1. Music students of any nationalities are welcome.

2. Contestants are responsible for ensuring that the information provided in their application is accurate, complete, and meets the specific requirements of their chosen class. The organiser, Tranquillo Studio, is not responsible for verifying entry eligibility. An administrative fee of HK$100 will be charged for each amendment made after submission.

3. By submitting an entry, contestants are deemed to have agreed to fully comply with and adhere to these Rules and Regulations.

4. Contestants must record their performance on video and carefully follow the submission procedures, deadline, and video specifications as outlined in the Rules and Regulations.

5. Only the individual(s) who entered the competition are allowed to appear as performer(s) in the video, except in the case of a piano accompanist assisting a participant. Any entry that does now follow this rule will result in disqualification.

6. Entries disqualified at any time due to ineligibility or violation of the Rules and Regulations will not receive separate notification, and entry fees will not be refunded.

7. If contestants are found to have breached the Rules and Regulations at any point, the consequences may include:

   i. disqualification;

   ii. receiving comments only, without any marks, awards, or certificates.

8. Tranquillo Studio, as the organiser, reserves the full and final authority over all matters related to participation, results, awards, etc. All decisions made by the organiser are final and not subject to appeal.

9. Contestants are welcome to sign up for more than one group, but are NOT allowed to enrol in a particular group repeatedly. Contestants who breach this rule will receive comments only; they will not be awarded any marks or certificates.

10. If a contestant participates in more than one groups, s/he is NOT allowed to use the same work in different groups (each work is only allowed to be used in one group). Contestants who breach this rule will receive comments only; they will not be awarded any marks or certificates.

11. Please refer to the information here for the entry fee of each class. Once the application has been submitted, no refunds will be made under any circumstances, including if a contestant:

    i. fail to submit the video for any reason;

    ii. requests to withdraw; or

    iii. breaches the Rules and Regulations.

12. A=440 is used as the standard tuning pitch.

13. Competition Materials

    1. Playing from memory is not required. However, if a contestant decides to play from score, it is the responsibility of him / her to ensure that the music scores used in the video (by both the instrumentalist / singer and the piano accompanist) are original (legal hard copies or legal soft copies).

    2. Contestants are required to perform the whole piece or whole movement in its entirety. Da capo and dal segno indications must be observed, while other repeats may be included at the contestant’s discretion to enhance musicality. In passages where there is an ossia (alternative musical line or note), contestants may choose either option.

    3. Contestants / piano accompanists may use electronic devices in the video, but only limited to the following uses:

       i. Score-reading

       ii. Page turning

14. Participants of Category A groups (except pianists) are responsible for arranging their own piano accompanists if the chosen work has a piano part. Singers are not permitted to accompany themselves. Violating this rules will result in disqualification.

15. Specifications of the Video Recording I -
    (Violating these rules will result in disqualification)

    1. In the video, the contestant is only allowed to perform the piece once.

    2. In the video, the contestant must perform the correct work.

    3. The video must be a single, continuous shot without any pauses or cuts. Contestants are not allowed to stop or pause the camera during the recording. If the work performed contains multiple movements, they must all be recorded within the same uninterrupted video.

    4. Any re-tuning of instruments or breaks taken during the performance must be captured as part of the continuous, unedited recording.

    5. Mixing, editing, or any form of post-production is strictly prohibited.

    6. Special visual effects are not allowed in the video, including but not limited to filters, transitions, colour or lighting adjustments, and subtitles.

    7. The video must be recorded live, and dubbing of any kind is strictly prohibited.

    8. The use of earbuds or in-ear headphones as sound receivers is not permitted. Contestants who violate this rule will receive comments only and will not be eligible for marks or certificates.

16. Specifications of the Video Recording II -
    (Contestants’ scores will be affected if they fail to follow the Rules 16-19.)

    1. The audio and video should be properly synchronised, with sound that is clear and smooth in quality.

    2. The video resolution must be at least 720p (1280x720 pixels).

    3. The video recording must take place indoors with a simple background, sufficient lighting, and minimal background noise. Avoid backlighting, as well as virtual or projected backgrounds.

    4. The full video must clearly capture the contestant’s face, posture, and entire instrument (excluding piano). For piano performances, the contestant’s face in side view, both hands, the whole keyboard, and the pedals need to be captured. For vocal performances, a full-body frontal view is required.

    5. The camera must remain completely static throughout the recording, with no movement or zooming in or out.

    6. If a piano accompanist is part of the performance, they must be clearly visible in the video.

    7. Only the contestant(s), piano accompanist, and page-turner should be in view.

17. After submitting the application, an email will be sent to acknowledge receipt, along with a copy of the submitted information. However, receiving this email does NOT indicate that Tranquillo Studio has confirmed the submission fulfils all entry requirements or complies with the competition rules. Contestants are responsible for ensuring that the following:

    i. Everything in the acknowledging email is correct.

    ii. The submitted video must correspond to the correct contestant and the appropriate group entered.

    iii. The video is playable by the organiser during the adjudication period. if it is unavailable during that period of time, the contestant will not receive any comments, marks, or certificates. Tranquillo Studio will not notify individuals in such cases.

18. Submissions are due by the end of 2 August 2025, according to Tranquillo Studio’s server time (GMT +8). Please allow enough time to complete the application form and upload your video before the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted for any reason.

19. The adjudicators will assess the contestants’ overall performance, taking into account the following aspects:

    i. technical control, and accuracy

    ii. faithfulness to the score

    iii. musicality, communication, interpretation, and delivery of the performance

20. Entry fee includes a certificate, and a trophy (if any).

21. The adjudicators reserve the right to withhold any award(s) should the performance does not reach the expected standard of excellence.

22. Marks, comments, and arrangement for certificate collection (if relevant) will be sent to contestants via email by the end of 23 August 2025. Contestants not receiving any email from Tranquillo Studio after that should contact us via WhatsApp at (852) 6770 4684 or email us at info@tranquillostudio.com.

23. All contestants and piano accompanists (if any) must dress in a decent manner for the competition.

24. Rules, regulations, awards, and the adjudication panel are subject to change without prior notice.

25. Should there be any discrepancies between the English and Chinese versions, the English version shall prevail.

[Last updated on 30 June 2025]