The in-person part of the competition will be held on Sunday, March 22nd, 2026. The remote part of the competition will be conducted over Zoom on March 18th and 19th 2026, 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm EST.
Thank you for your interest in the 2026 Carnatic Music Competition.
In order to encourage children and adults in the community who learn Carnatic music and have an opportunity to showcase talented singers, Dhvani organizes a competition event. The competition is held each year in fond memory of our charming friend and mentor, the late Sri S. Tyagaraja Rao. Rao Mama was an indefatigable connoisseur of Carnatic Music as well as an ardent supporter of music. In his memory, we dedicate ourselves to keeping this art form alive in our minds and hearts.
BY POPULAR DEMAND THE COMPETITION IS NOW OPEN TO ADULTS THROUGH AGE 65
The competition is judged by a group of professional Carnatic musicians invited specially for this occasion. Participants from as far as Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington DC, and New Jersey have joined to participate in this event. We encourage participants and their families to think of this event as an opportunity to share and learn more than to compete and win. We think of all our participants as winners.
We continue to offer both in-person and remote options for participants. All participants have eligibility to choose between either of the two options:
The in-person competition will be held between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM EST on March 22nd, 2026, at the Dublin Rec Center.
The remote participants will be offered an evening, 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM EST timeslot, on March 18th and 19th, 2026 via Zoom.
The exact categories and time slots will be published once all the registrations are processed.
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The winners will be announced on Zoom on March 23rd, 2026 at 3 PM EDT.
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All times are given in Eastern Time.
2026 COMPETITION DATES
• Competition Registration January 5, 2026 – February 28, 2026
• Virtual on Zoom – Wednesday March 18th, 2026 and Thursday March 19th, 2026 at 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm (EST)
• In Person – Sunday March 22nd, 2026 at 8: 50 am – 4:00 pm (EST)
• Awards Ceremony on Zoom – Monday, March 23rd, 2026 at 3:00 pm (EDT)
Venue: The Abbey Theater – Dublin Community Recreation Center
Rules & Regulations
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT ITEMS
Reporting times for Remote participation
Event starts on March 4th at 7:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86475316443?pwd=X4hUnjAGlZQsbdsCQHoaw8n1aRGXyS.1
Meeting ID: 864 7531 6443
Passcode: 343044
Break Room 1
Vocal
Super-Seniors (19 to 24)
Reporting time – 9:00 PM
Vocal
Juniors (9 to 11)
Reporting time – 7:45 PM
Break Room 2
Vocal
Sub-Juniors (5 to 8)
Reporting time – 7:45 PM
Vocal
Super-Seniors (15 to 18)
Reporting time – 8:20 PM
Event starts on March 5th at 7:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86808940159?pwd=44FPJf9xfLmVaEBURActskTiSo85n6.1
Meeting ID: 868 0894 0159
Passcode: 131322
Break Room 1
Vocal
Sub-Seniors (12 to 14)
Reporting time – 7:45 PM
Vocal
Adults (25 to 40)
Reporting time – 9:15 PM
Vocal
Senior-Adults (41 and above)
Reporting time – 9:15 PM
Break Room 2
Flute
Sub-Juniors (5 to 8)
Reporting time – 7:45 PM
Juniors (9 to 11)
Reporting time – 7:45 PM
Sub-Seniors (12 to 14)
Reporting time – 7:45 PM
Senior Adults (41 and above)
Reporting time – 7:45 PM
Violin
Juniors (9 to 11)
Reporting time – 8:10 PM
Sub-Seniors (12 to 14)
Reporting time – 8:10 PM
Seniors (15 to 18)
Reporting time – 8:10 PM
Mridangam
Juniors (9 to 11)
Reporting time – 8:40 PM
Seniors (15 to 18)
Reporting time – 8:40 PM
Super Seniors (19 to 24)
Reporting time – 8:40 PM
Veena
Sub-Seniors (12 to 14)
Reporting time – 9:10 PM
Seniors (15 to 18)
Reporting time – 9:10 PM
Super Seniors (19 to 24)
Reporting time – 9:10 PM

