The Competition

The Macauley Chamber Music Competition is sponsored by the Chamber Music Society of Louisville to encourage an interest in chamber music among young musicians in the Kentuckiana area. This competition will help to develop the ensemble skills of young artists and to cultivate a lifelong love of chamber music.

Eligibility

The competition includes two divisions: college and high school. The competition is open to students in Kentucky and southern Indiana. Each entering chamber ensemble should consist of three to six performers and should receive regular coaching from a qualified musician.

Repertoire

Each ensemble must perform a movement from two contrasting works, preferably from different musical periods. Arrangements are generally not allowed. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the competition committee.

Judges

The competition will be judged by three professional musicians. Each ensemble will receive evaluation sheets.

Recognized as one of the world’s premier brass ensembles, the American Brass Quintet will present a vibrant program of chamber music for two trumpets, horn, trombone, and bass trombone. Their program highlights the expressive and virtuosic possibilities of brass instruments across different musical styles and eras.

The season concludes with the adventurous and acclaimed Momenta Quartet. Their program includes Haydn’s Quartet in G Major, Op. 54, No. 1, a newly commissioned work written for the ensemble, and Ravel’s luminous and emotionally rich Quartet in F Major.