OCALA, Fla. — The Ocala Symphony Orchestra announced Wednesday that its 36th annual Young Artist Competition has been renamed the Margaret A. Dates Young Artist Competition following a legacy gift from Dates to endow the program in perpetuity.
The endowment ensures that the annual youth competition will continue for future generations of musicians. Dates previously funded semifinalist and finalist stipends for the program in recent seasons. The competition is also supported by Duke Energy.
The competition is open to instrumental and vocal students ages 12 to 25 throughout the United States.
Selected finalists will perform in front of a live audience at 3 p.m. on Jan. 10, 2027, during the Honors Recital at the Reilly Arts Center in Ocala.
Finalists from each division will receive a $200 cash award.
Applications for the competition remain open until Nov. 9, 2026. Finalists will compete live on Jan. 10, 2027, followed by the division winners’ performances with the orchestra on March 20 and March 21, 2027.
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