HONORS PERFORMANCE SERIES

Rolling Admissions

We are pleased to invite you to apply for the Honors Performance Series. The honor of participation in the Honors Ensembles is offered to talented young performers identified throughout the world. To be considered, you must meet the eligibility requirements outlined on our website and submit a completed application.

Program Details

Please select the program(s) for which you wish to apply at www.honorsperformance.org/our-programs to review specific program details (program inclusions, dates, pricing, and payment plans are all available online for your review).

If applicable, you may choose to apply for multiple programs (i.e. depending on the time of year, a high schooler might apply for Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, or both). Should you apply and are accepted to more than one program, you have been chosen to fill a role in each event and the Series will be expecting your participation in both.

Applications submitted are reviewed on a rolling basis in the order they are received. Any spaces that become available in our upcoming programs will be granted to qualified applicants on a space-available basis, so we recommend performers submit the Rolling Application as soon as possible to maximize their chances of acceptance.

Rolling Application Requirements

To be considered for Rolling Admissions for the Series, you will need to complete the application form . The following information/materials will be required as part of this process:

Online Enrollment
Teacher Reference
Performing Biography
Audition Recording

All required components must be submitted online to be considered by our Selection Board. Please review all application requirements below prior to starting your application.

Step 1: Complete Online Enrollment

Please provide us with some information about yourself and the program(s)/part(s) for which you wish to apply. If you have received a Student ID with your invitation materials, please be sure to include this on your application form.

Once you've completed the online enrollment form and submitted your application deposit, you'll gain access to your student portal, where you can submit your Teacher Reference, Performing Biography, and Audition Recording(s).

Click Here to Submit Your Rolling Application via Online Enrollment

Please note: If you aren't selected as a Performer, all but the $29 deposit fee will be refunded. If you start the application process but don't submit the required materials materials to complete the rolling application process, or if you withdraw for any reason, your deposit will not be refunded.

Step 2: Provide a Teacher Reference

All applicants are asked to provide the contact information for a music teacher who can answer questions about your application. While most questions can and will be directed toward the applicant directly, certain questions (such as verifying information in your application portfolio) may be asked of your teacher reference.

If you've already received a nomination, please confirm the contact information for the teacher who nominated you. Otherwise, your teacher reference can be any music professional—a school teacher, private instructor, etc.—who is familiar with your abilities.

Step 3: Complete the Performing Biography Form

Provide more information about yourself and your musical background by completing the brief Performing Biography Form in your student portal. An overview of the questions that may be asked is included below to assist as you get ready to apply:

Do you take private lessons? If so, for how long and with whom?
Voice part(s) and/or instrument(s) you sing/play proficiently
Please list any SELECTIVE performance groups of which you are/have been a member (and when).
Please list any other performance groups of which you are/have been a member (and when).
Please list any honors/awards/recognitions (musically or otherwise) you have received that you feel are relevant to your selection for the Series.
Please list significant solo or ensemble pieces you have performed or learned.
Why would you like to be a part of the Honors Performance Series? Please respond in 250 words or less.

At the end of the Performing Biography, applicants are also given the opportunity to provide any additional information they feel is relevant to their application.

Step 4: Submit Your Audio Recording(s)

Each applicant must submit an audition recording by uploading a digital file with their application. Please review the below audition recording requirements in their entirety before recording your submission.

Recordings must meet the following criteria:

Recordings may consist of one or multiple pieces and should total between 3 and 5 minutes for each instrument/voice part for which you are auditioning (except percussionists – see below). Recordings will not be disqualified if they are slightly over or under this guideline.
Begin each piece with a verbal introduction of yourself, the instrument/voice part for which you are auditioning, and the piece that you will be playing, for example: “My name is John Smith, and the following is the suggested audition etude for snare drum.”
Recordings should be audio-only (no videos, please) and submitted in MP3 or M4A format only. Please note: While we do our best to notify students if we encounter a problem with your audition recording, we cannot guarantee that the Selection Board will be able to review your submission if it is not submitted in the required format.
Include your first and last name and instrument/voice part for which you are auditioning in the file name.
Recordings may not be engineered or enhanced in any manner.
You may audition on more than one instrument and you may audition as both an instrumentalist and a vocalist. In both cases, you only need to submit one application form, deposit, Director Nomination, and Performing Biography. You should submit a unique recording for each instrument/voice part on which you wish to apply.

