Eligibility
Students may compete on any of the following: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Piano, Guitar, or Voice. They will be selected from within one of THREE divisions:
| Junior | 14 years of age and below | Participants must be younger than 15 years old on March 14, 2026 |
| Senior | 15 to 18 years of age | Participants must be younger than 19 years old on March 14, 2026. |
| Undergraduate or Graduate | Enrolled in a college or university program | Participants must present valid student ID from an accredited institution |
Previous YACC winners are not eligible to compete within consecutive years. The competition is open to US citizens, legal US residents and students with an INS visa who are residents of Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, or South Carolina. Applicants must include a signature of endorsement from their private teacher.
Repertoire
All instrumentalists from each division must select a concert piece or single movement from the standard concerto repertoire or character piece with an orchestral accompaniment. Double and triple concertos are acceptable.
Music choices must be approved by the Artistic Director and all pieces must have full orchestration with score and parts available through IMSLP for use by the ACSO.
Awards
Winners of the Ruth Kern Young Artists Competition are honored with the unique opportunity to be showcased as soloists in the Featured Artists Series as part of the 2026–2027 ACSO concert season. They are given the opportunity to perform either their audition piece or a work selected in collaboration with the Artistic Director to showcase their strengths.
Important Dates
| Applications Due | January 16, 2026 |
| Finalists Announced | January 23, 2026 |
| Finalists Live Audition | March 14, 2026 |
| Winners Announced | March 21, 2026 |
Participant Availability
To be eligible for participation, each applicant must be fully available on the following date: Saturday, March 14, 2026.
This date is essential for the competition process. Please ensure there are no scheduling conflicts, as the committee will be unable to accommodate alternate times.
(Future programming dates for winners will be assigned in person to individual winners)
For more information, please contact: ruthkern@acsorch.org