General Guideline

(131218 updated)

The Primary Selection will be open to anyone regardless of nationality, gender, age, professional or amateur. Enter the Primary Selection (audition) only if you can attend the Second Selection and Final Competition.
Only whistling is accepted. All vocal methods of whistling is allowed with the exception of the use of hands and fingers which are classed as instrumental uses and must be in Allied Arts. (131024)
Please have an e-mail address as a contact.
We will announce the results after each selection, please note we cannot answer inquiries about the results.
You should pay the fee for the Primary Selection, the Second Selection and Final Competition via PayPal or Bank deposit (domestic only in Japan).

Primary Selection will be a taped audition. Please submit your information (such as your name and e-mail) and the links of sound files of your recorded whistling sample. Use internet storage service (such as Dropbox or Youtube) to upload your sound files.
Your sound file for the Primary Selection should include Classical & Popular songs. If you are entering the Allied arts category, please provide a movie file as well (or sound recording if no action is involved.)
Primary Selection fee is 2,000 yen (under 20 years old, 1,500 yen). It is necessary to pass the Primary Selection to proceed to Second Selection.
Please refer to the “Primary Selection Guideline” page on this site for details. (to be posted later)

Second Selection and Final Competition will be based an open audition at the Concert Hall. Participant fee is 10,000 yen (under 20 years old, 7,500 yen).
The sponsor of this event cannot pay any expenses for travel.
No on-stage rehearsal of your performance. You may use a shared rehearsal room for practice.
Second Selection and Final Competition is admission-free for audience.

Only solo whistling performance with recorded accompaniment is allowed – no instrumental accompaniment.
Ranking is calculated from total of Classical & Popular points.
International Grand Champion will be decided from combining the result of Classical & Popular categories.
In this event, Classical means European-style Classical music mainly. (131107)
In keeping with the Classical style, pieces may be arranged to adapt whistling as an instrument – for example, an arrangement may omit movement(s), omit repeats, change a range (key), or cut measure(s) naturally. (131108)
In this event, Popular means any music except Classical.
The judges will determine if the piece you are performing is classical or popular. It is not determined by composer nor song names. For instance you are performing classical song, but the tune is rather popular the point will be deducted. (131218)
It is required to perform consecutive Classical & Popular in Second Selection and Final Competition. So, you will not have time to change your clothes between Classical & Popular performance.

This category will have Primary Selection and Final Competition, no Secondary Selection.
The performer must be a successful candidate for Primary Selection in Classical & Popular Category. It is not necessary to enter co-performer(s) for audition.
You may participate with different groups, and/or use instruments, but the performance must include your whistling – you are judged on the quality of whistling and how it is used.
Performers may use players who are also performing with other candidates.
You can use up to 4 microphones and one wireless lapel microphone. (131104)
We have no piano. If you require piano or electronic instrument(s), please bring your own portable equipment/instrument and amplifier. (No direct box [DI]). You can use power supply (100V, 50Hz) on the stage.
No very loud instruments, such as drums, brass, nor instruments/equipment requiring setup time.

Male and Female divisions for Classical & Popular (International Grand Champion) Category.
Allied Arts Category does not add to the overall ranking.
Different ages are not in different divisions.

Allied Arts Final: about 8 performers (or groups)
Classical & Popular Secondary Selection: about 20 performers (total of male and female)
Classical & Popular Final: about 8 performers (total of male and female)
Awards: International Grand Champion, plus (male and female): 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place trophies; and Allied Arts: 1st and 2nd Place trophies

For the Primary and Secondary competitions, the same or different songs may be used. For the Final competition, pieces may be used from the Primary.
It is not allowed to use pieces from the Secondary Selection for the Final competition.
So, you should prepare two pieces for Classical, two for Popular – a total of 4 pieces for Classical & Popular Categories.
You don’t have to prepare an extra piece for tie-breaking, because the judges will untie by voting.
You can choose the pieces you already performed in previous IWC contests in other countries, or in Japan 2008.

Primary Selection Classical, 2 – 5 minutes; Popular 2 – 4 minutes. (Overtime will be ignored in the scoring) (131020)
Secondary and Final – The combined length of Classical & Popular pieces for Secondary and Final Categories may be up to 9 minutes (points deducted for overtime). The minimum length is 2 minutes each piece.
The time limit for Allied Arts is 4 minutes.

We strongly recommend accompaniment that does not feature the same melody as whistling for more than half of the piece. Due to the short preparation time this year, you will not be penalized for whistling over the melody on your Primary audition tape. But in the competition, points will be deducted.
There is no restriction for the kind of instruments used for accompaniment, but do not use whistling or a similar sound (such as midi whistling sound) or vocal for your accompaniment.
We can play only CD’s for accompaniment – no other recorded format.
You can whistle a cappella (no accompaniment), but not for more than half of the piece (points deducted), except for the Allied Arts Category.

No whistling school nor concert will be held this year.
Primary, Secondary and Final competitions will be calculated independently from each other. (131108)
During the Secondary and Final performance, no tuner device for whistling will be used (this is a disqualifier). (131108)
The sponsor has the right to use all recordings and videos in this event. It will need permission from the Festival to use recordings. (131108)

IWC Japan