Opportunities

True Concord Inaugural Christmas Carol Competition

True Concord Voices & Orchestra seeks new, unpublished Christmas works for its December 2025 Lessons & Carols by Candlelight Concerts and/or its Holiday Special. The winning piece(s) may be either an original Christmas-themed composition or an arrangement of a pre-existing Christmas carol tune. Awardees will receive $1,000. Applications may submit a work for SATB voicing, with or without instrumentation, between 3-6 minutes, with text either in the public domain OR used with permission of the author. Sacred and secular text is permitted.

2026-2027 Loghaven Artist Residency

Loghaven invites emerging and established artists to apply for two to six-week residencies occurring in 2026 and 2027. All resident artists receive a living stipend of $850 per week in addition to travel and freight reimbursement. Artists can find inspiration across Loghaven’s award-winning 90-acre campus, which includes beautifully rehabilitated log cabins and light-filled studio spaces.

Lorelei Ensemble 2025 Call for Scores from Women, Nonbinary, and Trans Composers

Lorelei Ensemble announces its 2025 Call for Scores inviting women, nonbinary, and trans composers to submit works of 3-4 minutes in length. Works should be original music (not arrangements) with original or public domain text, scored for a cappella SSSSMMAA voices, and thematically appropriate for inclusion in Lorelei’s new Christmas / Winter Solstice program, Frost and Fire. The work will be premiered in Philadelphia, PA on December 12, 2025, with subsequent performances to be announced. The winning composer will be awarded a $1000 prize, along with travel (within the continental US) and accommodations to attend the premiere in Philadelphia.

Khemia Ensemble Commission Contest

Khemia is seeking an enthusiastic, collaborative composer to commission and write a brand new 5-7 minute work for our full instrumentation: Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, Two Percussion, Optional Multimedia. The winning composer will receive a $2,000 commissioning award, a world premiere performance during our 2026-27 season, and a $750 travel stipend to attend the premiere. Upon selection, the composer will collaborate with us throughout the whole process—including the development, workshopping, and premiere of the work.

The 48th Annual Festival of New American Music Call for Scores

The 48th Festival of New American Music Call for Scores is open to composers of any age. Applicants must reside in the United States, Mexico or Canada. International students on student visas and studying at Colleges and Universities in the US may also apply. Applicants may submit original compositions that fall into four instrumental categories. Compositions must not exceed 10 minutes. Winners receive a $300 award.

Sousa-ABA-Ostwald Composition Contest

The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) and John Philip Sousa Foundation are proud to announce the 65th Sousa-ABA-Ostwald Composition Contest. Applications must submit an original composition for band with the traditional instrumental configuration and can submit up to three compositions each year. The winning composition will be performed at the 2026 American Bandmasters Association Convention in Chicago, Illinois, March 3-8, 2026.

Ensemble for These Times Call for Scores: Works for Solo Piano, Four-Hands

Ensemble for These Times (E4TT) announces a Call for Scores for its 2025/26 (18th) season. Compositions should be for four-hand acoustic pianos of a duration of 3-12 minutes. Chosen works will be performed by E4TT emerita pianist Dale Tsang and partner(s) on March 1, 2026. 

Sitka Lutheran Organ Composition Competition

Sitka Lutheran Church in Sitka, Alaska is enthused to invite young composers to submit organ works for a composition competition. Compositions must be 7-10 minutes in length, suitable for Sitka Lutheran’s 1844 Kessler organ, and must incorporate the melody “Finlandia,” by Jean Sibelius.

Cry of the Earth Call for Scores

Seeks unpublished and unrecorded 3-6 minute choral works related to themes present within Pope Francis’s Laudato si encyclical, from any composers. 10 selected works will be performed and recorded at Loyola University Chicago on October 4. Additional performances will also be planned at other universities throughout North America.

Duo Nessi Call for Collaborations

Seeks work samples from composers who currently live in countries different from the ones where they were born. Two selected composers will collaborate over the course of one year to create a new work for sho and kamancheh, to be performed on the 2026-27 season.

Ninth Planet Ettelson Composer’s Award

Seeks chamber works for 2-9 performers (available instruments within) from any composers, for $1000 prize and performance in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 2025-26 season. Works not selected for the prize will also be considered for programming. The application fee is $20 for general applicants and $10 for students.

Skyline Bones New Music Workshop

Seeks 3-8 minute works for trombone trio, from any composers. Selected composers will attend workshop June 21-22, 2025 in New York City, including rehearsals and performances. Virtual attendance is possible. Tuition is $350.

Gilgamesh Music Festival Call for Electronic Works

Seeks electronic compositions up to 5 minutes in length, from any composers. Selected works will be presented in a virtual concert in October 2025, and may be featured in future performances organized by the Gilgamesh Arts & Culture Foundation.

ARTZenter Emerging Composer Completion Grants

Seeks 50-75 measures or in-progress chamber orchestra works, from composers who are currently enrolled in academic programs of study in music composition in the United States. Up to 8 finalist composers will each receive $3000 to finish their works. 4 winning composers will be invited to participate in a 2-day rehearsal session at San Francisco’s Herbst Theatre, and will each receive accommodations and a $600 stipend for airfare.

Pacific Chamber Orchestra Dream American Workshop

Seeks 5-10 minute orchestral works, preferably 6-8 minutes, which have not been read or performed by professional orchestras, from composers under age 40 who are US citizens or residents. Submitted works should represent, emanate from or be dedicated to an aspect of cultural heritage and diversity. Five selected composers will each receive a $500 stipend and a workshop with the Pacific Chamber Orchestra, concluding in a public performance on October 26, 2025 in Livermore, California.

Espacios Sonoros Open Call

Seeks 5-15 minute multichannel electroacoustic works (ambisonics B-format is preferred) from any composers, with a special category for Latin American composers under age 35. Selected works will be presented in Salta, Argentina in September 2025.

Westside Chamber Players Call for Scores

Seeks 6-10 minute chamber orchestra works from composers who are students enrolled in the 2024-25 academic year. Two winning works will be performed and recorded during the 2025-26 season. The $10 application fee can be waived if it presents a financial barrier to applying.

Flute New Music Consortium Composition Competition

Seeks 5-12 minute works for solo flute, flute & piano or electronics, or 3-6 flutes, from any composers. Winning composers will receive $500 and have their work shared with Flute New Music Consortium’s membership of 50+ flutists, to promote performances of the works.

Phoenix Percussion Composition Competition

Seeks unpublished works of any length for solo marimba, from any composers. One winner will receive $500 and a performance by the University of Delaware Percussion Ensemble.

Aspen Composers’ Conference

Seeks proposals for presentations from any composers who have completed at least one degree in music. Selected speakers will present one-hour lectures on their own work, on the work of a colleague, or on a topic related to the art of composition, at conference in Aspen, Colorado on August 4, 2025. Participants are responsible for their own accommodations.