Broadcasters send to the competition one young talented musician aged 12 to 21 that performs a piece of classical music of their choice accompanied by the event's orchestra, and a jury, composed of international experts, decides the top 3 participants.
Participation in the contest is primarily open to all broadcasters with active EBU membership, with only one entrant per country allowed in any given year.
[1] Thus, eligibility is not determined by geographic inclusion within Europe, despite the "Euro" in "Eurovision", nor does it have a direct connection with the European Union.
The first edition of the Eurovision Young Musicians took place in Manchester, United Kingdom on 11 May 1982 and six countries took part.
The table lists the participating countries in each decade since the first Eurovision Young Musicians was held in 1982.