KEY Contest
2025 KEY Competition Guidelines
Date: November 22, 2025
Entry Deadline: October 22 or delivered to October 25 Halloween Recital
Time: Morning concurrent categories, Honors Recital at 6pm
Location: Krannert Hall, University of Evansville
Categories: Piano Solo and Piano Duet
Entry Fee: $20 per Solo / $20 per Duet team
Mail Entries: Diane Shinn, 5600 Ironwood Dr, Newburgh, IN 47630Download Entry Forms and Repertoire List Here
Eligibility: Students of current GEMTA members are eligible to enter. You can become a member of GEMTA for a fee of only $25. You can also become a member of the local, state, and national organization for their respective fees. There will be no additional teacher or student fees when you are a member of GEMTA.
In order for the contest to run smoothly, it is mandatory for each teacher entering students in the KEY contest to be present the day of the contest. Exceptions may be made for illness and personal family emergency. Approval is to be granted for exceptions by contacting the contest chairman prior to the contest. If a teacher fails to comply, students of that teacher will be ineligible for a trophy that contest year. They will still be allowed to play and will receive a score sheet and medal or ribbon.
Awards: Each entrant will be awarded a Gold Medal (95-100 points), Silver Medal (87-94), Bronze Medal (75-86), or White Ribbon (0-74) for each Solo or Duet event entered. In the Piano Solo and Piano Duet categories judges will select a minimum of one entrant with the highest gold-medal score to receive a trophy and to play in an Honors Recital to be held following the Competition. The number of trophy winners will increase at 10 entries (2 trophies), 15 entries (3), etc.
Piano Solo: Two memorized pieces by different composers, exhibiting a variety of contrasting musical techniques. Only original piano music is permissible. Downloaded sheet music is allowed with proper copyright information. No arrangements, transcriptions, hymns, folk songs, or pop tunes are allowed. Students will enter the category represented by level of difficulty: Early Elementary, Elementary, Late Elementary, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Late Intermediate, Advanced. Entry Level and advancement is left to the discretion of the teacher. One piece must be chosen from the Piano Literature List; the second piece may or may not be from this list. (Please contact the KEY Chairman for questions regarding music selection and qualification.) Both pieces should represent the same level of musicianship. Pieces must be at least 12 measures in length. Choose only one movement from a multi-movement piece.
Students will play solos from memory and present the original music to the judge, with measures numbered. Photocopies are not allowed unless accompanied by written permission from the publisher stating that the selection is out of print. Teachers are cautioned to seek this permission well in advance of contest day. If the student does not have original music or publisher permission for a photocopy, they will receive comments, but will not be awarded a medal or trophy. No changes in music selections will be made on contest day.
Piano Duet: Two pieces by different composers/arrangers, exhibiting a variety of musical techniques. Both pieces should be the same level of musicianship. Students will enter the category by age: Group 1 (10 years & under), Group 2 (ages 11-13), Group 3 (14 years & up). The group is determined by the age of the older student in the duet team.
Memorization is NOT required for duets. Students should perform from one original copy of music and give another original copy to the judge with measures numbered. Exception—siblings from the same household will be allowed to play from a photocopy of the music and give the original music to the judge. Copies should be destroyed after the contest. Downloaded sheet music is allowed with proper copyright information. Original music must be used in the Honors Recital. Unrelated ensemble teams will need two original copies of the music. Violations of this rule will prevent the duet team from receiving a medal or trophy.
Additional Guidelines:
Entry Levels: A student who has entered the KEY contest at a specific level in any previous KEY competition and received a Gold medal that year is required to remain in that level or advance forward. Please choose repertoire accordingly and check your students’ records of past leveling decisions (especially if a transfer student is involved). The Repertoire Committee will check records for accuracy when entries are submitted.
Entry Accuracy/Changes: To ensure that the pieces being played on contest day are, indeed, the pieces listed on the student’s entry form, it will be the Judge’s Assistant’s responsibility to check score specifics (i.e. Opus #s, etc.) as the students present. If the piece being played is NOT what is listed, then there must be a consequence, as this could potentially give that student an unfair advantage over others. An immediate “Not eligible for trophy” will be applied to this entry. If this occurs on KEY Contest day, please go to the TAB Room immediately and inform the contest Chairman.
GEMTA 