Rules of the Competition
- The competition is open to children aged 13 years and younger at the start of the competition, 22 September, 2026
- The compilation of the programme is subject to approval by the competition committee. Candidates who are multi-instrumentalists will only be permitted to participate in one category per year & are thus encouraged to alternate between instruments in successive years.
- Previous winners are not permitted to participate in the same instrument category in subsequent years.
- Finalists of the 2025 competition automatically qualify for a spot in the 2026 Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition, and therefore need not submit an audition tape.
- The jury's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcomes of the competition. It is also at the jury's discretion not to award prizes where they feel the performance criteria is lacking.
*Unfortunately it is beyond the scope of the competition to provide accommodation & travel for participants at this time. Please note that all entry fees are non-refundable.
For any further enquiries, please contact:
SASMT Chairperson Ms. Hilda Boonzaaier at 082 650 3448 between 20:00 - 21:00
Auditions
Participation in the Hubert van der Spuy National Music Competition is subject to an audition.
What to do next:
- Record your audition tape in a single, uninterrupted take without pausing the camera. A video quality of 720px is optimal. The candidate’s face and hands should be visible throughout the recording, ideally pianists’ feet should be visible too. Remember to submit a program of no more than 10 minutes long, containing at least two contrasting styles of music. Please do not edit your audition tape in any way, failure to do so may result in disqualification.
- Upload your audition recording to your private YouTube Channel, make the video shareable with us by using our tygerbergbranch@gmail.com email as contact. You will also need to copy the shareable link into our online entry form.
- No Sheet music is required at this stage
- Please be sure to name your entry on the form as Surname_name
- Transfer your entry fee of R250.00 to sasmt Tygerberg ABSA branch code: 502110 Cheque account no. 1137500210, using the candidate’s name & surname as reference.
- Lastly, please complete our online entry form, upload your proof of payment & private YouTube link to your audition recording.
- The closing date for submissions is 5 May 2026.
The outcomes of the audition round will be announced no later than 6 June 2026. The competition takes place in Stellenbosch from
22 - 26 September 2026: Konservatorium University of Stellenbosch
Prizes for participants
- Johanna van der Spuy First prize: A gold medal and R20 000
- Second prize: A silver medal and R15 000
- Third prize: A bronze medal and R10 000
- Best performance of a South African composition: R4 000
- Category prizes: R4 000 for each category (Piano, Strings, Woodwinds, Brass and Other instruments)
- Best performance of a Baroque work in the first round: R3 000
- Best performance of a Classical work in the second round: R3 000
- Best performance of a Romantic work in the third round: R3 000
- Best candidate of 10 years and younger: R6 000
- Best performance of a Baroque work in the first round 10 years and younger: R2 000
- Best performance of a Classical work in the second round 10 years and younger: R2 000
- All participants in the third round: R1 200
- All participants in the final round: R1 500
- *Tygerberg prize: R1 500
Prizes for teachers
- First-prize winner’s music teacher: R4 000
- Second-prize winner’s music teacher: R3 000
- Third-prize winner’s music teacher: R2 000
- *Tygerberg prize winner’s teacher: R1 500
- *For teachers who are members of the SASMT Tygerberg branch and their students
