The Original Piano Etudes Competition Rules and Guidelines

  1. ​​CAPMT members who’s student is submitting an application must have paid State, National, and Orange County Chapter dues before the application deadline. Failure to do so will result in the addition of a Non-CAPMT Member fee for the student registration.
  2. It is the responsibility of the applicant to abide by these guidelines. Failure to do so will result in disqualification of the applicant.
  3. Applicants’ age category is determined by their age on January 1, 2025 per CAPMT guidelines.
  4. All applicants under the age of 18 must have a Parent/Legal Guardian sign a consent waiver. Parents will be e-mailed a consent waiver to sign and return.
  5. Communications regarding the program should be between teachers and the event chair. Parents should not contact the event chair directly unless instructed to do so by the chair regarding the waiver.
  6. Decisions of the adjudicators are final.
  7. Teacher, parent/guardians, and applicants may not converse or have any contact with the adjudicators before, during or after the competition.  Students of the adjudicators may not compete.  
  8. Fees for the application must be paid in full by the application deadline. Application deadline will be enforced. Late applications will not be accepted.
  9. No repertoire changes are permitted once the application has been submitted. If you have any questions regarding the repertoire, please contact the event’s chair.
  10. There are no refunds of the application fees in the event of non-participation or disqualification.
  11. All repertoire must be memorized and only original printed music must be submitted for the judges. No photocopies allowed to oblige by copyright laws
  12. Previous First Place winners may NOT compete again in the same category in succeeding competitions.
  13. Students may NOT repeat any repertoire in subsequent years, even if they have not placed.
  14. Teachers should consider the time limit per category when selecting the repertoire. All etudes must be played in full, including repeats.

Categories, Repertoire and Time limit:
Participants must select a minimum of one etude from the corresponding age category. The etudes are expected to be performed at the indicated tempo and the style and interpretation according to the composer’s language. The etudes selected must be of contrasting technical difficulties. All etudes must be performed by memory and with all the repeats indicated in the score. The etudes should be performed with artistry, mastering the technical and musical challenges presented in the work.

The compilation of this list was created and categorized by Dr. Andrea Garreffa.

Category A: ages 8 and under. Time limit 5 minutes
Participants will select a minimum of one etude from the following repertoire list:
  • Bertini op. 70, op.100, op. 101, and op. 166
  • Czerny op. 139 etudes 1-50, op. 453 etudes 1-50, op. 481 op. 599, op. 777, and op. 823 Book 1 etudes 1-44
  • Duvernoy op. 176
  • Gurlitt op. 15, op. 82, op. 117, op. 130, op. 141, and op. 160
  • Köhler op. 50, op. 151 op. 157, op. 189, op. 190, op. 218, op. 224, and op. 242
  • LeCouppey op. 17, op. 20, op. 24, and op. 26
  • Lemoine op. 37 Book 1
  • Loeschhorn op. 65, op. 181 and op. 186
  • Pozzoli 24 Piccoli studi facile e progressivi
  • Schytte op. 108
  • Streabbog op. 63
  
Category B: 9-10 years old. Time limit 6 minutes
Participants will select a minimum of one etude from the following repertoire list:
  • Bertini op. 29 etudes 1-20 , op. 61, op. 79, and op. 101
  • Berens op. 79
  • Burgmüller op. 100
  • Concone op. 24,  op. 30, and op. 44
  • Czerny op. 139 etudes 51-100, op. 453 etudes 51-100, op. 748, op. 823 Book 2, op. 849
  • Duvernoy op. 120 and op. 276
  • Heller op. 47 and op. 125
  • Köhler op. 60, op. 182 and op. 216
  • LeCouppey op. 20 and op. 26
  • Lemoine op. 37 Book 2
  • Loeschhorn op. 52 and Edutes Universales Book 1 op. 169
  • Pozzoli 15 studi facili per le piccole mani, 24 studi di facile meccanismo, Studi a moto rapido, 16 studi di agilità, 20 studi sulle scale, and 30 Studi elementari
  • Schytte op. 15, op. 68, op. 92, and op. 95
  • Streabbog op. 64
  
Category C: 11-12 years old. Time limit 8 minutes
Participants will select a minimum of one etude from the following repertoire list:
  • Bertini op. 29 etudes 21-24 and op. 32
  • ​Bortkiewicz op. 24
  • Burgmüller op. 109
  • Concone op. 25
  • Cramer
  • Czerny op. 299, op. 335, op. 636, op. 718, and op. 861
  • Heller op. 16, op. 45, and op. 46
  • Kroeger op. 55
  • LeCouppey op. 25
  • Loeschhorn op. 66, op. 67, Etudes Universales Book 2 op. 170, and Etudes Universales Book 3 op. 171
  • Pozzoli Studi sulle note ribattute, Studi di media difficoltà, and Exercizi e studi sul passaggio del pollice
  • Ravina op. 50
  • Schytte op. 15, op. 58 and op. 92
  
Category D: 13-15 years old. Time limit 10 minutes
Participants will select a minimum of one etude from the following repertoire list:
  • Bacewicz 10 Studies
  • Berger 12 etudes op. 12
  • Bortkiewicz  op. 15, op. 24, and op. 29
  • Burgmüller op. 105
  • Chaminade 6 etudes de concert op. 35
  • Chopin op. 10, op. 25, and 3 etudes
  • Concone op. 31
  • Cramer 
  • Czerny op. 740, op. 749, op. 834, and op. 861
  • Debussy Book 1
  • Döring op. 24
  • Heller op. 153
  • Hummel op. 125
  • Liszt 2 concert etudes, 3 concert etudes, and Paganini Etudes
  • Mendelssohn 3 etudes op. 104
  • Moscheles op. 70
  • Moszkowski op. 72, op. 91, and op. 92
  • Pozzoli Studi sulle note ribattute
  • Prokofieff 4 etudes op. 2
  • Saint Saënz 6 etudes op. 52
  • Schytte op. 40
  • Stravinsky 4 etudes op. 7
  • Wolff op. 118

Category E: 16-18 years old. Time limit 10 minutes
Participants will select a minimum of one etude from the following repertoire list:
  • Bartók Etude for the left hand
  • Chopin op. 10 and op. 25
  • Czerny op. 399 and op. 553
  • Debussy Book 1 and 2
  • Hummel op. 125
  • Kapuskin 8 concert etudes op. 40
  • Liszt op. 1, Concert Etudes, Paganini Etudes, and Transcendental Etudes
  • Lutosławski Two studies for piano
  • Moscheles op. 70 and op. 95
  • Moszkowski op. 92
  • Prokofieff 4 etudes op. 2
  • Rachmaninoff Etudes Tableaux op. 36 and Etudes Tableaux op. 39
  • Saint Saënz 6 etudes op. 111
  • Scriabin 8 etudes op. 42
  • Stravinsky op. 7
  • Szymanowski op. 4
  • Wolff op. 118

Category F: 19-25 years old. Time limit 12 minutes
Participants will select a minimum of one etude from the following repertoire list:
  • Bartók 3 etudes op. 18
  • Kapuskin 5 etudes in different intervals op. 68
  • Ligeti Etudes (all three books)
  • Liszt Transcendental Etudes
  • Lutosławski Two studies for piano
  • Rachmaninoff Etudes Tableaux op. 33 and Etudes Tableaux op. 39
  • Scriabin 12 etudes op. 83 etudes op. 65
  • Szymanowski op. 4 and op. 33

Application Fees:
Category A -- $40
Category B -- $40
Category C -- $45
Category D -- $50
Category E -- $50
Category F -- $50
Non-CAPMT Members, additional $30