AIFA Violin Grade Exam — Syllabus

This syllabus outlines the draft structure of the AIFA Violin Grade Exam. It is designed as an age-free, flexible pathway: players can start from any level and move step by step toward more advanced technique and expression.

In the AIFA ecosystem, the Competition and the Grade Exam serve different but complementary functions. The Competition (free repertoire) nurtures individuality, interpretation, and artistic ambition. The Grade Exam provides the framework and continuity that sustain those ambitions over years of study.

Young players often spend months preparing the same work for recitals and competitions. While essential for artistry, this can lead to uneven development—or weakened motivation from being locked into a single piece for too long. The AIFA Grade Exam prevents such stagnation through a structure that is age-free, flexible, and small-step. It is designed to support steady growth without discouragement, and to make the foundations of musicianship visible, measurable, and rewarding.

The final, detailed syllabus for each grade will be published as a separate PDF when the exam is officially launched. Until then, this page shows the core philosophy, titles, and example level mapping.

Titles & grade bands

The structure is easy to follow: four tasks make one Grade, and thirty-six Grades make one Title. AIFA uses four abstract Titles instead of age or school year. These Titles can be used safely on applications and profiles without implying professional status, and players may begin at any Grade as long as the technical and musical level is appropriate.

Each task gives a stamp, and each Grade gives a certificate, so progress remains visible even when students work on the same piece for months. The recommended speed is one task per week, but families can go faster or slower. Some move quickly during holidays; others slow down during recitals or competitions. The system is flexible. To select a starting Grade, ask the student's teacher — or send a recent performance video to AIFA for placement guidance.

Title (band)	Approx. grades*	Landmark repertoire (examples)
Foundation	G1 – G36	Vivaldi — Concerto in A minor, 1st movement (Concerto) Seitz — Concertos (e.g. No.2, No.5) (Concertino) Rieding — Concertino in B minor Op.35 (Concertino) Küchler — Concertino Op.15 (Concertino) Bohm — Introduction and Polonaise (Salon / showpiece-lite) Selected Bach minuets or bourrées at a similar level (Baroque dance)
Expansion	G37 – G72	Monti — Czardas (Showpiece) Kreisler — Schön Rosmarin, Liebesleid (Light showpieces) Elgar — La Capricieuse (Showpiece) Drdla — pieces such as Souvenir, Serenade (Salon) Kabalevsky — Violin Concerto (Concerto) Wieniawski — lighter showpieces (e.g. Obertass)
Perspective	G73 – G108	Kreisler — Praeludium and Allegro (Showpiece) Kreisler — Liebesfreud, Caprice Viennois (Showpieces) Bruch — Violin Concerto No.1 (selected movements) (Concerto) Mendelssohn — Violin Concerto (excerpts) (Concerto) Lalo — Symphonie Espagnole (early movements) (Concerto / orchestral showpiece) Massenet — Méditation from Thaïs (Lyric piece)
Creation	G109 – G144	Sarasate — Zigeunerweisen (Bravura showpiece) — the end point of the AIFA Violin Grade Exam syllabus Saint-Saëns — Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso (Bravura / concerto-style showpiece) Wieniawski — Polonaise Brillante, Scherzo-Tarantella (Bravura showpieces) Lalo — Symphonie Espagnole (later movements) (Concerto / orchestral showpiece) Bruch or Mendelssohn concertos at an advanced level (Concerto) Selected Paganini or comparable bravura works at similar technical demand

*The exact grade numbers and cut-off points may be adjusted in the final version. The titles themselves (Foundation / Expansion / Perspective / Creation) are fixed. The landmark pieces above are guidelines, not fixed exam repertoire.

Grades G1 – G144 and future detail pages

The AIFA Violin Grade Exam consists of 144 small steps, from G1 up to G144. Each button below corresponds to one Grade. In the final version, tapping a Grade will open its dedicated detail page with a short description and a sample image of the first page of the exam sheet.

Assessment categories

Each grade is evaluated using common categories. These are age-neutral and focus on how the player uses their current ability. The weight of each category may change slightly depending on the level.