BIPAC 2024 Singing – Cornerstone Music

Venue and Date

ON-SITE
Venue: Goethe Saal, Goethe-Institut Thailand
Date: Saturday November 9th and Sunday November 10th, 2024

ONLINE
Submit YouTube Link by 11:00 pm of Saturday, October 26th, 2024 Thailand time. * Please note that the YouTube link must be submitted together with the application form.

Registration Deadline

The completed application form and payment, as well as the video link and copy of the music score (sheet music in PDF file), must be received by 11:00 pm of Saturday, October 26th, 2024 Thailand time.

Objectives of the competition

In the world today, there are many young people who take singing lessons seriously and who are highly enthusiastic about it. Singing is a performing art of which the learning process cannot be completed without the learner actually performing, either in front of a real live audience or online. Yet, besides taking graded examinations once or twice a year, and besides taking part in the concerts that their teacher organizes once or twice a year, these music enthusiasts rarely have an opportunity to perform.

The mission of Cornerstone Music is to close this gap by organizing competitions so that these young music enthusiasts will have a stage on which to share their talents and discover their musical potential.

It is the intention of the 2nd Bangkok International Performing Arts Singing Competition 2024 Organizing Committee to emphasize the joy of music making and self improvement of every contestant. Thus, the competition is divided into 2 types:

The challenging type, called the Open Category, is suitable for more serious and competitive contestants. In the Open Category, contestants will compete against one another and the adjudicators will award first, second and third prizes, plus trophies. The 1st Prize Winner of each Age Group will also receive Cash Prize.
The encouraging type, which each contestant will be assessed on their performance without regard to the music chosen. The performances will not be assessed based on the age of the performer, nor on the difficulty of the music chosen, nor by comparison with other contestants. No first, second or third prizes will be awarded, and no one will be eliminated from the competition. The adjudicators will assess each contestant based on the standard criteria and contestants will be awarded with a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze medal.

Benefits for the Contestants:

Having a definite goal will increase motivation in practicing which will lead to improvements in performance skills.
Performance opportunities and experience will boost self-confidence.
Contestants will learn to enjoy performing and learn to impart the joy of music to the audience.
Contestants will be inspired by the performances of other contestants which will lead to the willingness to work harder and to further improve.
Contestants will learn to handle disappointment and be resilient when the result does not turn out the way they had hoped.
Contestants will receive constructive and detailed comments from highly qualified adjudicators that can be used to further improve their musical skills.
The results and experience from the competition will be a wonderful addition to the contestant’s portfolio.

Benefits for the Teachers:

Preparing students for a competition will help you set tangible and challenging goals for them, and will help push them to reach their fullest potential.
Preparing students for a competition will give you a great opportunity to explore new and beautiful repertoires with your students beyond their examination pieces.
Sending students to a competition is a wonderful opportunity to present your students to the public and to receive professional development and recognition.

Adjudicators

Prof. Nancy Tsui-Ping Wei

Dr. Kittinant Chinsamran

Amnad Khitapanna

Score System:

Place	Scores	Prizes
First, Second, Third	Only for applicants with 3 highest scores in each category of the Open Category. Score must be at least 91.	Trophy and Certificate
Platinum	91-100	Medal and Certificate
Gold	81-90.99	Medal and Certificate
Silver	71-80.99	Medal and Certificate
Bronze	70.99 and below	Medal and Certificate

Category and Repertoire

Notes to All Categories:

It is the contestant’s responsibility to find his or her own piano accompanist for the competition. Please note that backing track is NOT allowed in the competition.

However, a pianist is available upon request. Contestants can contact the organizing committee of the competition for a list and contact information of accompanists in Bangkok.
Each applicant can apply for more than one category.
Each applicant can sing the same piece for different categories.
If an applicant would like to compete in more than one category, please complete another application form and make separate payment for each category
If an applicant applies for an incorrect category, his application will be cancelled with no refund.
All opera and oratorio selections must be sung in the original keys and languages in both solo and duet categories. No transposition of the key is allowed. If you have any questions, please direct your inquiries to the Organizing Committee.

