VSA International Young Soloists Award

Each year outstanding young musicians with disabilities from around the world receive the Access/VSA International Young Musicians Award; financial stipends; and the opportunity to perform and participate in professional development and music coaching activities provided by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This program is open to musicians of any instrument or genre.

All genres of music are accepted, including but not limited to classical, jazz, hip-hop, rap, rock/alt rock, pop, indie, bluegrass, folk, country, R&B/blues, and world. All instruments, including voice, are accepted.

Deadline: The application deadline is Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

PLEASE READ ALL INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES COMPLETELY BEFORE BEGINNING THE APPLICATION PROCESS*

Upon request, parents and legal guardians of Minors will have the opportunity to review the Personal Information collected regarding their Minors, make corrections, revoke consent, and request deletion. A parent or legal guardian shall not be subject to any discrimination for making such requests. If a parent or legal guardian would like to review the Personal Information collected and used by the Kennedy Center, revoke consent or request deletion, please contact: Privacy@Kennedy-Center.org .

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply for the Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program you must meet all of the following criteria:

• This program is open to Domestic Applicants (U.S. citizens and legal residents of the U.S.); and International Applicants (non-U.S. citizens, including citizens of other countries living in the U.S. such as those on student visas.)
• Entries be either a Soloist (instrumental or vocal) or an Ensemble (instrumental or vocal) of two (2) to five (5) members, such as rock bands, chamber ensembles, a cappella, and choral groups.
• For ensembles to be eligible, at least one musician must have a disability, and all members must be between the ages of 14-25. Only the musician(s) with disability will receive financial stipends.
• Entrants must be a musician with a disability.
• Entrants must be age 14-25. Applicants must not be younger than 14 or older than 25 at the time of the application deadline (January 7, 2026). All members of an ensemble must meet the age requirement in order to be eligible.

Previous winners of the Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program may not apply. Applicants are welcome to apply every year until they win or age out of the program.

If selected, winners must be present for ALL workshops, rehearsals, and performances in order to accept the award and receive associated financial stipends (full group virtual activities will occur April 25, May 30, and June 27, 2026; D.C. activities will occur July 23-27, 2026; additional virtual activities will be scheduled in consultation with the musician and their assigned mentor).

If selected as a finalist, applicants are required to provide proof of age and disability. Winners must be willing to publicly disclose that they have a disability for all materials and public appearances associated with the Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program.

Selection Process and Adjudication Criteria:

An advisory panel comprised of distinguished international music professionals and educators will assist with the selection process.

Submission Rules:

• Complete the online application form [NOTE: to request application materials in a different format, email vsainfo@kennedy-center.org].
• Provide a narrative statement (up to 250 words) in the provided text box or as a video clip. The narrative should include biographical information (i.e., educational background, past solo or ensemble experience, musical goals) and the reasons you feel you or your ensemble should be selected for the Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program.
• Attach links to three (3) musical selections.  [NOTE: If you have difficulty uploading your links, email vsainfo@kennedy-center.org.]

Musical Selections Submission Guidelines:

• Each recording should be 10 minutes or less in length.
• Where indicated on the application form, please list the title and composer of each submission.
• Please note that while the quality of your recording should be high, it is not necessary to have it professionally recorded.
• Each link should be a recording of one piece only (multiple movements of a piece can be in one file).
• Selected pieces should represent your current musicianship and repertoire. Therefore, recordings should be recent (no more than one year old).
• The application accepts links in the following formats: YouTube, Vimeo. If you require an accommodation, email vsainfo@kennedy-center.org.
  • IMPORTANT: YouTube links must be in the full "youtube.com" format. Links in the shortened "youtu.be" format (provided when using the "share" button or posting as an unlisted videos) are not recognized by the system. If you receive an "Unsupported Format" error, you may correct this by copying and pasting the link in a new window. Copy the full "youtube.com" address in the new window and upload it to the application system.