What Competitions Does the International Clarinet Association Run?

The International Clarinet Association (ICA) runs five named competitions listed on clarinet.org: the Composition Competition, Young Artist Competition, Junior Young Artist Competition, Orchestral Audition Competition, and Research Competition. The site's navigation groups them under a single "Competitions" section and also links to a page of ICA Competition Winners. The site does not publish eligibility rules, age limits, repertoire requirements, or deadlines in the material available here, so treat the descriptions below as a map of what exists and who each is generally aimed at—then confirm specifics on the competition pages before applying.

The Five Competitions at a Glance

Composition Competition

This is for composers rather than performers. It sits alongside the ICA's other creative programs, such as the New Music Weekend listed under Past Events. If you write for clarinet and want your work considered by the association, this is the relevant entry point.

Young Artist and Junior Young Artist Competitions

These are the two performance tracks, split by experience level. The "Junior" label signals a younger or earlier-stage division, while the Young Artist Competition is the higher-tier performance contest. Because the site does not state age cutoffs or repertoire lists in the available text, check each competition's own page for eligibility and required pieces before preparing an application.

Orchestral Audition Competition

This competition targets the orchestral side of clarinet playing—standard excerpts and audition conditions rather than solo repertoire. It is the natural fit for players building toward orchestral positions. The ICA also offers member access to Forza Excerpts, which supports excerpt preparation, though that is a membership benefit rather than part of the competition itself.

Research Competition

The Research Competition recognizes scholarly work related to the clarinet. It pairs with the association's broader research and archival activities, including the ICA Historic Recording Project and the James Gillespie Library listed under member resources.

Who Should Enter Which

• Composers → Composition Competition.
• Pre-college or early-stage performers → Junior Young Artist Competition.
• Advanced performers and college-level players → Young Artist Competition.
• Players aiming at orchestra jobs → Orchestral Audition Competition.
• Scholars and students doing academic work → Research Competition.

These mappings follow from the competition names and the site's structure; they are not official eligibility statements. The association does not publish entry requirements, fees, or dates in the page content available here, so verify each one directly.

Where to Find Winners and Details

The site maintains a dedicated ICA Competition Winners page, reachable from the Competitions section of the main navigation. That page is the place to see past results and get a sense of the standard each competition sets. Competition announcements and related programming also appear in the Events area, which lists items such as the New Music Weekend and ClarinetFest® events.

For anything time-sensitive—opening dates, submission formats, judging panels—go to the individual competition page or the Events calendar rather than relying on the navigation labels alone.

A Practical Next Step

If you are deciding whether to enter, start from the competition that matches your role (composer, performer, orchestral player, or researcher), open its page, and read the eligibility and repertoire requirements first. Then check the Competition Winners page to see the level of past recipients. That two-step check tells you quickly whether the competition fits your current stage before you invest time in preparing materials.