Please note: The audition upload form can be submitted only once per applicant. If you are applying on more than one part, please submit the form only when you are ready to upload your audition recordings for all parts.

Vocalists:

You may audition for one voice part only. If you are able to sing additional parts, please indicate them on the Performer Biography section of the application.
All applicants are encouraged to prepare a classical piece or pieces that you feel best demonstrate(s) your abilities.
Your recording must be a solo performance, though piano accompaniment is encouraged.

Instrumentalists:

All applicants are encouraged to prepare a technical piece or pieces that you feel best demonstrate(s) your musical abilities. Classical pieces are preferred but not required.
All performances must be solo, without accompaniment.
Please clearly state the instrument you'll be playing in your verbal introduction of each piece.
Percussionists should include three solos: one snare, one timpani, and one marimba. Please clearly identify each piece and instrument in your recording(s). Your total recording time for all audition recordings should be approximately 3-5 minutes. Please label your recordings clearly as to which instrument is featured in each.

Terms Acknowledgement and Credit Card Information

The applicant and a parent/guardian (if the applicant is under 18) are asked to review and acknowledge both the Honors Performance Series Participant Release and Binding Arbitration Agreement and the Program Terms and Conditions specific for all programs for which you are planning on applying. These documents are are included on the enrollment portal.

As part of the Rolling Admissions process, applicants are required to authorize the Honors Performance Series to charge a non-refundable initial program payment to their credit card.
Performers have the option to satisfy the full tuition at once or follow a payment plan, which spreads out the tuition amount between the date of acceptance and the program start date. Payment plans are generated at the time of acceptance, and monthly payments are automatically charged to the participant's credit card on the first or 15th of the month.

Please note these additional guidelines regarding your election to apply for Rolling Admissions:

If you choose to apply for Rolling Admissions, you are agreeing to the cancellation terms outlined in the program Terms and Conditions referenced on the enrollment portal.
Your credit card will be charged a application fee and participation deposit when you submit your application. If you are selected as a (Junior) Finalist your card will be automatically charged the non-refundable initial program payment. If you are not selected or offered a spot on the waitlist, you will receive a refund of the $200 participation deposit.
This deposit is not refundable if a student starts the application process and does not submit the required materials to complete the rolling application process, or if a student withdraws from the program at any time. The $29 application fee is not refundable.
If you have elected to apply for more than one program, and are accepted to both, your credit card will be charged the non-refundable initial program payment for BOTH programs and your participation is expected at both programs.
After you are accepted and your initial program payment has been taken, you are expected to follow the standard payment plan as outlined on the enrollment page with payments automatically charged on either the 1st or 15th of the month. Please contact us if you have concerns regarding this schedule so we can work with you to determine an alternate schedule.

Evaluation Process and Selection of (Junior) Finalists

Once you submit your application:

The Series will use the email address you provide in Online Enrollment to send a number of official program communications. To ensure you receive these messages, please add honors@honorsperformance.org and honors@email.honorsperformance.org to your list of approved senders with your email provider.
Your materials will be sent off to our Selection Board for review.
You will be notified of your acceptance status within 10-15 business days. Payment plans will be auto generated upon acceptance, with automatic payments charged to the participant’s credit card on a monthly basis (1st or 15th)
If you are not selected (deferred or waitlisted) you will receive a refund of the $200 Participation Deposit. The $29 application fee is not refundable.
If you are waitlisted and space later becomes available for you, your card will be charged the first payment installment accordingly.
Accepted performers will gain access to program & account information on their portal, which will include important updates and deadlines related to your participation.

“The Honors Performance Series accomplished what I had intended for my students. They came away realizing that they could perform at the next level. They are all intending on music for a career, and they will be successful at the next level because of their passion and commitment to music. I could not be more pleased.”

Marvin
Nominator

The Honors Performance Series is proudly presented and operated by WorldStrides.

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1359 Broadway, Suite 1504,
New York, NY 10018

+1 (800) 503-0807
honors@honorsperformance.org