Primrose Viola Competition 2027: $8,000 First Prize, Applications Open December 1

The American Viola Society and the Colburn School have announced the 2027 Primrose International Viola Competition in Los Angeles, scheduled for 28–31 October 2027. The competition was founded in 1979 and has a longstanding role in helping emerging violists enter international solo careers.

Applications are not yet open as of October 2026. The registration window begins 1 December 2026 and closes 1 March 2027. Candidates of any nationality may enter if they are 30 or younger on 31 October 2027, are current American Viola Society members in good standing and have not previously won first prize in a Primrose edition. The nonrefundable application fee is $150, separate from any applicable society membership dues.

Video prescreening requires a combined performance of no more than 20 minutes across three works: a virtuosic solo selection, a Bach solo movement transcribed for viola, and a first movement from a classical-era viola concerto by Carl Stamitz or Hoffmeister. Each work must be filmed continuously without internal edits and submitted separately, without identifying text visible to the blind jury.

The first prize is $8,000, with $5,000 for second and $3,000 for third. Further prizes include $1,000 for transcription and $1,000 for the performance of a new Sungji Hong commission. The first-prize winner is also offered recital opportunities and a three-year loan of an eighteenth-century Kloz family 'Zanoli' viola.

Twelve quarter-finalists will perform at the Colburn School on 28 October, followed by semifinals on 30 October and the final on 31 October. Finalists perform Hindemith's Der Schwanendreher with orchestra. Interested players should consult the organizer's full live-round requirements before committing to international travel.

Official American Viola Society / Colburn guidelines and application dates: https://www.primrosecompetition.org/primrose-2027/