Competition Rules

1. Purpose and scope

1. The Young Percussionist Competition is organised by Aker Sanat Music and Arts Academy within the 2nd Istanbul International Percussion Meetings to bring percussionists aged 7–25 to the stage, make young talent visible and encourage percussion education.
2. The competition has two rounds: video pre-selection and a live final on the CKM Main Stage on festival day.
3. These rules cover every stage of the competition; by applying, entrants confirm they have read and accepted them.

2. Categories

Category	Ages	Finalists	Final duration
A	7–9	3	up to 3 min
B	10–12	3	up to 3 min
C	13–15	3	up to 4 min
D	16–18	3	up to 5 min
E	19–25	3	up to 5 min

4. Age is calculated as of festival day. ID or passport details are declared on the application; finalists are asked for a document.
5. An entrant competes in one category only, with one piece.

3. Eligibility

6. The competition is open to everyone regardless of nationality or country of residence. Entrants under 18 need parental consent.
7. All percussion instruments are accepted: drum set, snare drum, marimba, vibraphone, timpani, darbuka, frame drum, cajón, congas, bongos, multi-percussion set-ups and similar.
8. Repertoire is free: a piece, a movement of a piece or an original work. Accompaniment (backing track or live accompanist) is allowed; the accompanist is not assessed.
9. Students of jury members may enter; the jury member concerned does not vote in that category (see rule 20).
10. A previous category winner of the Meetings may not compete again in the same category; they may compete after moving up a category.

4. Application

11. Applications are taken through the form on the festival website between 3 November and 20 December 2026. The form closes at 23:59 Türkiye time on the final day.
12. Pre-selection entry is free of charge.
13. The form asks for full name, date of birth, contact details, instrument, title and composer of the piece, teacher/institution (if any) and the video link.
14. Incomplete or late applications are not assessed. A confirmation e-mail is sent on receipt.

5. Pre-selection video

15. The video must be a single, uncut take; editing, audio correction, speed changes and separately recorded audio are not accepted.
16. Duration must not exceed the final duration of the category (A–B 3 min, C 4 min, D–E 5 min). Videos over the limit are not assessed.
17. The entrant and the instrument must be clearly visible throughout. Stage, studio or home setting makes no difference; recording quality is not scored, but the sound must be intelligible.
18. Submit the video as a YouTube (unlisted), Google Drive or Vimeo link; the link must stay accessible until results are announced.
19. The video must have been recorded for this competition after 1 September 2026. At the start, the entrant states their name, category and the title of the piece.

6. Jury and scoring

20. The jury is chaired by Engin Gürkey. It has at least three members including the chair, appointed by the festival director; the other members are announced when applications open. A jury member whose student is competing does not score that category; the remaining members' scores apply.
21. Pre-selection and final are scored on the same criteria out of 100:

    Criterion	Points	What is assessed
    Technical command	30	stroke quality, stick/hand technique, cleanliness, control
    Rhythmic accuracy and time	25	tempo stability, accuracy of metre and subdivisions
    Musicality and expression	25	dynamics, tone, phrasing, character of the piece
    Stage presence	10	posture, preparation, connection with the audience
    Programme choice and difficulty	10	suited to age and level, shows the player's strengths

22. Scores are averaged across jury members. In a tie, the higher "technical command" score wins; if still tied, the jury chair's score decides.
23. The three highest-scoring entrants in each category become finalists. If a category has fewer than three entries, the jury may hold the final for that category directly as a live assessment or merge it with a neighbouring category; entrants are informed.
24. Finalists are announced in the first week of January 2027 by e-mail and on the website. If a finalist withdraws, the next entrant on the reserve list is called.
25. Jury decisions are final and not open to appeal. Finalists receive written jury feedback.

7. The final

26. The final takes place on festival day on the CKM Main Stage, open to the public. Running order follows the categories (A to E); order within a category is drawn by lot.
27. Finalists perform the piece submitted in pre-selection; a change of piece is possible if notified to the jury in advance.
28. Drum set, marimba, vibraphone, timpani and a basic percussion set-up are provided on stage. Entrants may bring their own hand percussion, sticks and pedal. Special set-up needs must be notified by 15 January.
29. Each finalist gets a short sound check and a 10-minute warm-up space before performing. Two minutes are allowed for stage changes.
30. Finalists pay a festival participation fee; the amount and payment details are sent with the finalist notification. The fee covers the stage, technical preparation, recording and certificates.
31. A finalist who does not attend is replaced from the reserve list; no certificate is issued for an unexcused absence.

8. Awards and certificates

32. First, second and third places are announced in each category. The jury may award a Jury Special Prize across categories and reserves the right not to award a placement.
33. Category winners: first-prize plaque and award certificate; a performance at the Special Concert with the guests of honour on festival day; a free solo slot at the 3rd Istanbul International Percussion Meetings; a four-lesson percussion scholarship at Aker Sanat; product-sponsor gifts where available.
34. Second and third places: placement plaque and award certificate; stage priority at the 3rd Meetings; product-sponsor gifts where available.
35. All finalists: finalist certificate, written jury feedback, video recording of the final performance, lanyard badge and festival bag.
36. Every pre-selection entrant receives a digital certificate of entry.
37. Awards are presented on stage on festival day; a plaque for an entrant absent from the ceremony is sent by post within Türkiye (international entrants: by arrangement).

9. Recording, publication and personal data

38. The festival records final performances in photo and video. By applying, the entrant (or parent for under-18s) consents to the use of these recordings in festival promotion, on the website, on social media and in the archive, without time limit and without payment.
39. Pre-selection videos are used only for jury assessment and are not published without the entrant's permission.
40. Personal data is processed solely to run the competition and for festival communication, in line with Turkish data-protection law (KVKK, Law 6698), and is not shared with third parties.
41. Entrants are responsible for complying with the copyright of the works they perform.

10. General provisions

42. Festival management reserves the right to make necessary changes to these rules and to update dates and venue; changes are published on the website and e-mailed to applicants.
43. An entrant who breaches the rules, makes a false declaration or disrupts the stage may be removed from the competition at any stage.
44. If the festival is postponed for reasons of force majeure, the final takes place on the new date; if cancelled, finalist fees already paid are refunded.
45. The Turkish text of the rules is binding; this English translation is for information.
46. Questions: info@akersanat.com · WhatsApp +90 538 431 61 21

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