Home Open Junior/Inter Adjudicators Organs Past Results

S Y D N E Y   OR G A N   C O M P E T I T I O N

 

Conditions of Entry - Junior/Intermediate

General Information

The Competition is administered by the Committee of the Organ Music Society of Sydney Incorporated.  The Committee reserves the right to amend the Conditions of Entry as it deems necessary.

The order of performance will be decided by the Committee.

In a contestant programme's "two contrasting pieces", a piece may include a few movements from the same work, eg., Bach's Prelude and Fugue from the same BWV work is accepted as a Baroque "piece" etc.

Copies of all music must be made available to the Committee at the time of the warm-up, but no later than thirty minutes prior to the commencement of the competition.  Responsibility for obtaining the necessary permission to copy music rests with the competitor. Competitors are to collect their copies after the competition.

Public Domain music copies may be used by adjudicators in electronic form.

A competitor may not enter if they have been a student of the adjudicator of the section they are entering since 1st January 2026.

Any malfunction of the competition organ believed by the competitor to occur during the Competition must be reported at that time to the Committee.

The Committee on the advice of the adjudicator reserves the right not to award any or all prizes.

The decision of the adjudicator is final.

The use of cameras, mobile phones, video cameras or any other audio/video recording devices during the competition is prohibited due to copyright and privacy regulations. This incorporates WWC guidelines.

The competitor gives permission for OMSS to use photographs and recordings for Society promotion including Sydney Organ Journal articles.  If the entrant does NOT agree, it is the entrant’s responsibility to notify OMSS in writing with their application.

Any instructions given by the Committee must be strictly observed.

Rehearsal and warm-ups

Junior: One hour and a warm-up time of 10 minutes (unless specified different)

Intermediate: Two hours and a warm-up time of 15 minutes.

Generally, rehearsals are organised through competitors’ teachers, as teachers with more than one competitor usually prefer to have competitors scheduled together.  It is the competitor and teacher’s responsibility to ensure that the time allocated for rehearsal is not exceeded.  In the case of competitors having no teacher present, the Committee will allocate a person to be present.

In the weeks that rehearsals are scheduled, competitors may not rehearse on the organ at any other than their allocated time.  Under no circumstances should a competitor during or before this period contact the school or church authorities in order to gain access to the organ.  The only exception is if a competitor already practises on the organ. Competitors are requested to bring this situation to the attention of the Committee on entry to the Competition.

Console Assistant

It is the responsibility of the competitor to organise a console assistant if required and to rehearse with them. The teacher of the competitor cannot be a console assistant for this competitor under any circumstances. Adjudicators do not take any assistance into account when determining prizes in the Junior Section.

 In this year’s Junior section a competitor is allowed to have two console assistants.

 

In the Intermediate Section, while it is accepted international practice to use a console assistant, the adjudicators will assess the extent to which excessive assistance has advantaged the competitor over other performers.  

Only overseas competitors can request a console assistant to be arranged by the Committee via the Application Entry Form.

Overtime disqualification

A competitor whose performance exceeds the time limit will be disqualified. The competitor will not be eligible for any prizes and will only receive the adjudicator’s report.  

 

Competitors need to check their playing time more than once to exclude the possibility of exceeding the playing time limit.  In past years, the Committee has had to make difficult decisions knowing how much effort has gone into preparation and with the knowledge of how distressing it can be for the competitor who might otherwise have received a prize.    

Payment of Prizes

Prize winners will be asked to provide their banking details so that their prize money can be transferred into their account. Payment will only be made by a bank direct deposit.

 

Entry Fees

Junior: $40

Intermediate: $60

 

How to Apply

 

1. Complete the Application Form

2. Pay the Entry Fee via Trybooking or a bank transfer:

Westpac

BSB: 032-086

Account No: 373962

Account Name: The Organ Music Society of Sydney Inc

Payment Reference: “<Int/Jun -<your name>”

 

Please note this fee is in AUD and is only refundable if the number of entries are less than three entries in the corresponding section after the entry closing date.

In Intermediate section, if the number of contestants exceeds six applicants then a selection process will be applied prior the Competition day. The selection process - TBA.  

Please submit your entry and payment no later than 28 August 2026.

By making a payment, the Committee understands that you have agreed to abide by the Conditions of Entry as detailed herewith.

Thank you for entering, and we wish you all the very best with the competition!