1. Open Category

PRIZES

Junior A 1^st Prize:

Cash Prize Baht 5,000 and Trophy

Junior B 1^st Prize:

Cash Prize Baht 6,000 and Trophy

Youth A 1^st Prize:

Cash Prize Baht 7,000 and Trophy

Youth B 1^st Prize:

Cash Prize Baht 8,000 and Trophy

Adult A 1^st Prize:

Cash Prize Baht 9,000 and Trophy

Adult B 1^st Prize:

Cash Prize Baht 10,000 and Trophy

This Category is suitable for more serious and competitive singers. In this Category, contestants will compete against each other and the adjudicators will award First, Second and Third Prizes, plus trophies.

Contestants who receive the 3 highest scores in the Platinum Award (91 marks and above) will be awarded the First, Second and Third Prizes.

A Contestant can sing one or more songs, but the total length of the performance must NOT exceed the time limit.

Songs can be Art Songs, Arias, Graded Examination Songs, Pop, Jazz, Folk or Songs from Musical Theatre, but if a contestant chooses to sing more than 1 song, the songs presented must be in the same genre, for example, 2 contrasting Art Songs, etc.

Timing starts when the contestant starts singing and includes the pause between songs.

No.	Category	Age	Born After	Repertoire	On-site Fee (Thb)	Online Fee (Thb)
1.1	Junior A	Age 7-10	born between November 9th, 2017 to November 9th, 2014	Any song(s) within 5 minutes	4,000	4,000
1.2	Junior B	Age 11-14	born between November 9th, 2013 to November 9th, 2010	Any song(s) within 6 minutes	4,000	4,000
1.3	Youth A	Age 15-18	born between November 9th, 2009 to November 9th, 2006	Any song(s) within 8 minutes	4,200	4,200
1.4	Youth B	Age 19-22	born between November 9th, 2005 to November 9th, 2002	Any song(s) within 8 minutes	4,200	4,200
1.5	Adult A	Age 23-26	born between November 9th, 2001 to November 9th, 1998	Any song(s) within 10 minutes	4,500	4,500
1.6	Adult B	Age 27 and older (no age limit)	born on or before November 9th, 1997	Any song(s) within 10 minutes	4,500	4,500

2. Art Song Category

The Art Song is written for solo voice and piano or officially published piano reduction from the orchestral scores.

The Art Song can be a song taken from a Song Cycle.

Contestants must be 10 years old or more (age as of November 9th, 2024) and the song chosen will be between 3-9 minutes in length

No.	Category	Repertoire	On-site Fee (Thb)	Online Fee (Thb)
2.1	Italian Art Songs P. Tosti G. Rossini G. Donizetti S. Gastaldon L. Arditi L. Denza V. Bellini G. Verdi O. Respighi S. Donaudy R. Leoncavallo P. Mascagni A. Tirindelli G. Puccini	Any 1-2 Italian art songs composed by any of the following composers	4,000	4,000
2.2	Viennese Classical Art Songs J. Haydn W. A. Mozart L. van Beethoven	Any 1-2 Viennese classical art songs composed by any of the following composers	4,000	4,000
2.3	German Art Songs L. Spohr C. M. von Weber F. Schubert R. Schumann Clara Schumann Felix Mendelssohn Fanny Mendelssohn F. Liszt J. Brahms R. Strauss G. Mahler R. Wagner M. Reger H. Wolf H. Eisler A. Berg	Any 1-2 German art songs composed by any of the following composers	4,000	4,000
2.4	French Art Songs G. Fauré C. Debussy H. Duparc F. Poulenc M. Ravel H. Berlioz G. Bizet E. Chausson R. Hahn C. Gounod C. Saint-Saëns D. Milhaud É. Paladilhe C. Franck	Any 1-2 French art songs composed by any of the following composers	4,000	4,000
2.5	English Art Songs British composers: R. Vaughan Williams E. Elgar F. Delius G. Butterworth A. Sullivan G. Finzi R. Quilter B. Britten M. Head P. Worlock I. Gurney American composers: C. Ives A. Copland S. Barber V. Thomson J. Duke R. Hageman J. A. Carpenter L. Bernstein W. Bolcom N. Rorem	Any 1-2 English art songs composed by any of the following composers	4,000	4,000
2.6	Art Songs by Chinese, Japanese and Korean composers	Candidate is free to choose 1-2 songs composed by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean composers. The chosen song(s) must be sung in originally composed and published keys and languages, not the translations.	4,000	4,000

