The ‘Macao Young Musicians Competition’ (or CJMM, abbreviation in Portuguese) seeks to promote the development of classical music in Macao and provide opportunities for young local musicians to gain valuable stage experience, enhance their performance abilities and encourage potential young musicians to embark on a musical career. The Competition is set up to feature the Piano category in odd-numbered years and the Chinese Instruments and Western Instruments category in even-numbered years.

1. Eligibility
   Satisfying the age requirements below and holding a valid Macao Resident ID Card.
   

   Level	Competition Categories	Age Requirements
   Solo
   Elementary	Solo Elementary Group A	Under age of 13, (born in or after 2010)
   	Solo Elementary Group B
   	Piano Sonatina
   Intermediate	Solo Intermediate Group A	Under age of 17, (born in or after 2006)
   	Solo Intermediate Group B
   	20th Century Piano Work (Intermediate)
   	Chinese Composers Piano Work (Intermediate)
   Advanced	Solo Advanced	Under age of 21, (born in or after 2002)
   	Piano Sonata
   	Piano Concerto
   	20th Century Piano Work (Advanced)
   	Chinese Composers Piano Work (Advanced)
   Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music
   Elementary	Piano Four-hands (Elementary)	Under age of 13, (born in or after 2010)
   Intermediate	Piano Four-hands (Intermediate)	Under age of 17, (born in or after 2006)
   Advanced	Piano Four-hands (Advanced)	Under age of 21, (born in or after 2002)
   All Levels	Piano Chamber Music (Two Pianos, Piano Trio, Piano Quartet or Piano Quintet) *loan limited to two pianos

2. Notes
   
   1. Participant should use the name identical to his/her Macao Resident ID Card.
   2. Participants may compete in no more than three categories, and shall choose either the elementary, intermediate or advanced level.
   3. Participants should enter the competition level that matches their level of musical competence or ability. Winners of First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize, Distinction or Merit at any level in previous sessions of the ‘Macao Young Musicians Competition’ are deemed to have reached the respective level and are not allowed to participate in a lower level in this year’s Competition. If any Participant is found to have applied for a level that does not tally with their level of musical competence, the Organiser reserves the right to disqualify the Participant from that competition category and cancel their prizes (if any).
   4. First-prize winners in any solo categories in previous sessions of the ‘Macao Young Musicians Competition’ are not eligible to compete in the same category again;
   5. First-prize winning teams in the categories of Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music in previous sessions of the ‘Macao Young Musicians Competition’ are not allowed to participate in the same category with the same members again.
   6. Current or previous students majoring in a relevant music instrument performance in a diploma or Bachelor’s degree programme or above at any music academy or higher education institution, as well as students of a high school affiliated to a music academy (including students of full-time programmes at the School of Music of Macao Conservatory), and full-time musicians engaging in the relevant musical instrument or vocal performance, are not eligible to participate in the competition.
   7. When applying, Participants must submit a copy of their free choice pieces for the jury’s reference; Participants in the Concerto category must submit a copy of the music score for the soloist and the accompanists; the submitted copies will not be returned and will be discarded by the Organiser after the competition.
   8. Participants are not allowed to compete in more than one category in this year’s competition with the same free choice piece, or to perform the free choice pieces with which they have won prizes in previous sessions of the ‘Macao Young Musician Competition.’ Participants violating such rules will only be given a written assessment instead of a score, and cannot compete for any prize.
   9. An age limit is not set for accompanists in the Piano Concerto category, and submission of the accompanists’ personal information is not required during the application process. However, Participants are required to present a copy of the accompanists’ valid identification documents for registration during the designated report time of the Competition.
   10. All instrumental sections in the categories of Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music are of equal importance. The ensemble representatives and members participating in the categories of Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music are deemed to be Participants rather than accompanists, and therefore must submit the required application documents according to the Rules and Regulations.
   11. No Participant shall be a member of two or more ensembles competing in the same "Piano Four Hands" or "Piano Chamber Music" Category.
   12. Participants are not allowed to use non-ensemble music pieces, such as concertos, as the free choice piece to compete in Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music categories. If any Participant is found to use non-ensemble music pieces to compete in the said categories, the Judges shall decide whether his or her overall score will be affected.
   13. If the number of Participants or ensembles enrolled in a category is less than five, the Organiser reserves the right to cancel the relevant competition and the Participants may not raise any objections. The registration fee will be refunded under such circumstances but will not be refunded under other conditions.
3. Application Method
   This competition accepts online registration and payment only. Details are:
   

