2025 MAPAA Youth Piano Competition

Apply to the 2025 MAPAA Youth Piano Competition today!

Guidelines and Application below


2025 MAPAA Youth Piano Competition Guidelines

Application Deadline: January 17, 2025 – submit recordings for prescreening to mapaacomp@gmail.com.

Finalists Announced: February 1, 2025
Competition: February 15, 2025
Location: St. Lawrence Catholic Center – 1631 Cresent Rd, Lawrence KS, 66044.

2025 Competition Rules:

  1. Application: Application forms and prescreening recordings must be submitted through the MAPAA website. A non-refundable Application Fee of $100 must be paid to MAPAA in order to complete each application.

  2. Eligibility: The MAPAA Youth Piano Competition is open to all Kansas and Missouri high school piano students. All students have to be currently be enrolled in school (home-schooled students accepted.)

  3. Repertoire: All competition repertoire must be an unaccompanied solo work. (Concerti mov. are NOT acceptable). If an applicant is unsure about a repertoire selection please send inquiries to mapaacomp@gmail.com. The work/movement should not exceed 15 minutes in length.

  4. Prescreening Recording: Each competitor is asked to record their selected repertoire (video only) and send a YouTube link (or similar platform) to mapaacomp@gmail.com no later than 5pm on January 17th, 2025. The recording submitted for prescreening should be the same piece performed during the in-person competition.

  5. Competition: Prescreening recordings will be judged between January 18th-31st. Finalists will be announced on February 1st. Both the MAPAA Executive & Artistic Director will select up to 12 competitors from prescreening, who will be invited to compete in-person in the finals on February 15th.

    Finalists: Each invited competitor will receive an audition time detailed in the Finalist’s announcement. Each contestant is to provide the judges with 2 copies of the performed work (photocopies are sufficient). Jury members may stop and restart a contestant throughout his/her competition time. The winners will be announced immediately following the competition.

  6. Jury: Yi-Yang Chen, KU Piano Professor & Doris Mattingly, Mattingly Studio Founder.

  7. Prizes:
    First Prize: $1000
    Second Prize: $750
    Third Prize: $500
    There will be two honorable mention awards made in the amount of $250 each.

In addition to cash prizes, the winners will all be featured on the 2025 MAPAA Youth Competition Winner’s Concert - March 21 (St. Lawrence Catholic Center) & March 22 (Pine Ridge Presbyterian).

Application Form

Finalist announcements will be made via email and through the
MAPAA Youth Competition Webpage.

Completed Applications must be accompanied by a $100 non-refundable application fee filed through MAPAA using the form below. Please add the student’s name in the “Add a message” field.


Congratulations to the
2024 MAPAA Collegiate Winds & Brass Competition Winners!

Jonathon Nickell, Saxophone (UMKC)
$1000 - First Prize
The Dave & Gunda Hiebert Award

Dawson Coleman, Saxophone (UMKC)
$750 - Second Prize
The Dave & Gunda Hiebert Award

Alex Brady, Flute (KU)
$500 - Third Prize
The Dave & Gunda Hiebert Award

Logan Bach, Bassoon (KU)
$250 - Honorable Mention
The Gary & Levenna Boyer Award

Joe Morroine, French Horn (UMKC)
$250 - Honorable Mention
The David & Linda Mannering Award


Congratulations to the
2023 MAPAA Youth String Competition Winners!

Aaron Tseng, Violin (KC)
$1000 - First Prize
The Dave & Gunda Hiebert Award

Luke Probus, Cello (KC)
$750 - Second Prize
The Dave & Gunda Hiebert Award

Andrew Anderson, Cello (Topeka)
$500 - Third Prize
The Dave & Gunda Hiebert Award

Laura Ward, Violin (Wichita)
$250 - Honorable Mention
The Gary & Levenna Boyer Award

Andrew Gafrick, Double Bass (KC)
$250 - Honorable Mention
The David & Linda Mannering Award