Frequently Asked Questions

Contestant Age is limited to 5 to 35, as of the Deadline date of the preliminary round

Please refer to BIMC Calendar

1. Voice (classical, opera, musical theatre, pop, jazz & contemporary, in the form of solo, duet, chorus)
2. Piano (classical, jazz & contemporary)
3. Strings (violin, viola, cello & double bass, for both classical, jazz & contemporary)
4. Other Instruments:

• Other Strings (guitar, bass, harp, mandolin, erhu, pipa, guzheng, dulcimer, etc.)
• Brass (trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, cornet, etc.)
• Woodwind (flute, piccolo, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, bassoon, ocarina, bansuri, bamboo flute, suona, hulusi, etc.)
• Percussion (marimba, xylophone, drum set, jazz drum, djembe, )
• Keyboard (electric piano, electronic organ, accordion)
• Ensemble: Including duet, trio, quartet, quintet, band ensembles or orchestras

A - Elementary (Age 5-10) 

B - Junior (Age 11-14) 

C - Senior (Age 15-18) 

D1 - Young Artist (Age 19-35): Non-Music Major

D2 - Young Artist (Age 19-35): Music Major

There are a total of 20 groups among the 4 categories.

Group Codes: VA, VB, VC, VD1, VD2, PA, PB, PC, PD1, PD2, SA, SB, SC, SD1, SD2, OA, OB, OC, OD1, OD2

    A. Application Fee for Round 1 Preliminary Competition

• Solo (1 person): US$128 /person
• Team (2-5 members): US$120 /person
• Team (6-12 members): US$110 /person
• Team (13 - 20 members): US$100 /person
• Team (21 members or more): US$98 /person

    B. Video Evaluation Fee for Round 2 Semi-final competition

• Solo (1 person): US$128 /person
• Team (2-5 members): US$120 /person
• Team (6-12 members): US$110 /person
• Team (13 - 20 members): US$100 /person
• Team (21 members or more): US$98 /person

     C. 7/18/2026 Final Round Competition: No cost to finalists

     --- 7/19/2026 BIMC Winners' Concert & Award Ceremony: No Cost to contestants. Other audiences need purchasing tickets.

     --- 7/19/2026 BIMC Reception Dinner:  $75 /person.

     D.  7/20 - 7/24/2025 Masterclasses + Music College + Ivy League University Exploration Tour:  Package Price US$680 /student to cover professor and staff cost, tour transportation, tour guide and fees (Three-day Masterclass Price $450, Two-day School Exploration Price $230). Parents for Two-day School Exploration cost $200 /person 

• Repertoire for Round 1 preliminary competition: Contestants decide your own music for video submission. We only require one video for one piece of music. Please refer to the Video Recording Requirements
• Every piece of music should be no more than 8 minutes. For Music Major (D2) participants, music should be no more than 12 mins
• Repertoire for Round 2 Semi-final competition: Contestants decide your own music for video submission. It could be a different from or the same as Round 1 repertoire
• Repertoire for Final competition:  Contestants decide your own music for final competition. It could be a different from or the same as Round 1 or Round 2 repertoire. Finalists who could not come to Boston for the final on-site competition must submit a video

Submit a video link of Youtube or Bilibili when you fill up the application form. Please do not email the video

• Gold First Place Winners in every age groups of Non-Music Major (A, B, C, or D1) for all categories will receive Certificates, Gold Plaque and $200 prize awards
• Gold First Place Winners in the age groups of Young Artist Music Major (D2) for all categories will receive Certificates, Gold Plaque and $1500 prize awards
• Silver Second Place Winners in every age groups for all categories will receive Certificates and Silver Plaque awards
• Bronze Third Place Winners in every age groups for all categories will receive Certificates and Bronze Plaque awards
• Best Stage Performance Award Winners in every age groups for all categories will receive Certificates only
• Outstanding Achievement Award (Finalists), Excellent Achievement Award (Semi-Finalists) and Honorable Award Winners in every age groups for all categories will receive Certificates only

• The music teachers, the schools or studios of the Gold, Silver or Bronze medalists and the Best Stage Performance Award winners will receive Certificates of Outstanding Music Education Award
• Outstanding Contribution Awards will be honored to our key team members and volunteers.

The Final competition is in the afternoon of July 18th, 2026 in Boston. The grand winners' concert & awards ceremony is in the afternoon of July 19th at a Boston reputable concert hall. Dress Code: Formal

The Boston International Music Competition is attractive to young musicians for several reasons: 

1. Prestigious and International Recognition: The Boston International Music Competition is a high-profile international music event, attracting young musicians from all over the world. Winners can not only show their talents in front of the public, but also get the attention of authoritative people and media in the music industry,
2. Scholarships and Performance Opportunities: The competition offers scholarships and the opportunity to perform in leading music venues, which can be a significant career-making opportunity for young artists,
3. Professional Evaluation: The judges of the Boston International Music Competition are all renowned musicians from US and China. They have rich music experience and professional knowledge. The high and strict evaluation standards make the event authoritative and professional,
4. Professional Development: The competition provides valuable feedback and guidance from top-notch judges in the music industry. This experience helps young musicians to develop their skills, technique, artistic talent and career,
5. Excellent Organization and Arrangement: The Boston International Music Competition is well organized and the events are arranged reasonably. Also consultation and support services are provided for the contestants, so that the contestants can show their talents in a pleasant and comfortable environment,
6. Global Recruitment: The Boston International Music Competition attracts outstanding young musicians from all over the world to participate. Contestants can accumulate valuable experience and resources for their own music career,
7. Networking Opportunities: Participation in the competition creates opportunities for young musicians to meet other like-minded peers, music industry professionals, and music enthusiasts. This network can open new doors and create valuable connections that may help them in their future music careers.

R2 Requirements:

1. Each semi-finalist team can ONLY submit ONE music performance video
2. Video should be no more than 8 mins long
3. Recommend a new and better video if you can prepare, as the Semi-final is even more competitive in general
4. If you do not have a new video, the video submitted for preliminary R1 is acceptable
5. No matter which video you choose for Semi-final, the R2 application form and video link MUST be submitted before Sunday April 27th, 2025 at the BIMC website Application URL:  https://bimc.us/r2-application
6. Application and Video Assessment Fee MUST be paid before your submission of the application form and video. Payment can be paid at BIMC website Payment URL: https://bimc.us/r2-payment
7. Finalist Announcement will be on Monday May 18th, 2026

1. BIMC 2026 Final Competition will be on-site in Boston, in the afternoon of Saturday July 18th, 2026
2. BIMC 2026 Winners' Concert & Awards Ceremony will be in the afternoon of Sunday July 19th, 2026
3. For Final on-site competition, the time limit is up to 15 mins per finalist
4. For the performance on the Winners' concert, the time limit is normally up to 6 min, but max 10 mins per person and subject to the approval from the concert Director
5. All BIMC contestants are invited to the Winners' Concert & Awards Ceremony on July 19th, 2026 in Boston. Venue will be announced in June. So, concert participants who need travel to Boston should get prepared with the flight and visa
6. Any contestants who need Invitation Letters for applying US visa should contact us as early as possible
7. Tickets for BIMC Winners' Concert & Awards Ceremony can be purchased HERE