Opportunities

PRISMS Contemporary Music Festival

Arizona State University’s PRISMS Festival seeks pieces relating to our 2026 theme of “Compress/Release.” One selected composer will receive a prize of $650, and their piece will be performed on February 28 or March 1, 2026, in Tempe, AZ. The concert will also be video-recorded and live-streamed on YouTube. Pieces must be 15 minutes or less. Electronics can use up to four channels of audio, and may include video. Composers must have the rights to use all materials in their pieces, including text, visuals, etc. Submitted pieces may not be under an exclusive performance contract with any performer or ensemble. The selected composer is required to attend the festival; PRISMS can offer lodging and local transportation. The winner will give a talk and may participate in a roundtable during the festival. This competition has no entry fee, no age or geographic limit, and no restriction on whether pieces have been performed, published, or awarded in the past. Composers are free to submit one piece per category. Winners will be announced in January 2026.

Copland House CULTIVATE 2026 Workshop and Mentoring Program

Copland House announces CULTIVATE 2026 – its annual, intensive creative workshop and mentoring program for composers of all backgrounds and identities in the initial stages of their professional careers. Six fellowships are awarded to American citizens or permanent residents to participate in this weeklong emerging composers’ institute, which takes place June 1-9, 2026 at Aaron Copland’s National Historic Landmark home near New York City, and other nearby venues. Fellows are each commissioned to compose one 5- to 7-minute, small-ensemble composition (any combination of clarinet, violin, cello, and/or piano), which serves as the core of their work at CULTIVATE. All expenses (round-trip transportation within the continental U.S., session participation, accommodations, and food) are covered, and a commissioning honorarium of $500 is offered. Copland House retain ownership and copyright to the recording and will release the recording for online streaming later in 2026. Composers have input during the recording and editing process and are given a copy of the recording for private and professional uses. CULTIVATE Fellows also become eligible for various performance, recording, commissioning, and other career development opportunities.

New Music USA 2026 New Music Creator Fund

The  New Music Creator Fund offers grants to individual music creators working in any genre who need support to reach the next stage of their creative practice. The program supports costs related to the creation of new work and new projects developed in collaboration with other artists and practitioners. Examples of costs supported through the fund include (but are not limited to) performer/collaborator fees, project-specific equipment, joint R&D and workshopping of new project ideas, and other essential costs such as childcare for yourself or a collaborating artist. Average grants from the New Music Creator Fund range from $3,000 to $5,000. As of 2026, applicants are invited to indicate their interest in being considered for the Thea Musgrave Performer-Composer Collaboration Grant, an annual award of $10,000 awarded through the Creator Fund.

Roots in the Sky 2026 Choral Composition Program

Roots in the Sky invites composers to apply for our 2026 Choral Composition Program, to be held August 19-22 in Bozeman, Montana and presented in partnership with Tinworks Art. Applicants must be aged 18+ and must currently reside in the US. Participants will compose a new a cappella choral work, 6-8 minutes in length, broadly inspired by the concert themes of resource extraction and the relationship between human activity and the environment. There is no tuition or cost to participate. Composers selected for the program will receive: 1) Premiere performances of their work in August 2026 in Bozeman, MT; 2) Roundtrip travel and accommodations for the premiere performances; 3) Feedback and support sessions during the drafting phase with composer Michael Gilbertson and Roots in the Sky Artistic Director Andrew Major; and 4) A professional recording for non-commercial, promotional use.

2026-2028 Akademie Schloss Solitude Residency

Akademie Schloss Solitude is accepting applications for its residential fellowships for the period 2026–2028. International artists, researchers, and cultural professionals from all disciplines will have the opportunity to apply for a six- or nine-month fellowship. Residents receive a monthly fellowship of 1,300 euros, are provided with furnished living quarters and a work studio with utilities, and a one-time travel allowance for arrival and departure. With the Solitude Fellowship, the Akademie Schloss Solitude provides space for concentrated work, interdisciplinary exchange, and international networking. In doing so, the fellowships contribute to an open, diverse, and globally connected cultural landscape in Baden-Württemberg and Germany. The fellowship is open-ended in terms of results, while also offering the possibility of on-site events, including collaborations with other cultural institutions in Stuttgart and the region.

