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The World’s Biggest Stage Competition - CELLO EDITION
COMPETITION RULES
1. The competition is open to all cellists of all nationalities, ages 18 to 29 (by May 26, 2026). There is NO APPLICATION FEE. The winner will receive 5,000 US Dollars and be the featured cellist in the 22nd Water Island Music Festival. The three runner-ups will each receive $1,500
2. The competition will take place in two rounds.
3. The first round will consist of a video recording of a freely chosen 3-5 minute piece from the standard cello repertoire, for either solo cello, cello and piano, or cello and orchestra or other instrumental configuration featuring cello. The video should be uploaded to youtube, and the link should then be emailed to the competition by Mar 31, 2026.
4. Four finalists will be chosen by Apr 15, 2026 to proceed to the Final Round.
5. The Final Round will take place in New York City at Merkin Hall of the Kaufman Center on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 (12noon) and will be live-streamed via the Violin Channel platform to its 600,000 members.
6. Each finalist will perform a movement from the newly composed Cello Sonata by Julian Gargiulo. The movements will be assigned randomly when the four finalists are chosen.
7. The winner of the Final Round will be decided 50 percent by the audience (online and present at final round) and 50 percent by a jury consisting of previous winners of the competition plus one celebrity judge.
8. The winner will be the featured soloist opening The World’s Biggest Stage 2027 in NY and will also be invited to lead 3-5 public school workshops in conjunction with Julian Gargiulo during the 2026-27 season (exact dates TBA).
The winner will also be the featured cellist during the 22nd Water Island Music Festival, taking place in Jan 2027. Airfare, lodging, and meals will be provided from New York City.
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To apply you will need to email theworldsbiggeststage@gmail.com the following information by Mar 31, 2026:
1. Biography (including date of birth)
2. Demo video link of 3-5 minute performance
3. E-mail address