Southern California Junior Bach Festival (SCJBF) is a separate non-profit organization from MTAC.  SCJBF’s mission is to encourage the study and sharing of the music of J.S. Bach.  www.scjbf.org

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The Piano Competition, which is the largest and most competitive section of the festival has three levels, beginning at the Branch Level.

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• Branch Festivals The first level of the SCJBF piano competition is administered by MTAC branches.

  • Each MTAC Branch may participate by sponsoring a branch festival

  • Entrants must be students of an MTAC teacher in the branch

  • Branches use SCJBF rules, judges, and repertoire lists

  • Students playing non-competitive pieces from Anna Magdalena Bach Book or pieces by other Baroque composers will receive evaluations but are not eligible for Regional Festival

  • 50%, plus any additional students receiving a combined score of 270 from the judges and are performing eligible works by J.S. Bach are chosen to move up the ladder to the 2nd round – Regional Festivals

  • Trophies are awarded to each Lakewood-Cerritos Branch Winner​​

• Regional Festivals The Regional Festivals are run by SCJBF and make up the second round

  • Students must play exactly the same repertoire at the Regional Festival as they played at their Branch Festival

  • 45% of Regional participants are selected as Regional Winners and will receive Regional Medal Awards

  • Regional Winners are eligible to move up to compete in the Complete Works Auditions (CWA) if:

    •  their teacher has so designated at the time of enrollment and

    •  the student is performing eligible repertoire for the current year from the CWA List – see scjbf.org for CWA Repertoire Lists

• Complete Works Auditions (the finals) are held the following Sept/October at Cal St. Long Beach where students must perform complete sets of Bach works:

  • Repertoire must be from the Complete Works List for the current year

  • 1st, 2nd & 3rd place medals are awarded in each of the 20+ CWA categories: Preludes & Fugues, Inventions & Sinfonias, French Suites, Partitas, etc. 

  • Repertoire Examples​​

    • Students who play a WTC Prelude or an Invention for Branch, must add the partner Fugue or Sinfonia

    • If a student performs a movement from a Suite, Partita or other multi-movement work for Branch and Regional Festivals, then for Complete Works Auditions, the student must add all the remaining main movements of that same work.

  • CWA Winners will receive CWA Medals awarded at the Complete Works Awards Concert later in October at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, CA.  1st Place medlists are invited to perform.

 

There are 3 judges at every level.  SCJBF is highly competitive – even at Branch Level.

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Strings, Winds and Voice Festivals begin at the Regional Level, so there is no Branch competition for those instruments. See special instructions on www.scjbf.org website.