Delta Omicron 2025 Thor Johnson Commission Competition

The Delta Omicron Foundation, Inc., established in 1958, is a philanthropic organization that commissions the Thor Johnson Commission triennially. This current call is for compositions that will be premiered in 2028 at the Delta Omicron Fraternity Triennial Conference. A $3,000 award will be presented to the selected composition composer at that conference. Interested applicants need to submit the following by December 30, 2025: 1) A composition proposal for voice with piano accompaniment no longer than 15 minutes with multiple movements. The composer may choose the voice type for the composition; 2) A personal biography or vita; 3) Recordings of select previous compositions (CD or MIDI) or a list of such recorded compositions that are available online from a personal website. The selected commission proposal will be determined by early spring of 2026, and the full composition must be completed by January 15, 2028.

Lake George Music Festival Call for Scores

The Lake George Music Festival is a strong supporter of contemporary classical music, and annually hosts an international Call for Scores to promote its continued development and dissemination. Up to two compositions (announced by mid-March 2026) will be selected to receive a live performance at the Lake George Music Festival’s upcoming season. The winning composers will also be invited to Lake George to work with the musicians performing their piece, and may be invited to share their work with the Composers Institute depending on scheduling and availability. A modest travel stipend of $250, lodging, and some meals will be provided to facilitate attendance at the festival. Attendance at the festival is encouraged but not required. Composers will be required to provide the score and parts in PDF format to the festival upon notification of selection.

12th TUTTI Festival Call for Scores

Denison University announces the 12th TUTTI Festival Call for Scores. Composers are invited to submit two scores for the instrumentation of featured guest artists Attacca Quartet, Gabriel Kahane, Nick Ritter, and Chilean musician/producer Cristian “Huevo” Sanhueza-Zaninovic, as well as Denison faculty, students, and ensembles. 30 to 35 applicants will be selected and their work premiered at the TUTTI Festival, March 23–28, 2026 at Denison University. Awardees will also take part in roundtable discussions, lectures, and an archival recording of their composition. 

24th Annual Electronic Music Midwest Festival Call for Scores

Lewis University and Kansas City Kansas Community College are pleased to announce an international call for submissions for the 24th Annual Electronic Music Midwest Festival, featuring guest performer Mary Hubbell, to be held March 13-14, 2026 at Lewis University. Each concert will feature an 8.1.4 immersive speaker diffusion system, with a lower/main ring of 8 channels (with front and rear centers) and 4 height channels. Acclaimed soprano, Mary Hubbell will be the featured performer and composers are encouraged to submit works for her consideration.

OSSIA New Music International Call for Scores

OSSIA New Music, the student-run new music organization at the Eastman School of Music, is pleased to announce an international call for scores. The prize-winning work will be presented by Eastman student performers on the 3rd Mainstage concert of OSSIA New Music’s 2025–2026 season, on Feb 10, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. Composers age 35 and under, as of December 1st, 2025, of all nationalities, are encouraged to apply. There is no entry fee, and works may have been previously performed. The submitted compositions should be scored for a chamber ensemble. OSSIA invites the submission of works involving unusual performative demands.

Composer Miniature Challenge: Imagining the Lost Flute Solos of “Blind Tom” Wiggins

Joshua Hahn, flutist and composer, is issuing a composer challenge to engage with the flute music of Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins. A celebrated pianist and composer of the 19th century, Wiggins also owned a flute, which is on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This Composer Miniature Challenge calls for composers to imagine what Wiggins’ flute music may have sounded like, as known of his flute music survives. Joshua will be performing selected miniatures at his lecture recital at the Society for American Music Conference in Richmond, VA in March 2026. Up to ten participants will receive a $75 honorarium, and our intention is to provide all participants a recording of their composition.

NATS Art Song Composition Award

The National Association of Teachers of Singing offers an annual Art Song Composition Award with the goal of advancing quality vocal literature by promoting new works for singers. Compositions may be a song cycle, group of songs, or an extended song. NATS offers cash prizes to the 1st & 2nd-place competition winners ($2,000 and $1,000, respectively), plus a performance of the 1st-place winning work at the 59th NATS National Conference in San Antonio, Texas, Dates July 3-6, 2026. Each entry is $30 for professionals; $15 for full-time students (payable in U.S. funds to NATS). 1st place winner receives $500 airfare reimbursement plus hotel. 

