Chamber Music Festival Guidelines

CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL GUIDELINES

Get ready to perform.

CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL GUIDELINES

Any musician working with a teacher is welcome to participate in the Chamber Music Festival. Students wanting to register to perform should ensure they are able to maintain a consistent tempo even when others are playing with them or mistakes are made.

The festival welcomes musicians performing any instrument or vocal type, provided the work they will present includes up to two other parts from the instrumentation TMC will provide (typical “piano trio” musicians):

  • Soloist – any instrument or voice
  • TMC Provides 2 of the following for each student:
    • Violin (treble clef)
    • Cello (bass clef)
    • Piano (2-clef)

Contact TMC if you have a specific piece or situation you’d like to discuss before registering.

We request that teachers remind students of the guidelines for their rehearsals and performances and ensure they understand and are committed to meeting the expectations of live performance.

Performance Guidelines

  1. Memorization is not required for chamber ensembles. However, memorization can enhance preparation.
  2. If a student is not prepared for the performance (at minimum, able to play through the music in sync with the other musicians), they will be invited to postpone their registration to allow for additional practice time, to ultimately perform at a subsequent festival.
  3. Repeats are only to be used for very small sections or very short pieces. Repeats of Expositions, Development sections, etc., are not permitted.
  4. Students are expected to dress as professional performers: business casual to formal is appropriate. No strapless or low-cut tops or dresses, no short skirts or dresses above the knee, no denim, and no spandex or leggings when worn by themselves.

Attendance Guidelines

  1. Students will be scheduled for up to two (2) required rehearsals. Teachers are asked to attend as they are able.
  2. Students have the option to sign up for additional rehearsal time or third rehearsal, with an extra fee. This option is especially recommended for students playing advanced pieces that may require more coordination with other musicians in the trio.
  3. Students should arrive 10-15 minutes prior to their scheduled rehearsal and 20-30 minutes prior to their scheduled concert. Students are welcomed to sit in on any other rehearsals or concerts they are not scheduled for if they wish to attend.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns, using the button below.

Contact Us

REGISTRATION FORM GUIDELINES

The registration form for the Chamber Music Festival is not yet available for the 2026-2027 season. Below are some common questions and guidelines for registration.

TMC has limited rehearsal time due to venue and artist constraints. Submission of the registration form is not automatic acceptance into the program. If there are more registrants than time allowed for rehearsals, registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration may be formally closed early if necessary. Ensure you are added to TMC’s email list through the sign up form on this website to receive information about registration deadlines.

Please contact TMC directly at registration@tacomamusic.org with any questions about piece suitability or registration policies.

Please check our repertoire list to see pieces currently available and the relevant information for each piece (including fee category).

Students may request a piece not on the existing repertoire list by filling in the registration form, leaving the authorization code field blank.

For each instrument that is NOT the student, TMC can provide any combination of two of the following: up to one treble instrument (violin), up to one bass instrument (cello) and up to one pianist. Please note that TMC can provide only one piano, so no pieces with two pianists (student and collaborative musician) can be approved.

If you are requesting to perform a piece NOT on TMC’s approved repertoire list, your registration is subject to review by TMC staff and may be denied, especially for pieces where sheet music may be difficult to source. If you are registering for a piece not on the approved repertoire list, please submit your registration with the “invoice later” option selected, AND email TMC at registration@tacomamusic.org to request review of the piece.

Pieces with more than one student are welcomed. In this case, students should submit one registration form with one student’s information and the piece information, and provide the second student’s information (at minimum name, contact information, teacher information, additional availability notes) to TMC via email. In these cases, students in a group will only be charged one registration fee and will share the allotted rehearsal time.

Students who would like to register for both November and January should fill out this form twice, once for the November festival and once for the January festival.

REGISTRATION FEES

Registration fees are effective as of September 1, 2024.  Rehearsal time is based on the length of the piece being performed. Tacoma Music Collaborative does everything we can to ensure registration fees remain affordable. Financial aid is routinely offered for festival registrants on a request basis.

Fees only cover 40-50% of the costs to run the festival each year. TMC is dependent on funds from grant programs, foundations, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. If you would like to help make this year’s festival a success, click on “Support TMC” at the top of this page.

PIECE DURATION
FEE
CATEGORY
1 to 3 minutes
$68.75
A
>3 to 5 minutes
$87.50
B
>5 to 10 minutes
$106.25
C
>10 to 15 minutes
$125.00
D
>15 to 20 minutes
$150.00
E
Extra Rehearsal for Category A, B
$25.00
F
Extra Rehearsal for Category C, D, E
$50.00
G