Links & Resources: Young Composers' Competitions
Last update: July 6, 2006
NEW and COMING UP FAST: The Intel Composers Competition for young composers 14-18 years of age. The competition is for a work for full orchestra; the deadline is July 1, 2006. Please see the listing below under "Intel..." for more details.
I encourage young composers interested in applying for competitions to the Society of Composers, Inc., or the American Music Center for long and highly detailed lists of competitions. Disclaimer: I cannot be held responsible for continuous updating, or for 100% accurate information, on this site, although I do my best!
21st Century Young Composers Project
December 1, 2005 · 1-10 performers · 6-15 minutes · 35 years old or under · works must have been written in the year 2000 or after · $10 submission fee (may be waived for financial hardship)
ALEA III International Composition Prize
March 15, 2006 · 1-15 performers · 6-15 minutes · born after Jan. 1, 1966 · unperformed, unawarded and unpublished works only · free submission
American Modern Ensemble First Annual Composition Competition
Deadline past (Nov. 15, 2005) · 1-4 specified performers · 15 minutes or less · 35 years old or younger · all submissions OK except those premiered or performed in New York City · free submission
ASCAP Foundation / Morton Gould Young Composer Awards
March 1, 2006 (postmark) · any number of performers · any duration · under 30 years old as of Dec. 31, 2003 · unawarded works only (previous publication and/or performance OK) · free submission
ASCAP Foundation / Young Jazz Composer Awards
December 1, 2005 · any number of performers · any duration · under 30 years old as of Dec. 31, 2005 · unawarded works only (previous publication and/or performance OK) · free submission
The Auros Group For New Music Composition Competition
Deadline past (May 16, 2005) · 2 or 3 performers · any duration · all ages · all submissions OK · $20 (postmarked by deadline) or $30 (postmarked May 17-June 15) per submission
Austin Peay State University 19th Annual Young Composers Competition
May 30, 2006 · 1-12 specific performers · 4-15 minutes · less than 30 years old · all submissions OK · free submission
Bakersfield Symphony New Directions Call for Scores
Deadline past (December 1, 2004) · 1-7 performers · 15 minutes or less (?) · all ages (?) · $25 per submission
Baltimore Choral Arts Society Student Composer Project
April 15, 2006 · SATB mixed chorus with piano or a cappella · 5 minutes or less · Maryland residents in high school or college · free submission
Deadline past (May 1, 2005) · 1-6 specific performers · 15 minutes or less · all ages · all submissions OK · $15 for a single submission or $10 per work for multiple submissions.
BMI Student Composer Awards for classical composers
February 3, 2006 · any instrumentation · any duration · under 26 years old as of Dec. 31, 2005 · all submissions OK · free submission
Bowling Green State University New Music & Arts Festival
February 3, 2006 · any medium · any duration · all ages · free submission
CeBeDem Links to Composition Competitions
Full website of information regarding competitions; some information out of date, but still a useful resource
Charles T. Griffes American Music Composers Competition
Usually March 1 · any instrumentation · any duration · ages 14-25 only · unawarded, unpublished, unperformed (?) works only · free submission - for more information contact Mr. David A. Eggar, Executive Director, 5 Joseph Wallace Drive, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520; 914.271.2595
January 1, 2006 · two scores, at least one of which with a voice part · any duration · under 35 years old · all submissions OK · free submission
Columbia Music Scholarship Conference
Deadline past (October 31, 2005) · 1-13 specific instruments · 15 minutes or less · all ages · all works OK · free submission
Columbia Orchestra American Composer Competition
Deadline past (December 15, 2004) · maximum orchestration 3*.3*.3*.3*--4.3.3.1--4perc (incl timp)--hp--pno/cel/synth--str. · 15 minutes or less · all ages · unpublished/self-published and with less than three public performances · free submission
Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland: Opportunities: Composition Competitions
Full website of information regarding (generally high-level) competitions; some information out of date, but still a useful resource
Full website of information regarding competitions; some information out of date, but still a useful resource
Collage New Music: Katz Young Composers Competition
Deadline past (June 3, 2005) · 2-8 performers · 15 minutes or less · high school, undergraduate and graduate students only · all submissions OK · $25 per submission
counter)induction Composition Competition
November 30, 2005 · 3-5 specified performers · 25 minutes or less · under 35 years old only · all submissions OK · $15 per submission
December 31, 2005 · any instrumentation · 6-20 minutes ("extended composition" category), or 6 minutes or less ("song" category) · junior high school, high school and college students only · jazz, classical or pop/rock OK · $25 for one submission, or $20 each for two or more submissions
Earplay-Donald Aird International Composers Competition
December 31, 2005 · 1-6 specified performers · any duration · all ages · all submissions OK · $25 submission fee
Deadline past (March 31, 2005) · 3-10 performers · any duration · all ages · unperformed, unpublished and unawarded works only · free submission
Emil and Ruth Beyer Composition Awards for members of the National Federation of Music Clubs
Deadline past (April 1, 2005) · piano solo, voice with piano or instrumental · any duration · 20-30 years old only · all works OK, one submission only · $20 entry fee
Ensemble Aleph Fourth International Forum for Young Composers
December 31, 2005 · 5-7 specific performers · 7 minutes or less · 40 years old or less · all submissions OK · free submission
Friends and Enemies of New Music Composition Competition
Deadline past (April 1, 2005) · 1-4 performers · 10 minutes or less · all ages · all submissions OK · $20 per submission
From the Top Young Composer Contest
Rolling deadlines · any works · 9-18 years old · free submission
Haddonfield Symphony Young Composers' Competition