Grafenegg Ink Still Wet 2026 Call for Scores

Ink Still Wet 2026 at the Grafenegg Festival invites composers to create a new orchestral work and conduct its premiere with the Tonkünstler Orchestra, under the guidance of Olga Neuwirth, Composer in Residence 2026. The workshop focuses on practical rehearsal work from the podium, close mentoring, and a public concert. Two phases shape the project: Part 1 runs April 21 to 24, 2026 in Grafenegg and Vienna. Part 2 runs August 14 to 22, 2026 in Grafenegg during the Festival. The closing concert takes place on August 21 in the Auditorium Grafenegg. Participation is fully funded. Support includes international travel, accommodation, local transfers, subsistence, and tickets for Festival concerts.

Santa Clara University Tenure-Track Music Theory and Composition Position

The department of Music at Santa Clara University, a Jesuit, Catholic university, seeks applicants for a full-time tenure-track position in Music Theory and Composition. In teaching, this faculty member will lead the core courses of our Theory Curriculum, which serve both music majors and minors, and will contribute to the current and future Arts Core. They will also be encouraged to design additional courses and upper-division electives in their areas of expertise that may serve the major, the Arts Core, or intersect with other areas of the evolving Core curriculum as appropriate. The successful candidate will start on September 1, 2026 and be expected to teach, engage in scholarship and/or creative work, and do service for the department, college, and university. SCU is on the quarter system and tenure-stream faculty are expected to teach six courses per year (two each quarter), assuming they are actively engaged in scholarship or creative work. Salary ranges from $83,771 to $93,107 and includes health benefits and housing assistance.

Praecepta 2026 Mini Fest Call for Scores

Announcing the Call for Scores for the Praecepta 2026 Mini Fest. This opportunity is open to any composer (excluding BGSU Students), over the age of 18, with any level of education. Praecepta is a student organization at Bowling Green State University which promotes the composition, performance, and enjoyment of new music throughout the local community. The two selected works will be premiered February 28, 2026; winners will receive a recording of their work and retain all recording rights. 

13th Annual MusicTeacherGifts.com Youth Composition Competition

Announcing the 13th Annual MusicTeacherGifts.com Youth Composition Competition for students ages 10 through 18 (or 19 if still in high school). Three age groups are divided for judging purposes: a) 10–14; b) 15–16; and c) 17–18 (19 if still in high school). Two judges give constructive feedback for every student who enters. 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for two older groups and 1st and 2nd prizes given for younger group. $40 entry fee is used to give back as student prizes. Ties are given where warranted. J. W. Pepper has donated gift certificates for prizes.

Alba Music Festival Composition Program

The Alba Music Festival Composition Program, located in picturesque Alba, Italy, seeks applications from composers of any nationality and at any stage of their career for the 2026 music composition program spanning May 23rd through June 1st. The program features daily workshops, masterclasses, and one-on-one private lessons with the composition faculty, composers-in-residence, and guest artists. Participants will have their music performed and recorded by the Boston-based new music ensemble the Hinge Quartet and be mentored by our 2026 composers-in-residence Laura Elise Schwendinger and Lansing McLoskey, and our composition faculty which includes Reinaldo Moya and J Anthony Allen. Tuition is 3,490 euro; financial aid available. 

Orkest and DREAMGLOW 2025 Call for Scores

Orkest and DREAMGLOW announce a 2025 call for scores.  Composers and songwriters are invited to submit a composition for 6 musicians that will be premiered by DREAMGLOW at The Rooted Armory Cafe on November 30th, 2025.

Como Conservatory Eidos Piano Project

Seeks solo piano works with or without electronics written since 2000, from any composers. Length restrictions vary depending on which level of piano student the work is intended for (see within). This is an ongoing competition. Scores will be selected every six months and may be used by teachers and students of the Como Conservatory (Italy) for teaching and concert production activities.