OPEN ENsemble
of the Year
The Open Ensemble of the Year is open to instruments of all disciplines except brass. This year's competition will take place in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on Sunday 28 Feb 2027.
Open Ensemble of the Year is a nationwide competition to discover the brightest musical talent in Scotland. It is open to all young musicians who go to school in Scotland, and you can enter whatever your age or standard. If you're interested in taking part, speak to your music teacher or ensemble conductor to find out more.
WHO
can enter?
The Open Ensemble of the Year competition is open to ensembles of 3 to 20 players of any genre or grouping of instruments. The members must all come from the same local authority and play together regularly in a formal group (not an informal group of friends) from a school or recognised music organisation. Teachers are not permitted to play in the ensemble.
Your members must be school students in Scotland. There is no minimum age or standard.
HOW
does it work?
The initial round of the Open Ensemble of the Year is an online competition. Ensembles should record a video which must:
- include a programme of two contrasting pieces
- be no longer than 10 minutes in total
- be unedited, with all participants playing in one venue at the same time
The composition of the ensembles should be:
- wind and percussion ensembles should have a maximum of 16 players with no more than 3 players per part
- string ensembles should have a maximum of 20 players playing in a minimum of 4 parts
- vocal ensembles should have a maximum of 16 singers singing in at least 3 parts
For the online competition, an ensemble is selected to represent each local authority, recognised music organisation, and Scotland's independent schools. We encourage each local authority and group to have their own competitions to select their final entry. The 2027 Ensemble of the Year National Final will take place on Sunday 28 February. Entries should be submitted using the online booking form where you will find information on how to upload your video and music score.
The chosen entries will be submitted for judging by our panel of esteemed adjudicators who will select seven open ensembles to compete at the 2027 Ensemble of the Year National Final in the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The winning ensemble will be awarded the title of Open Ensemble of the Year and receive the Maid of Morven trophy. They will also win a cash prize to further their musical experiences and an all-expenses paid trip to play at the Solo Performer of the Year National Final at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on Sunday 23 May 2027.
WHY
SHOULD WE ENTER?
The Open Ensemble of the Year competition is a chance for your ensemble to get experience playing together and push your performance skills to the next level on a national stage. You’ll be in with a chance of being recognised as some of the brightest young musical talent in Scotland and being awarded a cash prize, trophy and a performance slot at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
HOW
do we enter?
If you are a young musician, speak to your music teacher or ensemble conductor to let them know you're interested in entering the competition.
They should contact the following person to get details:
- Local authority schools should contact their Music Service Manager
- Independent schools should email: [email protected]
- Other ensembles should contact Mae Murray on: [email protected]
Once you've recorded your video (see How does it work?), the above contact will send you a link to upload your videos and music scores. Only one entry is permitted for each local authority, band and Scotland's independent schools, so there may be local and regional competitions to decide a final entry.
