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Showcase Your Talent, Learn from the Best, and Win a Share of Over $5,300 in Global Prizes

Welcome to the BrookWright Solo Contest 2026! Whether you are a developing student or an experienced performer, this is your opportunity to showcase your talent, win a share of an incredible prize pool worth over $5,300, and compete to reach the final round where our world-class experts will provide exclusive performance feedback.

Our Judges

We are honored to welcome a panel of world-class brass virtuosos, educators, and international soloists to evaluate our 2026 finalists. Bringing decades of premier competitive experience from the highest tiers of the global brass movement, our judges ensure an elite, fair, and professional evaluation standard for every finalist.

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Brett Baker  Celebrated international trombone soloist, educator, and recording artist and current principal trombone of the Cory Band.

Emily Evans  Renowned tenor horn virtuoso, highly respected chamber musician and clinician and principal tenor horn of current European Champions the Flowers Band.

Les Neish  Multi-award-winning tuba soloist, international tutor, and pioneer in low brass performance.

Tom Hutchinson  World-famous principal cornet of the Black Dyke Band and internationally acclaimed soloist.

Contest Overview & Eligibility

  • Who Can Enter: The contest is open to brass players of all ages and abilities worldwide.

  • Age Categories: Competition tracks are divided into Under 18s and Over 18s.

  • Instruments: Solos played on any brass instrument are accepted.

  • The Music: Entrants must perform a solo piece selected from the BrookWright catalogue. Music may be purchased directly from the BrookWright website (PDF format) or through official BrookWright distributors (printed sheet music). These include brassband.co.uk, durhammusicshop.co.uk, jwpepper.com, satradecentral.org, cimarronmusic.com, euphonium.net and ulid.se

  • Performances may feature piano, brass band, or brass ensemble accompaniment, and the use of official BrookWright backing tracks is highly welcomed. To ensure a level playing field, judging will be based strictly on the soloist's performance, technique, and musicality, regardless of the chosen accompaniment style. Please note that entrants performing a piece outside of the BrookWright catalogue will be automatically disqualified.

  • Composer & Affiliate Eligibility: BrookWright-published composers who are also brass performers are fully eligible to enter. However, to ensure a fair competition, official BrookWright Artists in Association are excluded from entering.

  • Entries must not contain video or audio footage previously used for BrookWright promotional purposes. However, pre-recorded performances created prior to the contest launch date are acceptable.​​

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How to Enter

Follow these steps to submit your entry:

1. Record Your Performance

  • Record a video of yourself performing your chosen solo.

  • Video Requirements: The audio must be a single, unedited take. Your face, as well as the instrument's valves or slides, must remain clearly visible in the frame throughout the video.

  • No pianist? No problem! Every solo directly published by BrookWright with piano accompaniment includes a high-quality backing track with your PDF download, making it easy to practice and record on your own schedule.

    Please Note: Backing tracks are not available for solos with band or brass ensemble accompaniment, or for pieces that BrookWright distributes on behalf of external composers. Please verify backing track availability on the item's product page before purchasing.

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2. Upload & Tag Your Video

  • Upload your performance video to YouTube using the official hashtag #brookwrightsolocontest26

  • You are welcome to share your video on other social media platforms, in fact, we would encourage you to do so, but you must include the #brookwrightsolocontest26 tag.

  • Submit your video file to our official Dropbox link. Videos should be labelled as follows: [Category] - [Entrant Name] - [Solo Title]. 

  • Under 18 Example: U18 - Jane Doe - You're Always There

  • Over 18 Example: O18 - John Smith - Love Eternal​

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3. Parental Consent (For Under 18s)

  • Entrants under the age of 18 as of 17th August 2026 must download and submit the parental consent form provided here (click to download PDF form).

  • A scanned, signed copy from a parent or guardian must be uploaded alongside your video entry to grant permission for the video to be hosted on YouTube and shared on BrookWright channels.​​​​

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The Prizes

Thanks to our amazing sponsors, we are thrilled to offer a standardized package of premier digital tools, professional development, and music gear.

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Over 18 Category

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Under 18 Category

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In addition, the other finalists will receive an online lesson with Jennifer Oliverio (high brass) or David Twentey via Brass Academy (low brass)

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Public Commendation Prize

Awarded to the Top 5 finalist with the highest number of YouTube likes

  • The Prize: Dorico Pro Perpetual License + tonebase Annual Subscription + $100 BrookWright Voucher 

  • How it works: This prize is awarded to the finalist whose official YouTube video receives the highest number of likes by 5:00 PM US Central Time on Monday 31st August 2026. Only likes on the official YouTube video count toward the tally. Any entry suspected of using paid engagement or click-farming services will be instantly disqualified.

  • Multi-Prize Eligibility: The Public Commendation Prize is judged entirely independently of the main competition rankings. Finalists are fully eligible to win a placement on the judged podium (1st, 2nd, or 3rd Place) and the Public Commendation Prize simultaneously. If a performer wins both, they will receive the combined prize packages from both tracks. Winners are fully permitted to transfer their second software license to someone else.

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Judging Process 

  1. The Preliminary Round: An expert panel will review all submissions and select the Top 5 Finalists. Once chosen, a dedicated page on the BrookWright website will feature links to these YouTube videos for public viewing and voting.

  2. The Final Round: Our elite panel of judges will evaluate the finalists to determine the official Top 5 in order. Judges' decisions are final.

  3. Social Features & Feedback: The Top 5 videos from each category will be featured on BrookWright Music’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Professional written feedback from our judging panel will be provided exclusively for the Top 5.​

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Contest Timeline

  • Submissions Close: Monday 17th August 2026 (5:00 PM US Central Time)

  • Finalists Announced: Saturday 22nd August 2026

  • Voting Opens for Public Commendation Prize: Monday 24th August 2026

  • Voting Closes for Public Commendation Prize: Monday 31st August 2026 (5:00 PM US Central Time)

  • Winners Announced: Wednesday 2nd September 2026

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Terms & Conditions

Click here to read our terms & conditions.

ENTRY FORM

Thanks for your entry! We will be in touch should you progress to the final of the competition.

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