3. Aria Category

The Aria chosen should be from an opera or an operetta Contestants must be 11 years old or more (age as of November 9th, 2024) and the Aria chosen will be between 3-9 minutes in length.

No.	Category	Repertoire	On-site Fee (Thb)	Online Fee (Thb)
3.1	Italian Opera C. Monteverdi G. F. Handel C.W. Gluck W.A. Mozart G. Rossini G. Donizetti V. Bellini G. Verdi G. Puccini R. Leoncavallo P. Mascagni	One aria in Italian of the candidate’s choice composed by the following composers.	4,000	4,000
3.2	German Opera L. van Beethoven W. A. Mozart C.M. von Weber E. Humperdinck R. Strauss R. Wagner F. Lehar R. Stolz E. Kálmán F. von Suppé J. Strauss II E.W. Korngold A. Berg	One aria in German of the candidate’s choice composed by the following composers.	4,000	4,000
3.3	French Opera G. Bizet C. Gounod J. Offenbach J. Massenet G. Charpentier G. Meyerbeer H. Berlioz L. Delibes A. Thomas C. Saint-Saën	One aria in French of the candidate’s choice composed by the following composers.	4,000	4,000
3.4	English Opera H. Purcell G. F. Handel S. Barber B. Britten G. Gershwin G.C. Menotti I. Stravinsky L. Bernstein A. Sullivan D. Moor	One aria in English of candidate’s choice composed by the following composers.	4,000	4,000

4. Graded Examination Category

Repertoire can be selected from the current syllabus of ABRSM, Trinity College London, LCM or Central Conservatory of Music.

No.	Category	Repertoire	On-site Fee (Thb)	Online Fee (Thb)
4.1	Grade 1	Must sing TWO songs	3,800	3,800
4.2	Grade 2	Must sing TWO songs	3,800	3,800
4.3	Grade 3	Must sing TWO songs	3,800	3,800
4.4	Grade 4	Must sing TWO songs	3,800	3,800
4.5	Grade 5	Sing only ONE song	4,000	4,000
4.6	Grade 6	Sing only ONE song	4,000	4,000
4.7	Grade 7	Sing only ONE song	4,000	4,000
4.8	Grade 8	Sing only ONE song	4,000	4,000

5. Duet Category

The repertoire in this category is a Duet for 2 singers with piano accompaniment only. It can be 2 female singers, 2 male singers or mixed voices with piano accompaniment.

No.	Repertoire	On-site Fee (Thb)	Online Fee (Thb)
5.1	Any one Aria Duet from Opera, Operetta, Secular or Sacred Cantata	4,500	4,500
5.2	Any one Art Song Duet	4,500	4,500
5.3	Any one Sacred Duet from Oratoria, Sacred Cantata, Hymns or Songs of Praise	4,500	4,500
5.4	Any one Duet Folk Song and Patriotic Song	4,500	4,500

6. Popular Voice Category

Contestants must be between 7 to 40 years old (age as of November 9th, 2024) and the song chosen will be between 3-10 minutes in length

No.	Repertoire	On-site Fee (Thb)	Online Fee (Thb)
6.1	Any one Pop Song	4,000	4,000
6.2	Any one Jazz Song	4,000	4,000
6.3	Any one Folk Song	4,000	4,000
6.4	Any one Song from Standard Musical Theatre (English only)	4,000	4,000
6.5	Free Choice – Any one Song - Repertoire of contestant’s Own Choice	4,000	4,000

Requirement for Video Submissions

Applicants must submit a video of their performance. The Organizing Committee must receive the video by 11:00 pm of Saturday, October 26th, 2024 Thailand time.
The videos should be in at least 720p resolution with good sound quality. Hand-held videos are not accepted.

