Eligibility
- Open to string musicians of all ages and nationalities
- No age categories or restrictions
- Solo repertoire, orchestral excerpts, or scales for your instrument
- No improvisations or personal compositions
Perfect for Audition & Prescreening Prep
The Achievement Festival isn’t only about performance growth — it’s also a powerful way to prepare for high-stakes auditions and prescreening submissions. With two rounds and personalized video feedback, participants can refine their materials and present their strongest work for:
- All-State, All-Region and orchestra auditions
- University and conservatory admissions (pre-college and degree programs)
- Prescreening recordings for schools, competitions, and festivals
- Summer institutes, workshops, and camp applications
- Orchestral placement auditions
Because the Festival emphasizes improvement, it’s the perfect space to polish recordings before sending them out for auditions or prescreenings that matter most.
How it works
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1
Apply
Complete the written application and pay the $60 fee. Upload Round 1 recordings now or later.
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2
Round 1: Submit
Upload up to 10 total minutes of solo repertoire, orchestral excerpts, and/or technical work (e.g. scales, arpeggios). No improvisations or personal compositions. Accompaniment optional.
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3
Video feedback
Your recordings go to a Radda Reviewer who provides personalized video comments with clear practice priorities.
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4
Six weeks to improve
You have 6 weeks from feedback to practice and re-record for the evaluation round.
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5
Round 2: Re-submit
The same Reviewer gives an official evaluation that weighs both overall final performance and measurable improvement.
Repertoire & Time Limit
- Submit either:
- Solo repertoire (one piece or multiple works)
- or Audition materials (scales, solo work, orchestral excerpts)
- Total time ≤ 10 minutes across all recordings
- Memorization not required
Evaluation scale and recognition
Superior+
Outstanding artistry with exceptional growth across tone, intonation, rhythm, and musical detail.
Superior
Strong performance with clear improvement and consistent control of fundamentals.
Excellent
Solid performance with notable progress, promising foundation, and musical awareness.
Good
A developing performance that demonstrates clear effort, emerging skills, and growing confidence.
Participants who receive Superior or Superior+ receive a custom Radda award, a certificate, and recognition on our website. Others receive certificates of participation. Participants outside the United States will be subject to an additional shipping fee for the award.