Eric Varner Young Artist Competition

The IDRS Midsouth Regional Chapter sponsors an annual competition for young oboists and bassoonists at the high school and collegiate level, which takes place during the annual Midsouth Symposium in the spring.
2025 Competition Information
March 28-30, 2025
Louisiana State University
Guidelines for 2025 Competition
Application Due February 15, 2025
To enter the 2025 Competition, please follow the guidelines below. ALL ENTRANTS MUST COMPLY WITH ALL RULES. For the sake of fairness, we will unfortunately find it necessary to disqualify any entries that do not comply fully with the rules laid out here.
  • A $15 application fee is required to compete. See link above for payment information. Fees are non-refundable.
  • Residents of these U.S. states are eligible to enter the competition: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
  • You or your teacher (for high school students) must be a member of the International Double Reed Society (IDRS) to enter the competition. If you are not already a member of IDRS, you must become one by registering online. Fees are non-refundable. Discounted student memberships are available.
  • This competition will take place on Friday, March 28, 2025. High School and Collegiate division winners will be announced and prizes will be awarded at the Saturday evening Guest Gala Concert, March 29, 2025. The competition is open to the public.
  • Entrants in the High School Division must be enrolled in grades 9-12. Participants in the High School Division are to prepare 7-10 minutes of music written for their instrument. Multiple movements or pieces are acceptable as long as they don't exceed the time limit. High School participants may choose to perform a work for solo oboe/bassoon, or a work written for oboe/bassoon and piano. A pianist will be available for the competition for a $50 fee. This fee will include a 20 minute rehearsal and the competition performance. Participants will have a warm-up time with the pianist before the competition. Entrants must submit a PDF scan of their chosen selection(s). Entrants may bring their own accompanists.
  • Entrants in the Collegiate Division must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program. Participants in the Collegiate Division are to prepare 10-15 minutes of music written for their instrument. Collegiate participants may choose to perform a work for solo oboe/bassoon, or a work written for the oboe/bassoon and piano. Multiple movements or pieces are acceptable as long as they don't exceed the time limit. A pianist will be available for the competition for a $50 fee. This fee will include a 20 minute rehearsal and the competition performance. Participants will have a warm-up time with the pianist before the competition. Entrants must submit a PDF scan of their chosen selection(s). Entrants may bring their own accompanists.
  • The first place winner of the Collegiate Division will be ineligible from competing for one year. The winner of the High School Division will be ineligible for competition in the High School Division for one year, but may compete in the Collegiate Division when they are eligible, regardless of placement in the High School Division.
  • Judges will be evaluating on performers' expression, technical accuracy, intonation, tone, and stylistic correctness. Judges' comments will be available to competitors after the competition.
  • Late applications will not be considered. The application deadline is February 15, 2025. Finalists will be notified of their invitation to compete live at the Midsouth Symposium in Baton Rouge, LA no later than March 1, 2025. Finalists will have registration fees waived for the 2025 Midsouth Symposium.
  • Winners will be awarded the following prizes, either in cash or gift certificate to a double reed business: 
Collegiate Oboe & Bassoon
1st Prize: $400
2nd Prize: $250
3rd Prize: $100

High School Oboe & Bassoon
1st Prize: $150
2nd Prize: $100
3rd Prize: $50

History and Origin

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The Midwest Double Reed Society sponsored a competition for young oboists and bassoonists at the high school and college level. In 2020 the competition was renamed in honor of Eric Varner, who was a longtime supporter of the Midwest Double Reed Society and the annual competition. In 2024 the competition continues with the merging of the Midwest Double Reed Society and the IDRS Midsouth Regional Chapter.
Varner studied music at the University of Michigan and did graduate work in Mannheim, Germany. He came back to the United States for a doctoral degree from Michigan and upon graduation, won a job with the Windsor Symphony in Ontario. He was the principal bassoon with the Windsor Symphony for ten years. While playing in Windsor, he also founded the PEN Trio, a small chamber ensemble with oboe, clarinet and bassoon, which performed together since 2010 and tour frequently throughout the United States, Central American, South American and Asia. During that time, he met the founder of TrevCo Music, an online sheet music store specializing in music for double reed instruments (oboe, English horn, bassoon, and contrabassoon). Trevor Cramer, the founder, was looking to retire and wanted to sell his business to someone in the music industry and my name came up through a mutual acquaintance. 
​Varner bought the business in December of 2011 and the company was re-named TrevCo-Varner Music, with the tagline “The World’s Foremost Purveyor of Fine Sheet Music For Double Reeds.” Two years later, Varner accepted a job as Professor of Bassoon at the Lynn Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton and moved the entire business back down to Florida. He was active with teaching, performing, and running the business until his death in 2019.  ​

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