For singer: The singer must be clearly visible in the video from the front side view from head down to at least upper thigh or down to a full physical view.

For pianist: The performer’s upper body, hands and face.

If any of these parts of the body are obscured, the performance will not be assessed.
The videos must be unedited. Post-production handling that affects the acoustic quality of the videos is not permitted.
The videos must be recorded within 3 months prior to the first date of the competition.
The videos submitted to the competition must be used ONLY for this competition. Videos that have been used in other events are not allowed for this competition.
In any Categories where more than one pieces can be performed, the video must be recorded in one continuous recording.
Please upload the video on YouTube and copy the link into the application form.
Please be sure to change the setting of your YouTube video to Unlisted. Please fine below how to do that:

8.1 Sign in to YouTube Studio
8.2 From the left menu, select Content
8.3 Point to the video you would like to update
8.4 Click to down arrow under "Visibility" and choose Unlisted.
8.5 Save
Please title the video using this format:

“SINGING2024_Category Number_First Name_Last Name”.
For example: “SINGING2024_1.5_Jane_Lee”.

Rules and Regulations

General Rules

The 2nd Bangkok International Performing Arts Singing Competition 2024 is open to singers of all nationalities.
The registration fees are payable upon application and are non-refundable. Applicants are responsible for any transfer fees, if any.
There are both on-site and online platforms for this competition.
The maximum number of applicants might be limited by the Organization Committee on a first-come-first-serve basis.
The order of the performance is determined by the Organizing Committee.
It is the contestant’s responsibility to find his or her own piano accompanist for the competition. Please note that backing track is NOT allowed in the competition.

However, a pianist is available upon request. Contestants can contact the organizing committee of the competition for a list and contact information of accompanists in Bangkok.
If a performance exceeds the time limit, the adjudicator panel may stop the performance of the video. Yet, this will have no consequence on the applicant’s performance score. The applicant will be assessed from the performance heard by the adjudicator panel.
The competition result will be posted on the Cornerstone Music Thailand Facebook Page on the date that will be announced later.
*If you choose to only receive an e-certificate in the application form, the e-certificate will be sent to the e-mail given in your application form.
*If you choose to receive the hard copy of the trophy (Open Category only), the medal and the certificate, you can pick them up at the competition venue on the day of the competition
*The comment sheets of the adjudicators will be sent to your e-mail.
No appeal shall be made against the decisions by the jury and the Organizing Committee. The decision of the adjudicator panel is final.
All organizational decisions concerning the competition remain the responsibility of the Organizing Committee. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to make all final decisions in the event of any misunderstanding.
By electronically signing the application form, contestants acknowledge that they have read, understand and agree to the terms and conditions mentioned in the Rules and Regulations of The 2nd Bangkok International Performing Arts Singing Competition 2024. If applicants do not follow the competition’s terms and conditions, the Organizing Committee reserves the right to cancel their application with no refund.

Performance Rules

Every piece, Solo or Duet, must be performed by memory.
Applicants must upload an electronic copy of the music score (sheet music in PDF File) with the applicant’s name and category applied during the application process.
All opera and oratorio selections must be sung in the original keys and languages in both solo and duet categories. No transposition of the key is allowed. If you have any questions, please direct your inquiries to the Organizing Committee.
Applicants should omit the repeat signs in the music score except when the repeat is specified such as D.C. al Fine or D.S. al Coda.

Announcements of Result

Online Competition:

The result of the online competition will be announced on Cornerstone Music Facebook Fan Page and website no later than November 9th, 2024.

On-site Competition:

The result of the on-site competition will be announced at the hall on the days of the competition. And the result will also be announced on Cornerstone Music Facebook Fan Page and website no later than 3 days after the competition.