   Registration Procedures		Enter the CJMM Website -> Log in to “CJMM Registration System” with “Macao One Account” -> Register online ->Pay online -> Receive Online Registration Slip via email and confirmation SMS via mobile phone -> Application Complete -> Submission of supplementary documents (if applicable)
   Registration Fee		MOP100.00 per category
   Online Registration	Website	www.icm.gov.mo/cjmm
   	Date and Time	From 10:00 on 1st June until 16:00 on 7th June
   Online Registration and Payment Deadline (Registrations not accepted after the deadline)		7th June, 16:00
   Documents to be Uploaded*		One copy of music score of free choice piece (applicable to categories with free choice pieces).

   * When necessary, the Organiser will notify Participants to submit supplementary documents within a specific period. Participants who fail to submit the required supplementary documents within the set period will be disqualified.
   
   
4. Submission by Authorised Representative or Group Registration
   
   1. To safeguard the rights and interests of Participants, they are recommended to complete the online registration and payment via the ‘registration system’ in person. As for ensembles, a representative must be authorised by ensemble members via the ‘registration system’ and the authorised representative can complete the online registration and payment, submit applications, and check the scores and written assessment for the ensemble on behalf of other members. Other members of the ensemble only have the right to check.
   2. If any solo Participants or ensemble representatives are unable to complete the online registration and payment in person, an institution must be authorised via the ‘registration system’ to proceed with online registration and payment, application submission, and checking of the scores and written assessment via the ‘registration system’ on their behalf. The solo Participants or ensemble representatives still have those rights even after they have authorised another institution to do so. If the solo Participants or ensemble representatives need to authorise an institution for group registration, the authorised institution must log into the ‘registration system’ and sign up with their entity’s ‘Macao One Account’.
   3. The Participant shall be solely responsible for any information that is omitted or in error, or any consequences arising from the Participant’s improper authorisation, or any mistake made by the authorised party, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will not assume any responsibility nor accept any relevant appeal.
5. Notes on Changes of Information
   
   1. Participants are not allowed to change their competition categories, levels and pieces (either free choice or compulsory pieces) after payment; members cannot be added, withdrawn or changed, and representatives cannot be renamed for ensemble categories.
   2. After the competition schedule (provisional list) has been announced, Participants may request to change the performance order with reasonable grounds, such as a time clash between the competition and compulsory school activities. Participants can complete and print the Request Form for Change of Performance Order (Form B) via the ‘registration system’, and submit the signed request form together with relevant supporting documents (such as proof issued by the school) to the Cultural
      Affairs Bureau Building in person by 23^th June (during office hours). The Organiser (the Cultural Affairs Bureau, IC) will review the request according to the jury’s opinions, venue or other technical issues and inform the Participant whether the request is approved or denied. The Organiser (IC) will notify the Participant concerned if they approve the request. In case it is not approved, the Participant must perform in the original order and will be disqualified by the Organiser if they fail to do so.
   3. After the designated date mentioned in 4.5.2, if any Participant needs to change the performance order at short notice with reasonable grounds, for instance, Participants have to seek medical attention for unforeseeable reasons and the consultation time clashes with the competition, Participants can complete and print the Request Form for Change of Performance Order (Form B) via the ‘registration system’, and submit the signed request together with relevant supporting documents (such as proof issued by the hospital) to the Cultural Affairs Bureau Building or competition venue in person at least 2 working days before the competition. The Organiser (IC) will review the request according to the jury’s opinions, venue or other technical issues and inform the Participants whether the request is approved or denied. The Organiser (IC) will notify the Participant concerned if they approve the request. In case the request is not approved, the Participant must perform in the original order and will be disqualified by the Organiser if they fail to do so.
   4. To protect the rights and interests of Participants, the ‘Request of Change of Performance Order’ (Form B) must be submitted in person by the Participants themselves. If the Participants or ensemble representatives are not able to submit the form personally, they must fill in the ‘Authorisation’ section of the form for others to submit on their behalf, and the authorised person must present their valid Macao Resident ID Card for verification when submitting the form. For regulations regarding the Authorisation Letter, please refer to the following:
      

