Eligibility: Only musicians who advance to the final round of the 2025 Classical Music Competition are eligible for our most prestigious distinction of Top 15 Exceptional Performer, recognizing our most exceptionally impressive finalists. Each participating member of Our Judges will submit nominations and numeric ratings to determine the Top 15 Exceptional Performers.
Special Certificates & Instagram Feature: The Top 15 Exceptional Performers will receive special personalized certificates via email and be invited to submit their portrait photos, along with an optional short video speaking about their musical journey, by April 25th. These photos will be posted on the Competition’s official Instagram page in the order in which they were received, with captions explaining how to watch their performance videos on YouTube.
Audience Voting: Once all photos are published by April 30th, our Instagram audience will vote for their favorite YouTube performance by liking the corresponding Top 15 Exceptional Performer’s Instagram post. To ensure votes come from the Competition’s genuine audience, voters must follow the @charlestonmusiccompetition Instagram page. This helps us ensure that only engaged community members, not random accounts, are part of the voting process. Audience members are allowed to like multiple posts if they have more than one favorite performance. Voting will close at 11:59 PM EST on May 15th.
Cash Prizes: 3 out of the Top 15 Exceptional Performers with the most likes at 11:59 PM EST on May 15th will collectively win over $1,000 in cash prizes, distributed as follows:
#1 Most Liked Exceptional Performer: $500
#2 Most Liked Exceptional Performer: $400
#3 Most Liked Exceptional Performer: $300
Cash prizes will be transferred via PayPal by May 20th.
Disclaimer: By participating in this promotion, participants agree to release Instagram from any liability. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram.
This dual approach combines expert judges’ evaluations with audience voting to ensure a well-rounded selection process for cash prize winners, recognizing both technical excellence and audience appeal. Please note that our other non-cash prizes are determined solely by our expert judges, focusing entirely on the performers’ skills and artistry.
Audience voting is only applicable to the determination of cash prize winners and does not influence the awarding of other prizes.