2023 Composition Competition Info

About

  • Sempre Musick’s goal is to provide young musicians with new music to learn and perform, created by their contemporaries.
  • This Composition Competition encourages the creation of original music composed for early intermediate – advanced performers.

Eligibility

  • Composition may be in any style and approximately 5 minutes in duration or less.
  • Works previously created, performed and / or published in 2018 or later are accepted.
  • Multiple submissions are allowed.
  • International applicants are eligible.
  • Applicants are eligible to apply to multiple Sempre Musick events.

Composition Categories

Compositions should fit in one of the following categories:

  • An original solo work for any instrument.
  • An original solo work for any instrument (including voice), with accompaniment, including piano, small string or wind ensemble of up to 5 players.
  • A chamber work for 2 to 5 players.

Age Categories

Applicants will be divided by age as of January 1:

  • Elementary (10 and younger)
  • Junior (11-14)
  • Senior (15-18)
  • Collegiate (19-24)
  • Adult (25 and older)

Submission Format

  • Standard sheet music format. (No tablature will be accepted.)
  • Submissions in Sibelius or Finale are preferred, but not mandatory. A PDF printout of the composition should accompany the Sibelius or Finale files.
  • PDFs of clean and legible manuscripts without digital versions will also be accepted.
  • Measures of the composition must be numbered at the beginning of each system.
  • Audio and/or video recordings of submitted compositions are encouraged, but optional.

Deadlines and Dates

  • Application and submission deadline: October 10.
  • Results will be announced on or around November 10.

Fees

  • $25 per submission.
  • Multiple submissions are allowed. Separate fee applies for each submission.
  • All fees paid are non-refundable.

Awards and Prizes

  • All contestants will receive certificates of participation and comments from our judge(s).
  • Cash prize(s) of up to $300 will be awarded for outstanding compositions.
  • Honorable Mentions will be awarded.
  • The winner in each age category will have their work performed with the Sempre Musick Orchestra or by a Sempre Musick musician in the 2024 season, in Andover, MA. Winners are not required to travel to Massachusetts, and travel funding is not available.
  • The composer will be requested to provide the score and parts in PDF format, their biography, and any program notes.

Rules

  • At its discretion, Sempre Musick may request a re-submission or reject illegible manuscripts.
  • No changes may be made to a composition after submission.
  • Decisions of competition judges are final and may not be contested.
  • Each entrant certifies that the composition is an original work, and the score was produced by the entrant.
  • Winners grant Sempre Musick unremunerated one-time performance rights to their composition. Applicants retain all other rights to their work.