Submissions are open NOW!
We are now accepting submissions for String Quartet Smackdown IX! There is no cost to enter or participate. Simply complete the form by DECEMBER 1, 2024 at 11:59pm (Central Standard Time). Any submissions received after this deadline will NOT be considered. We strongly encourage you to review the “Frequently Asked Questions” before preparing your submission or contacting us. We look forward to receiving your submission — good luck!
Golden Hornet’s String Quartet Smackdown is a bracketed, NCAA basketball style tournament competition which brings original four-minute string quartet compositions head-to-head in front of a live, participatory audience. It’s like NCAA March Madness for the ears! There is no submission fee and the winner gets $2,500.00.
Every other fall, composers from around the globe are invited to submit through an open, no-cost entry process. Following submission, a diverse panel of judges selects sixteen compositions to be performed live at the String Quartet Smackdown, which takes place in February at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX.
Compositions must be exactly four (4) minutes in length, give or take only a few seconds. If shorter or longer, your piece does not qualify and would either suffer in performance or be cut off before completion. Submissions that are longer than 4’20” or shorter than 3’40” will be automatically disqualified from consideration.
Your submitted work can be brand new, or a selection from a previous or longer work, so long as it is original — you must be the author of the work and maintain the rights to the music.
If pulling a selection from a longer piece, please update the score to provide only the appropriate four minute portion, properly edited for this purpose. We strongly suggest that you prepare the score and parts with great care and detail, as your your ability to communicate with the quartet directly will be limited.