COMPETITION INFORMATION
1. Performing Sections and Categories
The contests will be divided into Elementary (age 12 or under), Middle-High School (age of 13~18), Adult (age of 19~59), Elder (age of 60 and above). And Also divided into Solo (Tremolo, Chromatic, Jazz) and Duet (Duo, Trio, Ensembles <4~6 people>), Orchestra (Small Orchestra, Large Orchestra).
2. Contest Operating Procedure
① Categorized solo performers will go through the qualifying rounds ; top 15 qualifiers will be selected and will move on to the next main round.
② Contest participants are able select a song of their choice other than the specified song, playing time is less than 8 minutes. However, in the preliminary rounds, the playing is limited to 2 minutes per performance. Section of the song chosen by the participant needs to be specified before performing.
③ Contestants must adhere to the limited time of performance as directed by the judge. If a contestant does not follow instructions, he or she might be disqualified as the discretion of the judges.
④ To simplify the judging procedures, participants must submit 5 copies of performance score to the judges and all the legal copyright responsibility is to the performing participants.
⑤ In relations with contest operations, any specific contest procedures that are not specified in the regulations shall be determined separately from the organizing committee.
3. Basic rule of selecting the prize winner
① The prize winners will be decided by the final evaluation sheets prepared by the contest judges from each category events and the prize selection committee will make the announcements.
② Prize selection committee will be comprised of the Chairman of Organization, the Secretary-General, and the judges of each category event. The Chairman of Organization will take on the responsibility of the Chief of Prize Selection Committee.
③ A person who has won the Tournament Prize (Mayor of Seoul Prize ) once shall not win the prize in the next competition.
4. The Criteria of selecting the prize winner
① In Selection Committee selecting the finalists and the winners, the highest scoring of 100 will be used. The highest and the lowest scores will be taken out the rest of the scores will be summed and averaged to get the final score.
② If the participants are not able to continue the performance due to the malfunction of the instrument, they will be disqualified.
③ If the scores of the contestants are the same, the older aged (birthdates) will have the higher ranking.
④ The head of the judges in each category will collect all the signed scoring sheets from the judges and submit them to the Prize Selection Committee immediately after the judging is finished.
⑤ In selecting the prize winner in each category events, if the contest participants (team) consist of less than 5 people, first prize will not be given.
5. Judging Criteria
These are the evaluation criteria.
① Musicality (understanding the song, musical expression) 40%
② Playing skills (pitch, rhythm, playing, tone, rhythm) 45%
③ Difficulty of the songs 10%
④ Stage presence 5%
6. Selecting the Judges : The judges will be selected by the Chairman of Tournament, the Chairman of Organization, the Secretary-General from the list of professional musicians who understand the music of harmonica.
7. Limitation of appointing of the judges : If a judge tarnishes the reputation of the competition by causing disputes during the judging process, they cannot be reappointed.
8. Judges : Each category event judges is composed of 5 judges and one of them is the chief of the judges.
9. Prize Selection Committee
① The prize Selection Committee is comprised of Chairman of organization, the Secretary-General and judges of each category events and the Chairman of Organization will take on the responsibility of the Chairman of Prize Selection Committee.
② The Prize Selection Committee can decide not to have any winner if it is not up to the standard of the tournament.
10. Notes on judging process
Judges need to be aware of these matters for the fairness of judging process.
① The identification of the participant has to match the actual person.
② The scoring sheets must be signed.
③ The scoring sheets must be confidential.
④ All the actions (Personal conversations among the judges, showing personal relationship with participant and etc.) that can cause problems with the fairness of judging is prohibited.
11. Announcement of the Judging : Chairman of the Prize Selection Committee will publicly announce the finalists and the winners immediately after examining of the scoring sheets submitted by the judge of the category event judges and have confirmed the ranking order.
12. Prizes
Each category event prizes will be awarding as the following.
① Tournament Prize (Mayor of Seoul Prize) : The highest award of the tournament (Only award is given).
② First Prize : The highest scoring participant in each category. If the first prize winner wins the Tournament Prize (Mayor of Seoul Prize) then the second highest scorer in that category will get First Prize.
③ Second Prize : Second highest scorer in that category.
④ Third Prize : Third highest scorer in that category.
⑤ Encouragement Award : Finalists in each category.
⑥ Special Award: Participants who have touched others through special circumstances.
13. The Treatments for the winners : The winners will get the opportunity to perform in the domestic and foreign concerts hosted by Korea Harmonica Education Association and Korea Harmonica Orchestra and also the opportunity given to be associated with sister International Harmonica Associations.
14. Participant Awareness
① All the contestant participating in the events must understand the rules and regulations before entering into the contest and cannot raise any objection or protest about the outcome of the judging.
② All the contestants participating in the events must show proof of identification (Name tag given by the Organization Committee) and if the participant turns out to be a false participant, all the privilege (participation, prize) will be taken away.
③If the contestant participating in the event objects or protests for an unjust reason, that person will not be able to participate in the events for 3 years.
④ The finalists must submit 5 musical scores to the tournament headquarters and the scores will not be returned back.
⑤ After the entry form application due date is passed, no fees will be refunded. (Refundable only during the application period).