Music Scholarships

The Illinois Symphony Guilds of Bloomington-Normal & Springfield offer annual scholarship competitions for area young musicians. Scholarship awards fund private lessons in Bloomington-Normal or private lessons, summer music camps, or youth orchestra fees in Springfield. Auditions are held annually in each community.

Learn more about the upcoming scholarship competitions in each community.

Bloomington-Normal Springfield

Bloomington-Normal

The Illinois Symphony Guild of Bloomington-Normal will hold its annual private lesson scholarship auditions from 1:00 to 5:00 PM on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington. Auditions are open to all students who live in McLean County, who are presently in grades 8-11. It is recommended, but not required, that students be members of their school orchestra or band; or play in the Bloomington-Normal Youth Symphony; or be a student of an Illinois Symphony Orchestra musician. This year we will select 15 participants based on their application information and recommendation letter from their music teacher or director.

The following private lesson scholarships will be awarded: 

Grades 8-11:  Orchestral Instruments:  Three awards
(Strings, Woodwind, Brass, Percussion, or Piano)

1st place - $1,000 The Brenda Azinger Memorial Scholarship  |  2nd place $600  |  3rd place $400

Info & Guidelines   Download Application            

Springfield

The Illinois Symphony Guild of Springfield will hold its annual Music Scholarship Auditions on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield. Auditions are open to all members of the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestras (strings, woodwind, brass, or percussion)

Students auditioning should come prepared to play one selection of their own choosing up to 5 minutes in length. Students must provide their own accompanist unless the music was originally composed as an unaccompanied piece. Students must supply two complete copies of the music for the judges, as well as accompaniment. Number the measures of your composition to assist the judges in their comments. First-place winners from last year may not compete again this year with the same instrument unless the student is moving from the Junior Division to the Senior Division. Videotapes and other electronic media will not be accepted in place of this audition. 

Students may not participate in both the Springfield and Bloomington-Normal Symphony Guilds' scholarship auditions. Contestants will be notified by email of their audition times by Thursday, March 6, 2025.

The following awards may be used either for Youth Orchestra tuition, music lessons, or summer music camps:

Senior Division:  Grades 9-12  
1st place $400  |  2nd place $350  |  3rd place $300

Junior Division:  Grades 5-8
1st place $400  |  2nd place $350  |  3rd place $300