Rotary Young Musician Competition 2027

The Milton Keynes Music Academy is proud to support the Rotary Young Musician Competition, organised by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (Rotary GB&I). This prestigious competition provides an opportunity for young talents to shine and receive professional feedback, helping them grow as performers. Whether you’re a vocalist or an instrumentalist, this is your chance to showcase your skills!

Aims and Objectives

• Showcase your musical talent.
• Receive impartial feedback from experienced adjudicators.
• Perform on a public stage.

Who Can Enter?

The competition is open to young people aged 17 or younger on 31st August 2026, whether you’re a solo instrumentalist or vocalist, and regardless of your musical level or style—including modern genres. However, it is not open to full-time music or performing arts students studying above A-Level (or equivalent).

Application Deadline

The deadline for sending applications is Sunday 11 October, 2026.

Competition Structure

The competition is split into four stages across the country:

1. Local Heats (Milton Keynes)
   Heats: 19th – 22nd October at Milton Keynes Music Academy
   Final: Sunday 1st November at Church of Christ the Cornerstone, Milton Keynes
   Local winners advance to:
2. District Final (Beds, Bucks & Herts)
   Saturday 20th February (Venue TBA)
3. Area Final (East of England)
   Saturday 6th March (Venue TBA)
4. National Final
   Saturday 24th April (Venue TBA)

How Does the Local Stage Work?

For the Milton Keynes heats:

• Categories:
  • Vocal
  • Instrumental (subdivided into Strings, Wind, Piano, Guitar/Harp)
• One winner from each instrumental subcategory and three vocalists will advance to the Milton Keynes finals.
• Finalists will be paired with one of five local Rotary clubs for sponsorship and ongoing support.

The Milton Keynes finals will be held at a prestigious venue with a 200-strong audience, where adjudicators will choose one overall winner from the instrumentalists and one vocalist to progress to the District final.

Entry Fee

There is a one-off fee of £15 to enter. If you advance to further stages, no additional fees will be required, as Rotary sponsors any necessary expenses. To enter, simply fill in the entry form and pay the entry fee.

Key Dates

• Heats: 19th-22nd October 2026
• Local Final: 1st November 2026
• District Final: 20th February 2027
• Area Final: 6th March 2027
• National Final: 24th April 2027

Judging Criteria

Adjudicators will assess performances based on:

• Melodic and rhythmic accuracy
• Intonation
• Tempo and flow
• Tone
• Mood and character
• The overall performance and programme choice

The decision of the adjudicators will be final.

Additional Information

• Instrumentalists: An acoustic piano will be provided for the competition, but competitors should bring their own accompanist if needed (one can be provided upon request).
• Vocalists: You may accompany yourself or use a backing track, provided it meets competition guidelines.
• All Performers: The maximum performance time is 13 minutes, and competitors must provide three copies of their sheet music for the adjudicators.

For full competition details, including guidelines on accompaniment, amplification, and other technical requirements, please refer to the competition guidelines here.

ROTARY YOUNG MUSICIAN 2026 – APPLICATION FORM

Privacy Notice – Rotary Youth Competitions & Awards
[For the purpose of this privacy notice, Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland (Rotary GB&I) also includes Rotary clubs and districts and their members. The use of the term ‘you’, ‘your’ also means that of the Entrant/Nominee where the competition/award Nominee is a minor, i.e. under the age of 18 years or 18 years of age and over but not legally eligible to give consent].

Members of Rotary GB&I (“we”) value the trust you put in us to process your personal information and will always be open and honest about the information we collect and how we will use it. We will never do anything with your personal information that you wouldn’t reasonably expect us to in relation to the Rotary Youth Competitions and Awards and we will always take every effort to protect your privacy.

The Rotary GB&I Privacy Notice is available on our website, https://www.rotarygbi.org/privacy-policy/, and explains how we collect, process and share personal information. This ‘Privacy Notice – Rotary Youth Competitions & Awards’ is supplementary to the general Rotary GB&I Privacy Notice and explains in more detail how you can expect your personal information to be specifically used in relation to the Rotary Youth Competitions and Awards.

How we use your personal information for Rotary Youth Competitions & Awards

1. We are collecting your personal information (and that of the Entrant/Nominee if a minor, or not legally eligible to give consent) for the organisation and administration of the Youth Competitions & Awards only. It will not be used for any other purpose.
2. Your name and image may also be used for publicity purposes, e.g. any national final programme or Awards Presentation programme, press releases and Rotary GB&I websites, social media platforms and magazine. You may also be contacted by Rotary public image officers who will discuss with you any media opportunities, e.g. interviews and videos, at any stage of the competition or part of the Awards process. Where the nominee is a minor, or not legally eligible to give consent, only the
   parent/guardian will be contacted.
   
   Providing your personal information to others for Rotary Youth Competitions & Awards
3. Your personal information will only be shared with others that require it for their role/the services they provide for the organisation and administration of the Rotary Youth Competitions & Awards events. Initially, this will be at club, district and/or cluster level but should the nominee be identified as a winner, or in the case of the Rotary Young Citizen Awards be endorsed by a Rotary club for submission to Rotary GB&I, the information will also be shared with any relevant national organisers if there is a national event or final. Those individuals and organisations that have access to the personal information are also bound by the Rotary GB&I Privacy Notice.
4. Depending on the Rotary Youth Competition/Award, it may be necessary to share some of your information with third parties such as providers of venue hire and catering services. Under such circumstances only the minimum amount of information for the third-party service will be provided, e.g. for caterers, only the name and allergy/special dietary requirement will be disclosed, no other information. Third parties, including providers of venue hire and catering services, are subject to the same legislation and privacy guidelines.
   
   Retaining and deleting your personal information
5. All reasonable steps will be taken by those concerned to ensure the personal information they have access to is kept securely and will not be shared with anyone who does not have a legitimate reason to have access to it in relation to the organisation and administration of the competitions/awards.
6. For all Rotary Youth Competitions & Awards, personal information will be kept on file for 3 months after the date of the national final or event for that specific competition/award. After this date, the information will be securely destroyed (either by shredding, incineration or deletion from electronic devices) at club, district and national level. This timeframe is necessary to allow for any disputes to be settled before the personal information is destroyed.

By submitting the form above, you are acknowledging that you have read and agree to the Privacy Notices in respect of the use of personal information for yourself (or on behalf of the child or person over 18 who is not legally eligible to give their own consent, where applicable).