Applications will open March 1, 2026
Grand Prize: $10,000 with performing opportunities
Second Place Prize: $2,500
Requirements
All candidates must be at least 16 years old and not more than 30 years old on June 14, 2026.
All candidates must have a valid visa that will permit them to participate in the competition by June 14, 2026. (See more details below.)
All applications must be made using the form available on the Barbash Bach Competition website. No other method of submission will be accepted.
A $50 non-refundable submission fee is due at the time of submission. Applications without payment will not be reviewed.
The application forms, including all requested documents, videos/links, and payment must be submitted by midnight Eastern Daylight Time, Sunday, June 14, 2026.
Initial Screening Round:
Performances submitted for consideration must be videotaped with a single stationary camera in a single take for each movement. Editing of the tape is not permitted. The musician’s entire upper body and instrument must be visible in the video at all times. The performance must be videotaped within one year of the submission date. Applicants may submit separate links for each movement.
All applicants must perform music from memory. Selected movements must be performed with ALL REPEATS. There are no exceptions to this requirement.
Violinists must perform two contrasting movements of any work composed by J.S. Bach for unaccompanied string instrument. (Partitas, Sonatas)
Violists, cellists, and bass players must perform a prelude and two dance movements from any Suite. (For violists who choose to perform movements from a Partita or Sonata, see requirements for violinists.)
Applicants will be sent an email confirming the formal acceptance of their application.
Finalists and alternates will be announced on July 30, 2026. (There is no semi-final round.)
Applicants selected as finalists or alternates must confirm that they will participate by 5:00 pm EDT on Monday, August 3, 2026.
Participating Finalists will be required to provide:
Brief bio in English (200-250 words)
Hi-resolution head shot (300 dpi)
Website address
Signed Photo/Video Consent
Signed Acknowledgement Agreement which specifies that the Lillian and Maurice Barbash Bach Competition will be mentioned in your official bio should you be selected as the Grand-Prize Winner.
Confirmation that, if you are selected as the Grand Prize Winner, you will perform at the Island Symphony Bach Festival on January 23, 2028 (Snow Date: January 30, 2028.)
The Finals:
The 2026 Finals will be held at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center Recital Hall at 1:00 pm EDT on Thursday, October 15, 2026, and will be live-streamed by The Violin Channel.
Finalists must arrive in Stony Brook on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. The Competition will provide accommodations at the Stony Brook Hilton Garden Inn, which is located within walking distance of the performance venue. The Competition does not offer any travel stipend.
Finalists will perform any eligible work, with all repeats, in its entirety, from memory. The work performed at the Finals does not have to be the same work performed for the application. However, the finalist must advise the Competition Coordinator what piece they will be performing within 7 days of being notified that they have been selected as a finalist.
Adjudication:
The decision of the jury is final and is not subject to any appeal. The Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition reserves the right to make any changes in the rules, schedule or other information related to the competition. Applicants will be advised of any such changes. All prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the jury. The jury reserves the right to not award any of the prizes; or to offer a shared prize (ex aqueo) splitting an award or prize between several deserving contestants. Decisions of the jury are FINAL and are not subject to review.
Visa Requirements:
Non-U.S. Citizen or Green Card holding competitors are required to have valid visas when they apply.
Please note: Prospective competitors without visas should understand that applying for a U.S. visa is now timely and complicated. The situation is dynamic, changing frequently without warning. In the past, competitors typically used the B-1 (business visitor) or B-2 (tourist) visas often combined as a B-1/B-2. Should you want to try to obtain a visa in time to apply, please contact us directly to request an official invitation letter from the Lillian and Maurice Barbash J.S. Bach Competition, which is crucial for the visa application. International competitors are responsible for securing and paying for their visas.
The winner will be required to apply for and receive a “P” Visa at their own expense in order to perform their prize engagements.