Prepare Your Entry

The Karin Larson YourClassical Prize 2025-2026 Suggested Entry Timeline

Below is a suggested timeline for preparing your entry for the 2026 Karin Larson YourClassical Prize, including links to resources on women composers. Entries will be accepted from Feb. 1 - March 31, 2026. If you have questions about preparing your entry, please see our FAQ page or email us at karinlarsonprize@mpr.org.

October-November 2025

Confirm your eligibility, begin research, and try out pieces of music that celebrate women in classical music. 

Emerging Artist category entrants must be a nonprofessional musician age 14-18, a current high school student, and a Minnesota resident  

Preprofessional Musician category entrants must be a nonprofessional musician age 18-28, and a Minnesota resident  

Learn more about eligibility and Minnesota residency parameters in our FAQ 

To learn more about women composers and get ideas for pieces to perform, talk to your music instructors, and check out these resources: 

• 20 women composers, besides Clara Schumann, we should all know (YourClassical) 

• Female Composers: Recommended Reading & Resources (The Playful Piano) 

• From the Top: Repertoire Library  

• LibGuides: Diversify Your Repertoire: Women Composers (Boatwright Memorial Library) 

• Meet the Composer (Class Notes from YourClassical) 

• Repertoire by Women Composers (Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy) 

• Scores by Women Composers – Bibliographies (Library of Congress) 

• Virtual Concert: Featuring Women Composers (Class Notes from YourClassical) 

• Women Composers and Gender-Marginalized Composers Repertoire Database (Boulanger Initiative Database) 

• Women in Classical Music: Repertoire (University of Hartford) 

December 2025-January 2026

Make a final choice for a submission piece, think about the rationale you will share in essay form, polish the piece, and record a video of your strongest performance that is no longer than seven minutes. 

All entrants are required to submit: 

1. A link to a recently recorded video of a piece of music that celebrates women in classical music. 

   The video performance can be: 

   • up to seven minutes in length,  

   • should be a solo performance (an accompanist is permitted)   

   • should be an original video (not a video by a third party).  

   • should be a continuous single performance (no blackouts or fades or camera cuts; performer must remain on camera the whole time)   

     Please see below for more information on preparing your video submission. 

2. Two essays, up to 250 words each:  

   • Tell us why you selected your piece and how it celebrates women in classical music 

   • Share your personal story of what winning the prize would mean to you. 

February-March 2026

Gather the video, finalize your essays, and submit all materials by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The submission form will be available online starting Feb. 1, 2026. 

May-June 2026

Finalists will be shared at yourclassical.org for public voting, and the winners will be announced.