4th Bi-Annual Competition 2023
Updated 10 February 2023
AT A GLANCE:
· Event begins with check-in Thursday evening April 20, 2023
· Awards announced the evening of Saturday April 22, 2023
· The event will take place at Wildacres Retreat, Little Switzerland, NC
· INSTRUMENTS may be entered by anyone – this is an International competition.
· All participants must pay both an application fee of $100 per instrument, and a $100 for two year membership fee (unless you paid in 2022, in which case i would be waived).
· Instruments must be less than 2 years old as of April 20.
· Applications for those bringing their instruments in person, must be handed over to the committee not later than Thursday 4pm, April 20. Drop point will be at the venue.
· Instruments being shipped must submit application and fees by April 14, 2023-and the instrument received by the committee by April 18. For domestic shipping (we will designate at a future date). For international shipping, please contact Pablo Alfaro, Association President, at 1260 Blackstone Dr., Decatur, GA 30033, phone 770-496-1405 or alfaroviolins@yahoo.es.
RULES
COMPETITION OBJECTIVE —The Competition’s objective is to inspire the creation of outstanding, artistic, concert-quality violins. Those judging are instructed to identify those violins having the greatest artistic merit, technical execution, tone quality, and ease of playing.
COMMENTS:
All entry forms and fees must be received by the SVA on or before 14 April, 2023. The entry fee covers SVA Maker’s Competition only as there will be no other events scheduled. Earlier deadlines may apply to those shipping their instruments to the event.
To enter the 2023 SVA Maker’s Competition, complete the entry form included with these rules and guidelines. Questions? Contact the Southern Violin Association’s 2023 Competition Coordinator, David Chandler, 828-675-0449 or email davidwchandler@outlook.com. All competitors must be members of the Southern Violin Association (your application for the competition should include this years fees)
Membership is open to anyone, applications can be obtained at www.southernviolinassociation.com, and the current two-year yearly membership fee for is $100.00 US. (2.5) Refunds of competition fees will not be made after April 6, 2023 as those funds will be fully committed to hosting the event. (2.6) The membership fee is separate from the competition fee and is not refundable.
Rules and judging procedures for the SVA Maker’s Competition have been designed to insure fairness to all competitors.
RULES COMMITTEE (7.1) The responsibility for interpretation of Competition rules, the settling of disputes and dealing with questions arising during the Competition lies with the SVA rules committee.
RULES INFRACTIONS (8.1) Infractions of rules will be determined by the rules committee after consultation with the appropriate judges. Instruments which do not comply with Competition rules will be disqualified. All entry fees for disqualified items will be forfeited.
Any maker who is caught attempting to commit fraud in the Competition by submitting the work of others in his/ her name will be disqualified from the Competition and may be banned from all future SVA Competitions.
RESTRICTIONS ON MATERIALS Under the Endangered Species Act, under States Customs does not permit the importation of elephant ivory, tortoiseshell or whalebone. Items made from these banned materials that cross United States borders may be confiscated by United States Customs.
GENERAL RULES (Changes from past competition will be highlighted in this manner).
Instruments submitted for Competition must have been completed not more than 24 months before the competition start date - (2 years old).
For 2023 - A limit of 4 instruments total may be submitted.
Instruments may not be entered if they have already received medal awards in other Competitions (such as 1st, second, silver or gold medal). Instruments may be entered if they have won certificates in other Competitions (such as certificates for tone or workmanship).
The decision of the judges is final.
Status Hors Concours - Individuals that have won first place awards in both workmanship and tone in either violin or viola categories in past SVA events are ineligible to enter instruments in that category.
No workmanship or tone judge may have seen, heard, or played on any instrument entered in the Competition prior to the date of the Competition.
Competition Committee (including volunteers) and board members may enter instruments in the Competition - but must not have any direct and singular contact with the judges once competition is underway.
Competitors are responsible for insuring their own instruments.
The Southern Violin Association will take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of instruments entered into the competition and exhibition. However, the SVA is not responsible for any loss, damage or destruction to any instrument during the competition (including the period during which instruments are stored before and/or after the competition).
Contestants are financially responsible for the transportation of their instrument both to and from the competition site.
By entering this competition the maker agrees to have their instrument photographed by the SVA, and to have the photographs used by the SVA for publication or any other purpose, without prior permission of the maker.
AFFIDAVIT OF AUTHENTICITY
All makers entering the Competition must sign an affidavit on the entry form indicating that the instrument has been made entirely by their own hands.
Fittings such as pegs, tailpieces and chinrests on the instrument may be commercially produced.
Makers are not permitted to sub-contract work on instruments submitted.
Factory produced or mass produced or instruments made using the skills and labor of more than the single/sole/one individual maker are not eligible for the competition.
ANONYMITY RULE. In an effort to insure impartiality, the identity of the makers of the instruments is withheld from the judges during the Competition.
Participants will at no time during the event discuss their instrument in any way with judges. Any violation of these rules will lead to disqualification. Competitor lists will not be available until the completion of the judging.
Instruments must be made of predominately wood material. Fiberglass, carbon fiber, Kevlar, epoxy and other such materials may be used, but very sparingly.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES:
COVER OWNERSHIP MARKINGS — To prevent the judges from identifying the maker by looking at the instrument’s label, brand, or stamped mark, it is the responsibility of the contestant to make sure that all such labels, brands, or stamped marks are covered or otherwise concealed at the time of entry. Even so, all instruments must have a label, brand, or stamped mark. This is so that the maker may be positively identified, if necessary, at the conclusion of the Competition after the judging has taken place. Once the instruments have been entered into the contest, each is given a randomly assigned secret number known only to the Competition Facilitator. At the conclusion of the Competition, we want to be able to examine the hidden maker’s label, brand, or stamp to insure that the instrument is returned to its rightful owner.