      		Submitted by parents or legal guardians on their behalf	Submitted by people other than parents and legal guardians on their behalf (including ensemble members)
      Solo Participant or ensemble representative	Aged 18 or above	Authorisation required	Authorisation required
      	Below 18	Authorisation not required	Authorisation required

1. A grand piano (A=442) and music stands are available at the competition venue. No application is required;
2. A Piano pedal riser is available to lend, participants are not allowed to use their own pedal riser; borrow request needs to be made during Online Registration, and confirmed during check in at the competition venue. No change is accepted upon confirmation;
3. Participants must ensure that the loaned musical instruments are in good shape without any damage after use. If there is any damage, destruction or loss of the loaned instruments, the Organiser reserves the right to claim compensation from the Participants;
4. Warm-up rooms are available for Participants; schedule for using the warm-up rooms will be arranged by the Organiser on-site according to performance order of competition.

1. The order of performance will be determined by the Organiser through computer ballot, and Participants must perform according to the allocated order;
2. Participants in the concerto category must perform with their accompanist(s). If the accompanist(s) is/are absent at the scheduled time of performance, the Participants will be deemed to be waiving the right to participate in the competition, and thus is forbidden to perform;
3. Rules on competition pieces and music scores:
1. Participants other than those in the ensemble category and accompanists in the concerto category must memorise the music score;
2. Participants of Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music categories and accompanists of Piano Concerto category are responsible for ensuring their use of legal copies of music scores. Should they have difficulties in page turning with legal copies, they can request to use photocopies when checking in at the competition venue and use the legal copies together with photocopies in the competition only after obtaining approval from the Organiser. They may also arrange their own page turner if necessary;
3. Participants of Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music categories and accompanists of Piano Concerto category using music scores downloaded from an online website shall present a payment receipt to support such scores are obtained legally;
4. Participants must perform the pieces specified on their registration forms;
5. Participants in violation of the rules set in clauses 6.3.1 to 6.3.4 will only be given a written assessment in lieu of a score, and thus cannot compete for any prizes;
6. Participants should follow the music score to complete their performance within the time limit. If a Participant deviates from the notation, the Judges shall decide whether his or her overall score will be affected;
7. Participants shall not play repeats or first endings unless otherwise stated explicitly in the “Competition Repertories”, Da Capo (D.C.) and Dal Segno (D.S.) should be played as instructed. If Participants are in violation of this rule, the Judges shall decide whether his or her overall score will be affected.
4. If any Participant is a relative of any member of the judging panel, or has been a long-term student of or has business interests with any of the judges (e.g. in any full-time or part-time course at a music school) in the past two years as of the competition date of the relevant category, or has been a short-term student of or has business interests with any of the judges (e.g. in any master class) over the past year as of the competition date of the relevant category, they must report the relationship to the Organiser prior to the competition. The judge concerned will not evaluate the Participant’s performance. The Organiser reserves the right to disqualify the Participant and rescind any awards and prizes granted if it is discovered that the Participant concealed any relationship that they have or had with one of the judges;
5. Judges may require a Participant to stop playing if they believe the performance up to the requested stop is sufficient to arrive at a fair decision; on the contrary, Judges may ask a Participant to repeat the piece(s) if they are unable to assess his or her previous performance;
6. Participants are prohibited from having any contact with Judges before the announcement of the competition results. Those in violation will be disqualified and their prizes will also be cancelled;
7. Participants must strictly follow the arrangements of onsite staff and the Organiser reserves the right to disqualify those who fail to follow the relevant arrangements.

1. Participants must check-in at the competition venue at the designated time by presenting the original copy of their valid Macao Resident ID Cards to collect a competition number; Participants who only present a copy of their valid Macao Resident ID Card can still perform on stage but will only be given a written assessment in lieu of a score, and thus cannot compete for any prizes. Participants who fail to present their original valid Macao Resident ID Card or a copy will not be permitted to perform on the stage;
2. Accompanists are required at the same time to present copies of their personal identification documents and collect a performance number;
3. Participants failing to obtain their performance number at the reception desk at the designated time will be regarded as ‘late’. Though permitted to perform, a late Participant will only be given a written assessment in lieu of a score, and thus cannot compete for any prizes;
4. Participants who fail to appear on stage after their names have been called three times will be seen as withdrawn from competition and will not be allowed to perform on stage.

