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Planning Your School Year for Musicians: A Guide to What Happens When

By August 24, 2026August 28th, 2026No Comments

If you are like most young musicians or their family members, you have probably been caught off guard by deadlines that seemed ridiculously early, including summer program deadlines in December or January, or audition deadlines for youth orchestras as early as March. To help families plan, we’ve developed a month-by-month guide to common music experiences throughout the school year.

This guide is not targeted to seniors going through the music admissions process, but we’ve included some of the most critical dates for seniors. We’ve also included CMPI events like juries and advisories, as well as many of the big events for Chicago-area students of all ages. Note that the competitions we have included are open to all students. We have not included those that are only for students in a specific program, and have excluded international competitions, pay-for-play competitions, and competitions that occur infrequently.

Are we missing something? Please let us know so we can add it!

September

September is usually the month when students return to school, start or return to precollege programs, and get settled for the year. Not much happens in September besides beginning-of-the-year orientations.

It’s a good time to start forming chamber groups, setting up your lessons, and planning what you might want to do during the year, whether that is auditioning for a region or state-based ensemble, or participating in a competition.

Seniors should begin working on their college applications and pre-screening recordings.

Competitions with September deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • If you are in grades 10-12, you may want to think about making recordings for the National YoungArts competition, which are due in October.
  • You may also want to consider making videos for some of the other competitions with deadlines in October, including Sejong and Sphinx.
  • Seniors should continue work on applications and pre-screening recordings.

October

October is a great month to start preparing for your CMPI Technical Jury, which happens at the beginning of November. It’s also a good month to buckle down on learning new repertoire that you will need for summer programs, competitions, and auditions later on in the school year.

Competitions with October deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • Now is the time to start looking at summer programs, since some applications are due as early as December. You can get started by browsing the programs at Equity Arc, and CMPI also has a database of summer programs frequently attended by CMPI fellows.
  • Seniors should be wrapping up their prescreen recordings and working on applications.

November

Despite the sudden coldness of the temperature, November is the month when you really need to start thinking about summer programs. Some programs require applications to be submitted as early as mid-December, though the bulk of them have January or February due dates.

District musical festivals are usually held in November, so make sure you practice your parts!

The beginning of November includes CMPI Technical Juries, while Advisories start later in the month and continue into December.

November is also a good time to think about participating in both solo and chamber music competitions, as most of these have applications due between December and February.

Seniors should be completing their applications and prescreens, which are typically due December 1.

Competitions with November deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • Make your list of possible summer camps or festivals, along with their audition repertoire requirements.
  • Consider booking an accompanist and space (and recording engineer if needed) for summer festival recordings.

December

December is the month when both summer program auditions and competitions start up in earnest. Many solo competitions require you to submit applications, some including videos, during the month of December.

In addition, December is when applications for NYO and NYO2 are due, along with a few other music programs, mostly for older students or in Europe.

Most musicians should start recording repertoire for summer programs in December, particularly those with January due dates.

Most college music programs and conservatories require applicants to submit their materials on December 1. This is a critical deadline for seniors!

Competitions with December deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • Now is the time to start looking at summer programs if you have not already started.
  • It’s a great time to really polish up your solo repertoire for local competitions, which start up the last week of December.
  • If you are in a competitive chamber music group, now is the time to think about what competitions you may want to participate in, as well as determine what repertoire is needed for these competitions.
  • Seniors should be preparing for college auditions, which are typically held January through March.

January

Applications for the highest level string summer programs are due in the first two weeks of January for programs like the Perlman Music Program, Music@Menlo, Morningside Music Bridge, Meadowmount, and Yellow Barn. For those applying to summer programs due later on, January is a great time to polish up and record your repertoire.

Solo competition season starts in earnest, with competitions held in January and applications due for competitions in February and March. Applications for chamber music competitions also start being due this month, with Rembrandt requiring a video prescreen near the end of the month.

All State ensembles also typically meet in January, so make sure your part is learned!

Seniors are likely starting auditions at the end of this month or the beginning of February. Keep up the practicing!

Competitions with January deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • If you are going to participate in national chamber competitions, this is a good time to book your recording session.
  • It’s a great time to check in to make sure you are meeting your CMPI recital and masterclass requirements for the year.

February

February is a busy month typically filled with chamber music recordings, regional concerto competitions, and applications. This month marks the convergence of summer camp applications, solo competition applications, and chamber music applications. Several live auditions for summer programs and competitions are also held this month.

February is a great time to reassess your large ensemble participation and look at deadlines for youth orchestra auditions, which often begin in March.

Competitions with February deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • Now that most summer program applications are in, it’s time to practice for those solo and chamber competitions.
  • If you are looking for a more intensive challenge, it is also a great time to check out area pre-college programs, including Merit’s Tuition-Free Conservatory and Music Institute of Chicago Academy.

March

Several youth orchestras have deadlines this month for videos or start to book audition dates. It’s a great time to polish your repertoire and excerpts, make your recordings, and book auditions.

Many summer festivals require you to accept or deny offers in March. It’s always a challenging time, as in many cases you may not have all your results in before needing to accept or decline programs.

Senior college auditions are likely wrapping up, and you may start receiving some of your results.

Competitions with March deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • Start preparing your repertoire for live youth orchestra auditions or pre-college programs.
  • Time to put in some extra time on chamber music if your group is competing.
  • Start preparing for your CMPI jury in April.

April

CMPI juries will be held mid-April, so make sure your repertoire is polished up and ready to go.

Most solo competitions are wrapping up this month, just in time for the big chamber competitions in mid-April and mid-May. Merit Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory auditions are usually held in late April and early May. Some youth orchestra auditions continue this month.

Seniors should have received their college acceptances and financial awards by the beginning of May. April is a great time for financial aid appeals and decision-making.

Equity Arc Convening previously happened at the end of this month, but will be in Fall 2027 this next year.

Competitions with April deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • Prepare your goals to share in your CMPI Advisory, which will likely be held in May or early June.

May

CMPI Advisories are in full swing this month! Use this time to review your progress and set goals for the summer and following year.

May wraps up the season for most youth orchestras and pre-college programs. Some youth orchestras may continue to hold auditions. Chamber music competitions wrap up with the Fischoff competition in May.

Seniors need to make their college decisions and submit them by May 1 in most cases.

Competitions with May deadlines:

Thinking ahead:

  • Summer programs are just a month or two away, so make sure you have your summer repertoire sorted out and a plan for the summer.

June

It’s time to pack up for summer music programs! Plan your summer practicing and repertoire to get a headstart for the fall.

Music Institute of Chicago Academy early auditions are typically held in early June.

Competitions with June deadlines:

  • None

Thinking ahead:

  • Keep in mind your fall goals as you work through the summer.

July and August

Most students are at music programs during parts of these months. Others are at home practicing. It’s a great time to plan for the upcoming year!

Music Institute of Chicago Academy late auditions are held in early to mid-August. Some youth orchestras may still be filling spots, especially for less common instruments like oboe, bassoon, bass, or viola.

Competitions with summer deadlines:

  • None, though some summer programs offer competitions

Thinking ahead:

  • Time to plan for next year!
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