Concerts in America
International Concert Artist Competition
Sponsored by Augustine Strings
Submit Entry Fee
Part of the Concerts in America Guitar Festival (Sponsored by Augustine Strings)
• June 12–14, 2026 • Town Hall Seattle
About the Competition
The Concerts in America International Concert Artist Competition is a new international classical guitar competition established to discover and support the next generation of world-class artists. Presented as part of the Concerts in America Guitar Festival (Sponsored by Augustine Strings) in Seattle, the event will be held at Town Hall Seattle from June 12–14, 2026.
The competition offers one of the most significant prizes in the guitar world: an 80-concert World Tour across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia — a career-defining opportunity made possible through Michael MacManus’s global network of presenting companies.
Full details on prizes, repertoire, and entry requirements are provided in the official 2026 Competition Guide. Click HERE to download.
Competition Prizes
Designed to provide real, sustained touring opportunities- Australian & UK Tour
-
Produced by Concerts in America:
Augustine Strings World Tour 80 Concerts across USA, Canada, UK, and Australia. - Domenic Roscioli Lattice Guitar Handcrafted concert guitar valued at $10,000 USD.
- Professional Album Recording At Lorenzo Micheli’s new studio in Italy ($5,000 Value). Plus travel and accommodation!
- Video Recording At Guitar Salon International (GSI).
- Australian Tour
Please check back regularly, as we will be continually adding to the prize list over time.
All 12 semi-finalists will receive a $500 USD grant to assist with travel and accommodation costs.
Registration
2026 Competition Entry Fee
Non-refundable entry fee.
Submit Entry FeeOnce your payment is complete, please follow the instructions below to submit your repertoire and materials.
Process & Rules
Important instructions for all competitorsENTRIES CLOSE: February 15, 2026 (11:59 PM US/Pacific GMT -0800)
HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY
Once payment is complete, please email competition@concertsinamerica.com with ONE email containing the following 4 items:- 1. Order Number Quote the Order Number from your ticket purchase receipt.
- 2. Video Link (YouTube) Public or Unlisted link of your entry performance. Requirement: Live, single-camera, unedited. An A4 sheet must be visible stating "2026 Concerts in America International Concert Artist Competition: Sponsored by Augustine Strings" (on a stand beside you is fine).
- 3. Sheet Music Include a Google Drive link containing the sheet music for your entry. Ensure the link settings are set to 'Anyone with the link can view'.
- 4. Preliminary Round Repertoire List List your program pieces in the body of the email. (You only need to submit repertoire for the Preliminary Round at this stage).
No pieces are allowed to be repeated in different rounds. Each round requires new repertoire.
Memorisation is encouraged but not required. Judges may stop performance if time limit exceeds.
- Free-choice repertoire
- Up to 2 pieces (single or multi-movement)
- Max duration: 10 minutes
Semi-finalists notified by March 1, 2026.
- 12 Competitors Selected
- Required Piece: Scherzo-Vals by Miguel Llobet
- Plus free choice (1 piece, max 10 mins)
- 4 Competitors Selected
- Free-choice repertoire
- Max duration: 20 minutes
- Ticketed Public Concert
Judging Criteria (Scored out of 10)
1st Prize Instrument Feature
Lattice-Braced Concert Guitar by Domenic Roscioli ($10,000 USD)
Master Mentorship meets Modern Innovation
Domenic Roscioli has been building classical guitars in Adelaide since 2001. Mentored by renowned luthier Jim Redgate, Domenic has refined the principles of lattice-braced construction to create instruments of extraordinary power and nuance.
"What struck me most was the sustain and richness of tone: a remarkable balance of projection, power, and color. It is the ideal instrument for the modern concert performer."
— Michael MacManus
The Jury
A distinguished panel of international artists and educatorsAbout the Founder
Michael MacManus — Festival Director
Michael MacManus is the CEO and founder of Concerts in America LLC, and the driving force behind a network of concert production companies that collectively present over 400 live performances each year across the United States, Canada, South Korea, United Kingdom, and Australia.
Originally trained as a classical guitarist (University of Melbourne), Michael began the initiative that grew into the Melbourne Guitar Festival. Over the past decade, his infrastructure has grown to manage major tours for today's leading artists.
This infrastructure uniquely enables him to deliver the Augustine Strings 80-concert World Tour prize through his own concert series network.
Sponsors & Partners
Interested in sponsorship? Write to sponsorship@concertsinamerica.com
Produced by Concerts in America LLC
Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved.