Donald Runnicles Musical Arts Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Grand Teton Music Festival
Overview
The Grand Teton Music Festival will present the 9th Annual Scholarship Competition honoring Music Director Donald Runnicles on July 18 and 19, 2026, in Jackson, Wyoming. The contest is open to graduating high-school seniors from Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana who intend to major in music at the college or conservatory level. The first round of the competition is a pre-screened audition video submitted online.
Competition format and prizes
From the video submissions, six semi-finalists will be selected to perform live for a judging panel—including Maestro Donald Runnicles—at Walk Festival Hall. Three finalists will then advance to compete for $50,000 in total scholarship awards. Prize breakdown:
- 1st Prize: $25,000 plus an invitation to appear as a soloist with the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra (WSO) during an upcoming season (performance details to be arranged after the competition)
- 2nd Prize: $15,000
- 3rd Prize: $10,000
The semi-finals and finals are free and open to the public.
Past winners and adjudicators (2025)
Adjudicators and staff in 2025 included José González Granero (GTMF clarinet), Jennifer Ross (GTMF violin), Kimi Kawashima (GTMF piano/accompanist), and Sir Donald Runnicles (music director). The 2025 prize winners were:
- 1st place: Shelby Cox, violin
- 2nd place: Benjamin Zielinski, flute
- 3rd place: Charles Snellman, cello
2026 Application information and eligibility
Applications for the 2026 competition will open on March 2, 2026. The competition is available to students who meet all of the following eligibility criteria:
- Are graduating high-school seniors this spring.
- Have lived in Wyoming, Idaho, or Montana for at least two years immediately prior to the application deadline.
- Have been accepted as a music major (performance or education) at an accredited four-year college recognized by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), or at a conservatory with a nationally recognized profile, subject to Scholarship Committee approval, and plan to attend that institution in the upcoming academic year. Any scholarship awards must be applied to tuition at such an approved institution for the student’s advanced study in their declared music major; applicable musical development programs within that course of study may also qualify.
- Submit a pre-screening audition video and a personal narrative with the application. Video and narrative submission guidelines are available online.
Key dates
- Monday, March 2, 2026: Application period opens
- Monday, May 4, 2026: Application deadline
- Monday, June 1, 2026: Applicants notified of first-round results
- Saturday, July 18, 2026: Scholarship Competition Semi-Finals (Walk Festival Hall)
- Sunday, July 19, 2026: Scholarship Competition Finals (Walk Festival Hall)
For more details on submission specifications and how to apply, please consult the competition’s online guidelines.