get featured in a press release distributed to Google News, AP News, NBC, FOX, ABC & CBS affiliates. View our April Press Release.
🎓 Scholarship & Career Boost
1st Prize winners receive a personalized confidential letter of recommendation for college applications upon request.
📄 Guaranteed Awards
Receive a Musical Achievement Statement officially recognizing your musical level together with a personalized certificate of recognition designed to be printed and framed at your convenience.
💵 Cash Prizes
Be eligible for $1,000 in cash prizes awarded to the Exceptional Performer and the Audience Favorite. View our Cash Prize Winners.
🏆 Trophies & Special Features
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prize winners may order a personalized trophy at an additional cost. Our Trophy Winners will be invited to submit a photo with their trophy together with an optional short video speaking about their musical journey to be featured on our Instagram Page (10,000+ followers) and on our YouTube channel’s Finalist Interviews Playlist.
See What Others Are Saying
★★★★★
"Receiving 1st place in the Charleston International Competition is a milestone in my musical journey that I will forever cherish. It is an honor to have my dedication and passion recognized by such a prestigious institution." - Alexander Romanov
★★★★★
"This competition and prize is such a big milestone in my musical journey and it has helped me showcase what I love doing the most and it has also helped me expand my musical repertoire even further." - Emily Lee
★★★★★
"Entering this competition is one of the coolest musical experiences I have participated in so far! Being able to be connected with, and watch the performances of finalists from all over the world was really inspiring and refreshing to watch, especially when it came to watching other young aspiring musicians like me." - Cole Flores
Read dozens of other glowing reviews from finalists and their teachers on our Testimonials page. Finalists love our monthly competitions so much that many apply multiple times—some up to 17 consecutive times, as seen on our Leaderboard page.
Join the growing community of musicians pursuing excellence!
As Featured In
FAQs
How do I enter?
Submit the World Application Form by August 15.
If you are approved by the judges to pass pre-screening, you will receive an email invitation on August 20 with instructions on how to apply to the final round. Make sure to check your primary email inbox, promotions tab, and spam folder on that day.
Keep in mind that the performance video you submit for the pre-screening round will be evaluated again for the final round.
Please do not be disheartened if you do not advance to the final round, as we receive applications from many talented musicians. Keep trying and never give up!
If you are invited to the final round, you must submit the final round application fee here by August 25 to secure your spot in the finals.
What is the competition schedule?
Free Entries: Now – August 15
Pre-screening: August 16 – 19
Final Round Applications: August 20 – 31
Judging: September 1 – 9
Prizes & Recognition Announcement: September 10
Who can participate?
The competition is open to singers, instrumentalists, and ensembles of all ages and nationalities. All musical instruments, including piano, string instruments, wind instruments, and percussion, will be accepted.
What categories are there?
The competition has age group and instrument categories.
What are the performance video requirements?
In the World Application Form, please submit the YouTube link to your performance video that is no longer than 15 minutes in length, ensuring that you are clearly visible as the performer. The video should be a live, continuous performance that is not edited, with no cuts. It must not be an audio recording.
What are the repertoire requirements?
The competition is open to all repertoire from any composers, past or present.
Where can I find past competition results?
How can I contact you?
JUDGING
A jury of qualified judges will evaluate your pre-screening and final round applications based on criteria for artistry such as technical accuracy, stylistic interpretation, musical expression, and stage presence. Contestants are judged solely on their musical abilities and not on the basis of their race, gender, or other protected characteristics. Please note that the decision of our judges is final and cannot be appealed.
Our judges consider both the relative and absolute strength of finalists’ performance videos, so the organizers of the Charleston International Music Competition reserve the right to not always award each prize in every age group and instrument category depending on the numeric ratings submitted by our judges on a scale from 1 to 10. The judges featured on the Our Judges website page include both current judges and past judges who have adjudicated our prior competitions.
By participating in our competitions, you agree to these rules and waive your right to dispute our allocation of prizes, including the Exceptional Performer and Audience Favorite Prizes. No disputes or disagreements arising from the competition’s results will be entertained or reviewed. By adhering to these judging rules, our competitions will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, providing a platform for recognition and appreciation that allows musicians to showcase their talent and skills.