PORTLAND – Twenty-one talented young performers from across the state will be featured in RO4UNO, Reindeer Record’s new talent competition for solo performers.

Reindeer Records has put on the Reindeer Rock-Off for high-school bands for the past 23 years.

“After Sammie Francis of Gorham High School won Rock-Off 20 as a solo act, it became evident that individual artists needed a competition of their own,” said assistant producer Hudson Eakin.

Starting at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6 and 13, competitors will showcase their vocal, instrumental and/or songwriting abilities in hopes of winning a live mobile recording package, a $250 cash prize and the coveted title of “The Best Young Solo Artist in Maine.” The competition site is McAuley Performing Arts Center at 637 Stevens Ave.

With no limits on genre, RO4UNO audience members can expect to hear an array of musical genres: classical, opera, punk, jazz, folk, acoustic pop, country and musical theater. And as is the case with many TV talent competitions, the audience vote will combine with the judges’ scores to determine the results.

Among those in the RO4UNO cast are Alyra Donisvitch, home schooled; Dan Nelson, Brunswick High School; Hannah Rodrigue, Lewiston High School; James Paul Goselin, Mt. Blue High School; and Michael Weber and Zack Pomerleau, Edward Little High School.

More than 40 young performers expressed interest in Reindeer’s new competition, but getting on stage is not an easy task. Registration criteria for RO4UNO adheres to the tough judging criteria that Reindeer has used for decades in The Rock-Off. Criteria is intentionally more challenging and based on general recording industry standards rather than on popularity. Artists with the five highest overall scores will make it into the finals, set for Sunday, Feb. 10.

As a bonus, a sixth performer will be “saved,” as the MaineToday.com wildcard, the artist with the highest combination of online poll votes and text-messaging votes.

Shows are open to all ages. Tickets are $10 per showcase, with group discounts for youth organizations, and are available from any participating artist, or by calling Reindeer at 857-9002.

Complete online coverage of RO4UNO, including a full schedule, artist photos, bios and sound clips, can be found on MaineToday.com’s Web site, entertainment.mainetoday.com/ro4uno/.