Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition

The Boston Pops and Fidelity Investments are looking for talented high school instrumentalists and vocalists (soloists and ensembles of up to five members) performing music of any genre. Up to four acts will be selected to perform live on stage with the Boston Pops at a concert in the Spring Pops season. Click the button below to be notified of the 2024 competition launch later this year.

In addition to performing live at Symphony Hall, competition winners have the opportunity to work with world-class musicians, are assigned a personal coach to help them prepare, and receive additional instruction from Maestro Keith Lockhart and special guest artists. Check this page or follow hashtags #BostonPops and #YoungArtistsCompetition on social media for updates and other announcements regarding the competition. For additional information on the competition, please contact yac@bso.org.

See the video below for a look at last year's winners, who not only got to perform with the Boston Pops but also special guest artist Guster.

All Applicants Receive:

Exposure to competition judges, made up of working artists and educators in the industry. 2023 judges included:

• Larry Goldings, Grammy-Nominated Pianist and Composer
• James Genus, Electric Bass, Saturday Night Live
• Dennis Alves, Director of Artistic Planning for the Boston Pops
• Pat Hollenbeck, President, Boston Musicians' Association
• Cynthia Meyers, Piccolo, BSO, Evelyn and C. Charles Marran Chair

Up to Twenty (20) Finalists Receive:

• Opportunity to audition live at Symphony Hall in front of guest artist judges
• Professional headshot
• Certificate of participation signed by Keith Lockhart
• An accomplishment to include in portfolio
• Commemorative t-shirt

Up to Four (4) Grand Prize Winners Receive:

• Private coaching sessions with professional musicians and artists in preparation for live performance (stage presence, how to enhance their piece to play with an orchestra, and other tips from a master in their craft)
  
• Rehearsal time with Maestro Keith Lockhart and special guest artist
• An opportunity to perform on stage with the Boston Pops
• Recognition in the concert program as a guest artist
• Video reel for portfolio
• Gift card (see official rules)
• Six (6) tickets for the live performance
• Award certificate signed by Keith Lockhart

Eligibility

• Applicants must be full-time students in good standing in grades 9-12 who attend any public, private or parochial high school, or are home school registered in the state of Massachusetts
• Entrants must be legal U.S. residents or in the process of obtaining citizenship and must be in between 13 and 19 years of age as of January 1, 2023.
• Entrants must be instrumentalists and/or vocalists performing music of any genre.

Official Media Partner: WBZ-TV

The Boston Pops is proud to have WBZ-TV, CBS Boston as the official media partner for the Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition. By following some applicants through their journey – from audition to rehearsal to the stage at Symphony Hall – WBZ showcases how aspiring musicians and artists can benefit by participating in the Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition and helps share these talented students with the wider Boston community and beyond.

Click the links below to see coverage of last year's competition.