ELEVATING YOUNG MUSICIANS WITH INSPIRATION, CONNECTIONS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENT
102 Years Awarding Student Scholarships
- There is no cost to apply.
- A second Guitar division has been added:
Guitar II – Grades 7-12
Guitar III – College Freshman – Age 28 - A 3rd prize of $500 is awarded in all categories.
- Scholarship awards are:
– College & Graduate Students: 1st prize is $2,500, 2nd prize is $1,750
– Jr. & Sr. High Students: 1st prize is $2,000, 2nd prize is $1,500 - The Preliminary round is virtual while Finals are in person with a nationally recognized judge. All finalists will have the opportunity to participate in a live session following their category/division’s auditions to receive additional education and feedback from their judge.
2025 Competition Judges
Piano – Conrad Tao
Pianist and composer Conrad Tao has been dubbed “the kind of musician who is shaping the future of classical music” by New York Magazine, and an artist of “probing intellect and open-hearted vision” by The New York Times. A soloist with leading orchestras in the traditional repertoire, Tao possesses an encyclopedic artistic approach and vision, as well as a stunning array of innovative and impactful projects.
Voice – Leah Hawkins
A native of Philadelphia, soprano Leah Hawkins is the 2024 recipient of the Beverly Sills Artist Award from the Metropolitan Opera. She begins the 2024-25 season in recital at the Park Avenue Armory, followed by several recital and concert appearances in New York City.
Strings – Philip Setzer
Violinist Philip Setzer, a founding member of the Emerson String Quartet, has appeared with the National Symphony, Aspen Chamber Symphony (David Robertson, conductor), Memphis Symphony (Michael Stern), New Mexico and Puerto Rico Symphonies (Guillermo Figueroa), Omaha and Anchorage Symphonies (David Loebel) and on several occasions with the Cleveland Orchestra (Louis Lane).
Guitar – Dieter Hennings Yeomans
The musical endeavors of Dieter Hennings Yeomans span from new music on guitar to early music for lute, baroque guitar, and theorbo and can be heard on the Naxos, Nonesuch, Bridge, Parma, NewBranch, New Albany, and Innova recording labels. Mr. Hennings has been a soloist with Canada’s New Music Concerts Ensemble, Riverside Symphony (NYC), Tito Sccipa Orchestra (Lecce, Italy), and additional ensembles.
Brass & Winds – Marlene Pauley
As clarinetist, Marlene Pauley performed with the internationally renowned St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for 21 years before leaving to pursue conducting full-time. The following year, she was invited to create and conduct a series of concerts for the SPCO’s nationally recognized CONNECT Education program. The success of those concerts led to reengagement and an offer to conduct the orchestra’s Family Concert Series. Within two years it became their best-selling series.
2025 Competition Dates
Applications Open: September 18, 2024
Application Deadline: January 13, 2025
Repertoire Change Deadline: January 26, 2025
Preliminaries Video Submission Deadline: February 2, 2025
Finalists Emailed: March 11, 2025
In-Person Finals: Sunday, March 23, 2025 at Macalester College
Musicians on the Rise Winners Recital: April 13, 2025 at 1:00 p.m., Ordway Concert Hall
More About the Competition
The Bruce P. Carlson Student Scholarship Competition, held each spring, awards a total of over $70,000 annually to young musicians to be used for further musical education.
The competition began in 1922, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Schubert Club. It started modestly with three winners representing the categories of voice, violin, and piano. The competition has since grown to fifteen different categories with three cash prizes awarded for each category to be used for further musical education. The winners of each category are also invited to perform in the annual Winners Recital, Musicians on the Rise.
The Competition is named in memory of Bruce P. Carlson, Executive Director of Schubert Club from 1968 to 2006.
Applicants must be a resident or enrolled in a learning institution within the 5-state region (MN, WI, SD, ND or IA).
“The Competition has been an indispensable source for musical growth, and a proving ground where I could test my skill and artistry. I feel like I’ve grown up as a musician through the Schubert Club Competition, and it is an opportunity for which I am immensely grateful.”
– Liam Ainslie Mayo, 2017 Piano Winner