December 12, 2005 · orchestra (3333-4331-timp, 3 perc, kbd, harp, strings, no soloists) · 8-15 minutes · born after April 8, 1976 · all submissions OK · free submission
Hultgren Solo Cello Works Biennial Competition
Deadline past (May 15, 2005) · solo cello · any duration · all ages · all submissions OK, one submission only · $7 entry fee
Indiana University Composition Competition for High School Students
December 1, 2005 · 2 works, any instrumentation · any duration · high school seniors, or other high school students preparing to enter an undergraduate college program in fall 2006 · all submissions OK · free submission
Intel International Science and Engineering Fair Young Composer Competition for 2007
July 1, 2006 · full orchestra · 8-12 minutes, to be titled "The Spirit of Discovery" · 14-18 years old · free submission
Deadline past (April 30, 2005) · 1-12 performers · any duration · under 35 years old only · unawarded works only, premiered between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2004 · free submission
Kate Neal Kinley Memorial Fellowship
January 4, 2006 · up to 3 scores with recordings · 1 hr. total or less · $7,500 and $15,000 awards for graduate study · all submissions OK · free submission
League of Composers / U.S. Section of ISCM
Deadline past (March 22, 2005) · any works · all ages · any duration · all submissions OK · $20 for the first piece, $10 for each additional piece
Left Coast Chamber Ensemble Composition Contest
April 17, 2006 · 1-7 players · all ages · 15-20 minutes or shorter preferred · must not have been professionally performed more than once · $15 per submission
MENC Student Composition Talent Search
Deadline past (October 31, 2005) · any instrumentation, but composer must provide musicians · up to 5 minutes · elementary, middle, and high school, and undergraduate or graduate in college · all submissions OK · $20 entry fee
Miami ISCM at FIU / World Music Days
Deadline past (April 22, 2005) · any instrumentation · any duration · all ages · all submissions OK · $10 for the first work, $5 for the second
Deadline past (September 15, 2005) · 1-15 performers · around 10 minutes · under 40 · all submissions OK · free submission
NACUSA Annual Composer's Competition
Receipt deadline November 30, 2005 · 1-5 performers · 15 minutes or less · 18-30 years old; only members of NACUSA are eligible to enter · all submissions OK · free submission once membership dues are paid
National Guild of Community Schools for the Arts - Hartt School Young Composers Awards
Currently suspended - no applications are being accepted.
New York Art Ensemble Young Composer Competition
December 1, 2005 · 1-4 performers · 12 minutes or less · born after Dec. 31, 1983 · all submissions OK · $25 per submission
New York Miniaturist Ensemble Call for Scores
Submissions OK anytime · 1-4 specified performers · any duration, but 100 notes or less · all ages OK · all submissions OK · free submission
New York Youth Symphony First Music Commissions
December 31, 2005 · orchestral, jazz or chamber music both OK · any duration · born after May 30, 1976 · all submissions OK · free submission
June 1, 2006 · 1-15 performers · any duration · all ages · all submissions OK (preference: works not performed professionally in New York) · $25 per submission
Open Directory - Arts: Music: Composition: Competitions: Cash or Performance Awards
Short website listing of information regarding (generally high-level) competitions; a useful resource
Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra Youth for Youth commissioning program
February 1, 2006 · string orchestra · any duration (?) · 21 or younger as of Jan. 1, 2007 · all works OK (?) · no submission fee; submit short biography, 1-page c.v., 1-page narrative or description of proposed new work, recommendation letter from music teacher, 2 copies of scores from recent work(s) with CD (if available); send to Youth for Youth, c/o Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, 4000 Middlefield Rd., M1, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phi Mu Alpha Fraternity of America (Alpha Lambda Chapter)
Deadline past (March 15, 2005); 2-8 performers · 6-10 minutes · born after Jan. 1, 1979 · unpublished works only · $5 per submission
Quey Percussion Duo Composition Contest
Deadline past (October 1, 2005); percussion duets · 5-10 minutes · all ages · no previously commissioned or published works · free submission
Raymond W. Brock Memorial Student Composition Contest
Deadline past (August 1, 2005) · any choral combination · any length · undergraduate or graduate in college, 27 years old or less by deadline · unperformed and unpublished works only · free submission, but applicants must be ACDA student members
Renée B. Fisher Composer Awards
Contact NMS for more information.
February 24, 2006 · 1-10 performers · 20 minutes or less · all ages · all submissions OK · $15 per submission
Salvi Foundation Composition Competition
Deadline past (June 30, 2004) · harp, violin and 'cello · any duration · all ages · all submissions OK · free submission
San Francisco Song Festival's American Art Song Competition for Composers
Deadline past (December 15, 2004) · solo voice and accompaniment · any duration · Student Composers (under 21), Emerging Artists and Established Professionals categories · $25 for single song, $35 for song cycles or collections
SCI/ASCAP Student Composition Commission
December 15, 2005 · any instrumentation · any duration · all ages · all submissions OK · free submission - must either be a member of SCI or must be willing to join if winning competitor
Singing City Prize for Young Composers
December 5, 2005 · a cappella or accompanied SATB or otherwise-divided choir · 3-5 minutes · ages 15-25 · $20 entry fee
Wayne Peterson Prize for American Composers
January 31, 2006 · 1-6 specified performers · 10-16 minutes · 40 years old or younger on Jan. 1, 2005 · unawarded works only · $25 submission fee
William Lincer Foundation International Composer Competition for Chamber Music
June 1, 2006 · string quintet (2 vln., 2 vla., vc.) · 15-20 minutes · all ages · no prior public performance or recording · free submission
Yale Glee Club Emerging Composers Competition
February 1, 2006 · SATB choir a cappella or accompanied · 3-5 minutes · "early stages of musical career" · unpublished works only · free submission