Rotary Young Musician Competition
This annual competition is open to young people aged 17 or younger on 31 August of the year before the national final.
Who can take part?
It's open to solo instrumentalists and vocalists, regardless of their musical level or style. We've had the delight of hearing everything from classical and opera to mid-century jazz, to modern musicals and film scores.
Please note that this competitions is not open to full-time music or performing arts students studying above A-Level (or equivalent).
Competition stages
The competition is split into four stages across the country:
What to expect at the Milton Keynes heats
We have two categories categories:
The Milton Keynes Final
The Milton Keynes finals are held at a prestigious venue with an audience, where adjudicators will choose one overall winner from the instrumentalists and one vocalist to progress to the District final.
Entry Fee
Judging Criteria
The adjudicators will assess performances based on:
Additional Information
The Milton Keynes heats and finals are made possible thanks to the great team at the Milton Keynes Music Academy lead by Rotary MK club member Gabriele Baldocci.
Full competition details, including guidelines on accompaniment, amplification, and other technical requirements, can be found in the Competition Guidelines from the Milton Keynes Music Academy (PDF).
Who can take part?
It's open to solo instrumentalists and vocalists, regardless of their musical level or style. We've had the delight of hearing everything from classical and opera to mid-century jazz, to modern musicals and film scores.
Please note that this competitions is not open to full-time music or performing arts students studying above A-Level (or equivalent).
Competition stages
The competition is split into four stages across the country:
- Local Heats (Milton Keynes)
- Local heats
- Local final
- District Final (Beds, Bucks & Herts)
- Area Final (East of England)
- National Final
What to expect at the Milton Keynes heats
We have two categories categories:
- Vocal
- Instrumental
- subdivided into Strings, Wind, Piano, Guitar/Harp
- One winner from each instrumental subcategory and three vocalists will advance to the Milton Keynes final.
- Finalists will be paired with one of five local Rotary clubs for sponsorship and ongoing support.
The Milton Keynes Final
The Milton Keynes finals are held at a prestigious venue with an audience, where adjudicators will choose one overall winner from the instrumentalists and one vocalist to progress to the District final.
Entry Fee
- We aim to keep costs to a minimum but do charge a small entry fee to cover admin and other costs.
- Not to leave any child behind, we can offer a discretionary fee waiver to families unable to afford this. To find out more, in confidence, please get in touch with us by phone or email.
- Rotary sponsors any necessary expenses and fees for everyone who get through to the District, Area and National competitions.
Judging Criteria
The adjudicators will assess performances based on:
- Melodic and rhythmic accuracy
- Intonation
- Tempo and flow
- Tone
- Mood and character
- The overall performance and programme choice
Additional Information
- Instrumentalists
- An acoustic piano will be provided for the competition, but competitors should bring their own accompanist if needed (one can be provided upon request).
- Vocalists
- You may accompany yourself or use a backing track, provided it meets competition guidelines.
- All Performers
- The maximum performance time is 13 minutes, and competitors must provide three copies of their sheet music for the adjudicators
The Milton Keynes heats and finals are made possible thanks to the great team at the Milton Keynes Music Academy lead by Rotary MK club member Gabriele Baldocci.
Full competition details, including guidelines on accompaniment, amplification, and other technical requirements, can be found in the Competition Guidelines from the Milton Keynes Music Academy (PDF).
Our Milton Keynes Competition Winners
The 2026 Milton Keynes Winners:
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The 2025 Milton Keynes Competition
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The 2018 Milton Keynes Winner:
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