1. Composition of the Jury
   The jury for each category consists of three music professionals from outside Macao, such as mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, including pianists as well as music teachers from universities and conservatories of music. (The final list of judges depends upon the schedule and qualifications of judges and other factors).
2. Assessment Criteria
   
   1. Competition results are graded on a scale of 0 to 100;
   2. Solo or ensemble Participants must perform in accordance with the techniques written on the score, and present the overall understanding of the work, including: the musical features, the harmonic structure, the musicality and musical appeal, etc;
   3. Competition results will be calculated according to the average of the Judges’ total scores, rounded to two decimal places;
   4. Judges reserve the right to make the final decision on all music-related issues. All scoring decisions made are final and Participants must respect and accept those decisions. The Organiser does not accept any appeal filed against the judges’ scores.
3. All Category Prizes
   
   1. There are First Prizes, Second Prizes, Third Prizes, Distinctions and Merits in each category. Results will be announced on the Macao Young Musicians Competition website after the competition. The time and format of the announcement will be announced at the competition venue;
   2. Participants with a score of 75 or above will be awarded a “Merit” certificate and with a score of 85 or above will be awarded a “Distinction” certificate;
   3. The First, Second and Third prizes are awarded to Participants with the top three scores of 85 or above. Prize winners will be presented with a cash award and a certificate. However, the Judges reserve the right to withhold the awarding of any of the above prizes and, instead, award “Distinction” to any of the top scoring Participants when the Judges are dissatisfied with the artistic achievements of the top scorers even if any of them reached a score of 85 or above.
4. Cash Awards of All Categories (Sponsored by BOC Macau)
   

   Level	Competition Categories	First Prize	Second Prize	Third Prize
   		(MOP)
   Solo
   Elementary	Solo Elementary Group A	800	600	400
   	Solo Elementary Group B	1,000	800	600
   	Piano Sonatina	1,000	800	600
   Intermediate	Solo Intermediate Group A	1,200	1,000	800
   	Solo Intermediate Group B	1,400	1,200	1,000
   	20th Century Piano Work (Intermediate)	1,200	1,000	800
   	Chinese Composers Piano Work (Intermediate)	1,200	1,000	800
   Advanced	Solo Advanced	2,000	1,800	1,600
   	Piano Sonata	1,400	1,200	1,000
   	Piano Concerto	1,800	1,600	1,400
   	20th Century Piano Work (Advanced)	1,400	1,200	1,000
   	Chinese Composers Piano Work (Advanced)	1,400	1,200	1,000
   Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music
   Elementary	Piano Four-hands (Elementary)	1,000	800	600
   Intermediate	Piano Four-hands (Intermediate)	1,200	1,000	800
   Advanced	Piano Four-hands (Advanced)	1,400	1,200	1,000
   All Levels	Piano Chamber Music (Two Pianos, Piano Trio, Piano Quartet or Piano Quintet)	1,800	1,600	1,400

   
   
5. Special Prizes Competition
   1. All the First Prize winners of Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced levels in each category, or any Participant recommended by the Judges, can compete in the Competition for Special Prizes;
   2. If a Participant receives more than one First Prize in different categories, his/her qualification for the Special Prizes Competition will be related to categories he/she won;
   3. Solo or ensemble Participants only need to perform one musical piece chosen from the compulsory piece or free choice piece from their category;
   4. Participants with top scores of 85 or above will be awarded the titles "Best Performance in Elementary Category", "Best Performance in Intermediate Category" and "Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize" for solo elementary, intermediate and advanced category respectively;
   5. The Organiser reserves the right not to award prizes in the Special Prizes Competition when no performance in the category qualifies;
   6. Results will be announced after the competition. The time and format of the announcement will be announced at the competition venue.
6. Special Prizes and Eligibility
   

   	Level	Eligibility	Prizes
   Solo	Elementary	First Prize-winners of each Solo Category, or any Participants recommended by Jury.	Best Performance in Elementary Category
   	Intermediate		Best Performance in Intermediate Category
   	Advanced		Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize

7. Cash Awards for Special Prizes (Sponsored by BOC Macau)
   

   Prizes	Awards
   Best Performance in Elementary Category	Cash Award MOP 5,000
   Best Performance in Intermediate Category	Cash Award MOP 7,000
   Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize	Cash Award MOP 100,000

8. Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize
   1. The Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize is awarded to the Grand Champion of the Special Prize Competition in the solo advanced category;
   2. The Cultural Affairs Bureau Prize is worth MOP 100,000 and will be issued within the awarding year.

