Music Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Music extracurriculars span honor ensembles, national competitions, composition programs, and conservatory-run summer intensives.

For non-conservatory applicants, sustained musical achievement plus a leadership role (section leader, drum major, founder) reads as discipline plus initiative.

39 verified programs match this page; 15 of the featured listings are completely free; 4 can be done online.

Featured programs

Browse 30+ curated programs for high school students:

• National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA) — Carnegie Hall: Join a prestigious summer orchestra program for high school musicians in grades 10-12. Develop advanced music skills, perform at Carnegie Hall, and bo
• Davidson Fellows Scholarship - Music Category — Davidson Institute: Prestigious music scholarship recognizing high school students with exceptional compositions. Boost your college applications and showcase your creati
• Juilliard Pre-College — The Juilliard School: Elite music program for high schoolers in grades 10-12 offering hands-on performance training and skill development. Boosts college applications and a
• NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles — NAfME: Join elite high school musicians in this prestigious in-person honor ensemble program. Enhance your skills, perform nationally, and boost your college
• Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Intensive — Berklee College of Music: Intensive 5-week summer program at Berklee College of Music for high school musicians to study performance, production, songwriting, and music busines
• Aspen Music Festival and School - Young Artist Programs — Aspen Music Festival: Elite summer music programs in Colorado. Orchestra, chamber music, lessons.
• Frost Young Musicians Camp — University of Miami Frost School of Music: Summer intensive at top-ranked university music school. Unique program offering both classical and contemporary music training.
• NFMC Junior Festival and Competition — National Federation of Music Clubs: National Federation of Music Clubs performance competition. Piano, strings, and voice categories from local to national levels.
• From the Top / NPR Performance — From the Top: Perform on NPR's From the Top radio show. National exposure for young musicians.
• Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Programs — Boston Symphony Orchestra: Elite music training at BSO summer home. Work with world-class musicians. Highly competitive audition.
• Carnegie Hall NYO2 — Carnegie Hall: National training ensemble (ages 14-16) with full scholarship and residency.
• MTNA National Competition Finalist — Music Teachers National Association: Finalist at Music Teachers National Association national competition. Top young performers in piano, strings, voice, and chamber music.
• New England Conservatory Preparatory School — New England Conservatory: Conservatory-level training for pre-college musicians at NEC. Saturday program with NEC faculty.
• Yellow Barn Young Artists Program — Yellow Barn Music Festival: Elite chamber music program emphasizing collaborative musicianship. Students work with internationally acclaimed faculty. Demonstrates advanced musici
• Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist Program — Cleveland Institute of Music: Intensive music training at Cleveland Institute of Music. Lessons, chamber music, and orchestra for advanced pre-college musicians.
• Sphinx Competition Laureate — Sphinx Organization: Competition for Black and Latinx string players. Cash prizes + performance opportunities.
• Lexus Song Quest Vocal Competition — New Zealand Symphony Orchestra: A prestigious New Zealand opera and classical singing competition discovering and supporting emerging vocal talent.
• Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award — Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Foundation: An Australian operatic singing competition for emerging classical vocalists, focused on bel canto repertoire and performance.
• NEUE STIMMEN International Singing Comp — Bertelsmann Stiftung: A leading international singing competition for young opera and concert singers held in Germany with global preliminary rounds.
• Jugend musiziert Music Competition — Deutscher Musikrat (German Music Council): Germany’s leading youth music competition for young instrumentalists and singers, held in local, regional, and national rounds.
• Leeds International Pianoforte Competition — The Leeds International Piano Competition: One of the world’s leading piano competitions for young professional pianists, held in Leeds, UK every three years.
• ASTA National Solo Competition — American String Teachers Association: Compete in a prestigious national strings competition for high school musicians. Showcase your talent, enhance performance skills, and boost college a
• FAA High School Competition — University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts: Engage in a dynamic arts competition for high schoolers in grades 9-11. Explore architecture, music, and design while boosting college applications. F
• BMI Student Composer Awards — BMI Foundation: Prestigious music competition for high school composers in grades 9-12. Build composition skills, gain recognition, and enhance your college applicati
• National Young Composers Challenge — Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra: Compose original music, gain hands-on experience, and showcase your talent in the National Young Composers Challenge. Perfect for college apps and asp
• Music Teachers National Association Student Competitions — MTNA: National music competition for high school students in grades 9-12. Enhance performance skills, gain recognition, and boost college applications. Hybr
• Tri-M Music Honor Society — NAfME: Join Tri-M Music Honor Society to build leadership skills, serve your community, and showcase music excellence. Perfect for grades 6-12 and boosting c
• DownBeat Student Music Awards — DownBeat Magazine: Showcase your jazz talent in this prestigious competition. Gain recognition, boost college applications, and enhance music skills with an affordable $
• Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions — Metropolitan Opera: Showcase your vocal talent in this prestigious opera competition for high schoolers (grades 10-12). Gain performance skills and boost your college app
• National Guild of Piano Teachers Auditions — American College of Musicians: Showcase your piano skills in the National Guild Auditions! Earn national ratings, boost college applications, and gain valuable feedback from expert

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