A music competition is an event in which people compete for prizes by performing music. Music competitions can be for solo performers or for small or large groups such as orchestras, bands or choirs. Some competitions are for young people who are starting to make a professional career in music. Other music competitions may be for amateurs, which means that professional musicians are not allowed to compete.
The person who decides who is the winner is called the adjudicator. Some big festivals have a team of several adjudicators who decide together on the winner.
The British and International Federation of Music Festivals organizes music competitions for amateurs in many parts of the British Isles. Children and adults can take part, competing in classes for music, speech and drama and dance. Competitions like these are often called "festivals" because the main reason for taking part is to enjoy performing rather than just to win.
There are many big international competitions for some of the most talented musicians from all over the world. Winning a big competition can help a young musician to start a successful career. Some people think it can also be a bad thing to win a big competition, especially for musicians who are still very young. It may make them a star for a short time but they still have to get better and mature as a musician and a person.
Some of the most famous international music competitions are:
In popular music one of the great European events is the Eurovision Song Contest.