1. Score cards will be issued after the competition. The time and format of the issuance will be announced at the competition venue;
2. Cash awards and certificates for winners in the Solo categories and Solo winners in the Special Prize Competition will be presented to the winners directly. Cash awards and certificates for winners in the Piano Four-Hands & Chamber Music categories will be presented to the representatives of the winning ensembles directly. All prize winners and representatives of the prize-winning ensembles should collect their certificates at the IC Building in Tap Seac Square in person by presenting their Macao Resident ID Card from 10^th – 12^th November 12:00-19:00 (including lunch hour). Those who do not to collect their certificates within the aforesaid period must submit a written application for them to be reissued. Unclaimed certificates will be discarded one month after the aforementioned date. The cash awards will be transferred by BOC Macau directly to the BOC Macau accounts provided by the prize winners and representatives of the prize-winning ensembles. The prize winners and representatives of the prize-winning ensembles are required to provide their BOC Macau bank account information before the designated date, and those who fail to do so will be deemed to forgo their cash awards;
3. Prize winners or representatives of the prize-winning ensembles should collect their certificates in person. If an authorised person is collecting the certificates on their behalf, a letter of authorisation is required. See below for details:

		Signal Hoisting Time	Corresponding actions
Rainstorm	Or	Competition goes on as usual
		From 06:30 to 11:00	Morning contest to be suspended
		From 11:00 to 16:00	Afternoon contest to be suspended
		Later than 16:00	Evening contest to be suspended
		One hour prior to the competition	The contest continues
Typhoon	or below	Competition goes on as usual
	or above	From 06:30 to 11:00	Morning contest to be suspended
		From 11:00 to 16:00	Afternoon contest to be suspended
		Later than 16:00	Evening contest to be suspended
		One hour prior to the competition	To be decided case by case based on the circumstance
		Before 06:30	The whole day’s contests go on as usual
		From 06:30 to 11:00	Afternoon and evening contests go on as usual
		From 11:00 to 16:00	Evening contest goes on as usual
		Later than 16:00	Evening contest continues

1. If Typhoon Signal No.8 (or above) is issued during the competition, Organiser may reschedule or continue the competition according to actual circumstances; Participants may decide to stay or not when the competition continues. There will be no rescheduling if the Participants decide not to stay;
2. Organiser will announce the news via the website or SMS to mobile phone numbers provided by Participants upon registration.

1. When enrolling through the registration system for the Macao Young Musicians Competition (hereinafter referred to as ‘registration system’), Participants will be required to provide their basic personal information (including Macao Resident ID Card number);
2. The Participants’ information is collected for registration purposes and for facilitating the Organiser to provide the Participants with important details related to the competition. The registration system will be unable to proceed with the registration of those who fail to provide the necessary information;
3. Participants must ensure the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the data provided. The Organiser shall have the right to cancel the Participant’s registration without notice if they have reasonable doubt about the validity of the information provided;
4. All the personal information provided through the registration system is protected through the high-level security system of IC and can only be accessed by authorised personnel;
5. When enrolling through the registration system, Participants are deemed to have accepted the privacy policy stated on the system.

1. Competitions are open to public aged 6 or above;
2. Seating at the competition venue is not assigned and is available on a first-come, first served basis;
3. Filming and photographing with a flash, which may disturb the Participants and Judges, are prohibited in the competition venue. Use of phones is prohibited, audiences are requested to turn phones or other beeping devices to silent;
4. Eating and drinking or possession of plastic bags and/or objects considered dangerous are prohibited in the competition venue;
5. The audience must strictly follow the arrangements of onsite staff;
6. Audience members in violation of the rules set in clause 12.3 to 12.5, or cause undue disturbance in competition venues may be asked to leave the venue.

1. By registering for the competition, the Participants acknowledge and agree all the Rules and Regulations promulgated here;
2. Any changes to the Rules and Regulations will be published on the Macao Young Musicians Competition website, and the latest information announced online shall prevail;
3. Unless otherwise specified by the Organiser, any updates or results announced by the Organiser are open to enquiries or complaints from the Participants for one week. If there are no enquiries or complaints after this period, the updates or results will be deemed as agreed and the Organiser shall have the right to refuse any relevant enquiries or complaints.