Student Scholarship
Applicants for Marin Music Chest Scholarships must be a resident of Marin County for a minimum of two years prior to the audition and have studied music for two years prior to audition.
- Read our 2027 Instructions and Expectations.
- Review the required pieces needed for your audition. You must also prepare a second optional piece of your choosing.
- 2027 Required Repertoire - coming soon
- Juniors
- Seniors
- Vocalists
- Perform all pieces from memory.
- Provide your own accompanist for the auditions.
- If you don't see your instrument on the list of required pieces and would like to audition, please email scholarships@marinmusicchest.org.
To help you get ready to fill it out, here’s what you’ll need:
- Select box for either the Senior or Junior application.
- * Juniors must be age 10-13 years of age as of March 6, 2027 (vocalists must be between 14 and 17)
- * Seniors must be age 14-18 years of age as of March 20, 2027 (vocalists must be between 18 and 22)
- Your full name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address.
- Your age at the audition and your birthdate
- Instrument you will be playing
- Second Audition Piece (Composer, Selection and Movement)
- Years you’ve studied
- School you’re attending
- Your Teacher’s name and phone number
- Check a box confirming that you have asked your teacher to email a recommendation to the following email address: scholarships@marinmusicchest.org
- Your Parent/Guardian’s full name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address, if different from yours.
- Another Parent/Guardian’s full name, email address, telephone number, and mailing address, if different from yours. (optional)
- How did you hear about us? Online Search (to our website), Social Media (Facebook), Teacher, Word of Mouth (Friend/Family), or some place else.
- Application deadline for Juniors is February 7, 2027.
- Auditions will take place on March 6, 2027, at First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael, 1510 Fifth Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901.
Please see our Calendar page for other important dates.
- Application deadline for Seniors is February 21, 2027.
- Auditions will take place on March 20, 2027, at First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael, 1510 Fifth Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901.
Please see our Calendar page for other important dates.
Additional Awards and Recognition
The Marin Music Chest Board of Directors annually presents an award honoring the long service of Alma Tomlinson to Marin Music Chest. For over thirty years Alma advocated for high performance standards. The Board gives this additional $500 award to the student selected unanimously by the Artistic Committee as the most outstanding performer at the senior auditions.
This award was established in 2018 by the Marin Music Chest, honors long-time colleague and former president Bob Greenwood, who shared his passion for music and commitment to young musicians by dedicating himself in many ways to the organization. His goal was, always, to keep classical music alive in Marin County and to continue the tradition of excellent performance established from Music Chest’s inception.
Five musicians are selected from each year’s scholarship winners to perform at a special concert called the Young Artists Concert, which is sponsored by the Mill Valley Chamber Music Society. These YA performers are selected by the judges as being the best of all the scholarship winners of that season. Consideration is also given to presenting a good, balanced program, as instrumentation is an important factor. The five performers are paid an honorarium, often their first earnings for a music performance.