2027 Kickoff! News for the 39th Season of MLC

Today marks the beginning of the 39th season of competition for the Music Listening Contest, and we have a few announcements to share that we’re excited about!

Anoka-Ramsey Community College will return as host for the 2027 Championship Contest! The Championship Contest will take place on Friday, February 12th, 2027, time TBA.

The MLC Team Award is returning! The Team Award is a special recognition for the school with five or more teams that scores the highest combined average (only the top five teams for any school will count toward the average). The Team Award winner will be awarded tickets to attend a professional orchestra concert near them (to be coordinated with MLC).

Orientation Sessions are back! For ALL Coaches, brand new and experienced — sign up for a 50-minute Zoom session with a member of the MLC Board and other coaches to discuss strategies for preparing your teams for Contest, best ways to use the Study Guide, Mystery Round tips, and more. You’ll receive an email with several meeting options scheduled for early October and early November. This info will also be available in document form.

Growing the Board. If you are a current or former coach looking to become more involved in Music Listening Contest, come join our volunteer board! Our number one requirement is ENTHUSIASM for the MLC program. It’s not a huge time commitment, and even so, we don’t require perfect attendance by any means. As long as you have a passion for classical music and high school students, we’d love to have you! Email musiclisteningcontestinfo@gmail.com or send a message in the Contact form for more info.

Stay tuned for more info as September unfolds. Until then, Happy Listening!

-Scott Barden, MLC Board President