The Neil and Dolly Huhta Instrumental Music Competition

Eligibility

Open to all enrolled Stetson University instrumental music majors: strings, guitar, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboard.
Music Education majors in their internship semester are eligible with the endorsement of their applied instructor.
All participants must have permission from their applied instructor.
First-prize winners of the Huhta Instrumental Competition are not eligible to compete in subsequent Huhta Instrumental Competitions.

Repertoire may include unaccompanied works or works with piano.
Concerti movements are not accepted.
Orchestral reductions (outside of concertos) require approval from both the competition coordinator and the applicant’s studio teacher.
Memorization is optional at all stages of the competition.

Contestants must email the competition coordinator YouTube links of video recordings with two contrasting selections/movements.
No minimum playing time requirement; total performance time (for preliminary & final rounds) must not exceed 12 minutes.
Piano accompaniment is not required in preliminary recordings if the repertoire calls for it.
A panel of three external judges, comprised of instrumental artists/professors, will select the 24 finalists.
Application deadline (declare selections; no video submission) is Monday, October 5, 2026 (by 5:00 p.m.).
Primary video submission deadline is Sunday, November 8, 2026 (5:00 p.m.).
No repertoire changes allowed after the submission deadline.
Announcement of finalists will be done via email on Monday, November 23, 2026.

All finalists will compete live at Lee Chapel on February 7, 2027.
All finalists must be available for the entire duration of the competition, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the designated competition day.
Finalists must perform the same repertoire from the preliminary round, with piano accompaniment if applicable (no changes permitted).
Contestants must provide three copies of the full score for the judges at the time of the competition.
Judged by a panel of three external judges different from the preliminary round panel.
The judges will declare the competition winners on February 7, 2027, after all finalists have performed.

For additional information, contact Dunwoody Mirvil at [email protected]