Competition entry forms are available from the Southern Violins Association via its website at: www.SouthernViolinAssociation.com.
Unaccompanied entry
IF submitting an entry, all applications and fees must be on hand with the committee not later than April 16.
Entries must arrive at the designated judging facility by 4pm Thursday, April 20, 2023
Shipping information will be provided as we draw nearer the competition and participants not transporting their own instruments will be advised well in advance on procedures.
If transporting entry yourself
You must arrive at the designated judging facility by 4pm Thursday.
All entry fees and registration forms (NOT INSTRUMENTS!) must arrive to the SVA Competition Coordinator, David Chandler, at 3736 Copper Court, High Point, NC 27265, or via email at davidwchandler@outlook.com with payment via paypal, zell, check, or credit card.
FEES - Competition entry fees will be $100.00 per instrument (4.5) An SVA receipt will be issued to the maker or the maker’s single representative of each instrument at the time it is delivered to the Competition Committee. When the competition is over, this receipt must be presented to the SVA check-out personnel on order to obtain redelivery of the instrument. It is very important that every maker obtain this receipt and keep it safe until the competition is over.
INSTRUMENT SETUP
Prior to the announced time of the beginning of official judging, proper setup of instruments must be verified by the maker or his representative, or by the official SVA representative, according to instructions provided by the maker. Once judging begins, access to instruments will not be permitted until the completion of the competition.
The SVA will designate a qualified luthier to handle small simple repairs and adjustments should the need arise. This will include replacing broken strings and closing open seams between the ribs and plates. A luthier designated by the SVA will close any such open seams with very dilute hide glue to enable the instrument to participate in the tone competition. The judges will be informed of the repair and shown its location on the instrument. Once the instrument is returned to the competitor, he/she may easily reopen the seam and repair it to his/her satisfaction.
Luthiers who would prefer that no one repair his/her instrument in the event of a more extensive problem should mark “NO” in the box on the front page of the registration form and initial. Hence, any instrument which required extensive repairs will be removed from the Competition and the Competition fee will be refunded. If a problem occurs during the judging phase of the Competition, the SVA cannot contact the competitor because this would necessitate a breach of security concerning anonymity.
INSTRUMENT WORKMANSHIP JUDGING
Instrument workmanship evaluation will be divided into six categories, totaling 100 points.. The point/scoring system is for both the maker’s and judges’ consideration for this competition. Judges will be strongly encouraged to write comments for the maker’s benefit.
1. Setup --- 15 points --- Includes bridge, post, pegs, tailpiece, fingerboard, nut, saddle, and endpin.
2. Varnish --- 10 points ---Includes color, transparency, evenness of application, ground and texture.
3. Modeling --- 10 points --- Includes arching, surface texture, f-holes, including positioning and shape relative to arching.
4. Scroll --- 10 points --- Includes model, flowing lines, pegbox, finish work, and overall character.
5. Construction --- 20 points --- Includes outline, glue joints, bending and fitting of ribs and purfling, execution of neck, edges, corners, f-holes, scroll, and finish work.
6. Overall Impression --- 35 points --- Includes originality, choice of materials, elegance and overall consistency of style, and artistry.
Score cards will be available to the owner of the instruments.
TONE JUDGING
Tone judges will work together to determine which instruments will receive tone awards. As this is highly subjective, more or less “pass/fail”, there are no set standards. In the past, the procedure included several rounds of elimination until they had five finalists, and then as a committee they performed a final round to determine which would be first, second, etc.
NOVICE MAKER’S HONORABLE MENTION
For a violin to receive Novice Maker’s Honorable Mention, the maker must have completed no more than 10 instruments at the time of the competition. At the completion of the workmanship and tone judging, those instruments made by a novice maker will be pointed out and shown to the judges again for consideration of a NOVICE Maker’s Honorable Mention award. At the judges’ discretion, either the Workmanship or Tone judges or both sets of judges may award an Honorable Mention to an instrument. A violin may also qualify for any other award as well as this one. At the judges’ discretion, no instruments may receive this award or multiple instruments may receive this award if quality of workmanship dictates such a decision.
SOUTHERN MAKER AWARD
For a violin to receive the Southern Maker award, the maker must be residing and working in one of the following states at the time of the competition: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., or West Virginia. At the completion of the workmanship and tone judging, those instrument made by a makers from southern states will be pointed out and shown to the judges again for consideration of a Southern Maker award. At the judges’ discretion, either the Workmanship or Tone judges or both sets of judges may award a Southern Maker award to an instrument. A violin may also qualify for any other award as well as this one. At the judges’ discretion, no instruments, or multiple instruments may receive this award.
prizes:
SVA “BEST OF SHOW” AWARD
First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize medals will be awarded in workmanship, and in tone in all categories of instruments These terms may be changed to “Gold, Silver, Bronze” if the judges determine that the level of workmanship is competitive with other international competitions.
NOTICE:
These rules are subject to change over the course of the coming months as we work our way towards the competition. Check our website from time to time, and any changes in rules will be highlighted. Once you have entered the competition, you will be advised if there is a rule change.
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