Our list of competitions, awards, and calls for scores of interest to current and prospective members of the Walden community.
The Walden School in no way endorses these opportunities above others that may not appear, nor does it claim to have achieved a comprehensive listing. If you feel there is an opportunity that we have omitted from our list, we encourage you to contact us. We also encourage you to check out The Composer’s Site, which maintains extensive and up-to-date opportunity listings.
Featured Opportunities
Indiana Symphony Choir Christmas Carol Commission Competition: The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir announces its 14th annual Christmas Carol Commission Competition. American composers 35 years of age or younger (as of December 1, 2023) may submit new, previously unpublished and unperformed works for SATB choir. Text and language are at the discretion of the composer and should be suitable for a Christmas/holiday performance. The winning composition will be performed by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir at its annual Festival of Carols, Indianapolis, IN. $2,500 prize plus travel and lodging for the world premiere in December 2023 will be awarded to the winning composer. Applications are due May 31, 2023.
Barlow Prize: Brigham Young University invites composers of all backgrounds and aesthetics to submit a portfolio of existing works to the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition Prize Competition. The winning composer will receive a $15,000 commission for a major new work for solo guitar (nylon string). The work will be performed in 2025-2026 by a consortium of international performers which will include: Ahmed Dickinson, Martha Masters, Meng Su, and Xuefei Yang, and is expected to meet the highest artistic requirements for the medium.
Applications are due June 1, 2023.
Toru Takemitsu Composition Award: Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation aspires to promote and foster the possibility of more creative music culture for the future. As one sphere of our activities, to carry out the intention of the Foundation’s first artistic director, the late Toru Takemitsu, under the theme of “Prayer, Hope and Peace” and “Window to the Future”, the Foundation established the “Toru Takemitsu Composition Award” in order to inspire younger generations all over the world to contribute to the creation of new musical compositions. Composers under age 35 of all nationalities may submit one work for orchestra in any genre other than concerto. Applications are due September 29, 2023.
Apply for 2023 today!
Young Musicians Program for
musically-inclined students ages 9-18
Creative Musicians Retreat for
adult musicians
Applications are still being accepted for Summer 2023.
Opportunity Archive
Name of opportunity | Details | Eligibility | Application fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Choral Directors Association Awards and Commissions | The Focus Competition is structured to meet identified gaps in repertoire needs of ACDA members and their ensembles. A total of $6,000 in prizes will be awarded each year. Other awards and competitions are added to this page as they come up. | Any age, must be members of ACDA | Free |
| American Composers Forum (ACF) NextNotes High School Composition Awards | Six winners receive mentorship from professional composers & musicians at a two-day workshop; paid travel and room/board for the workshop; a public concert of the winning works; a $1,000 scholarship to be used for composition studies; a recording of their concert; and may be eligible for up to $500 in "bring it home" funds to share their work in their hometown. Winners also receive free Finale software. Up to 30 applicants will be chosen for Honorable Mention and receive written feedback on their submissions. ALL entrants deemd eligible applicants receive a free ACF student membership and 1-year subscription to Noteflight Premium. | Students in grades 9-12. | Free |
| American Composers Forum Programs | ACF has a variety of opportunities for composers at various stages of their careers | Varies | See website |
| American Prize | The American Prize in Composition recognizes and rewards the best composers in America of works for orchestra, chorus, concert band, chamber ensemble, pops, or theater music (opera-musical theater, theater, film, dance) that have been read or publicly performed. | Separate awards for student and professional composers | $50 |
| ASCAP Awards and Scholarships | Wide variety of awards and scholarships for emerging composers and songwriters | Varies | Varies |
| The ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards | The ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards (the “Award”) honors the late Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and The ASCAP Foundation’s former president Morton Gould’s lifelong commitment to encouraging young creators. Open to composers of original, classical concert music, the Award encourages developing music creators during the earliest stages of their careers. | The Award is open to young composers (each, an “Entrant”) who have not reached their 30th birthday by the application deadline. Entrants must also be, at the time of entry, a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or enrolled student with a valid and current U.S. student visa. Entrants under 18 may apply with parental consent. | Free |
| ASCAP SEAMUS Student Composer Commissioning Program | First prize winner receives $1250 for the commission of a new electro-acoustic work, performance at the SEAMUS Nat'l Conference, and a recording on SEAMUS Compact Disc Series. Second prize winner receives $750 for the commission of a new electro-acoustic work and performance at the SEAMUS Nat'l Conference. | Must be a student member of SEAMUS AND either currently enrolled in an academic program in the USA (high school through doctoral studies) or a US citizen studying abroad. The submitted work must have been completed while the applicant was a student, and the applicant must have student status at the time the work is submitted to the competition. | Free |
| Baltimore Composers Forum Call for Scores | Call for works for mezzo soprano, baritone, piano and their subsets up to 8 minutes in length | Open to members of the Baltimore Composers Forum. | Free |
| Barlow Prize Competition | The winning composer will receive a $12,000 commission to compose a major new work, performed by a consortium of musicians. | Anyone | Free |
| Bienniale College Musica | The Biennale College Musica 2023 will take place at the 67th International Contemporary Music Festival in Venice, Italy, and will feature a program of research, creation, and residency for ten musicians between the ages of 18 and 30. The theme of the festival is “Micro-Music,” focused on the processing and diffusion of digital sound. The interdisciplinary program will include four two-week residencies in Venice, supervised by mentors from the world of digital music. | Composers between aged 18-30 | Free |
| BMI Pete Carpenter Fellowship | Residency for aspiring film, television, and video game composers. Awards $2,000 stipend for three to four weeks of intensive, in-studio mentorship with established composers in Los Angeles, and also offers the opportunity to consult with other distinguished leaders in the entertainment industry. | At least 21 years old, pursuing a career in TV, film, and/or video game composition and must be a US Citizen or resident with a valid visa or green card, and eligible for employment during the residency period. | Free |
| BMI Student Composer Awards | Awards totaling $20,000 are determined annually for vocal, instrumental, and/or electronic compositions submitted by students of classical music. | Must be a citizen of a country in the Western Hemisphere currently studying music, either in an educational institution or privately, and under the age of 28 as of time of submission. | Free |
| Cambridge Chamber Singers Composition Competition | $700 and two performances of a 3-6 minute work for a capella, 4-6 part mixed choir. | Anyone | Free |
| Centre International Nadia et Lili Boulanger Scholarships | One scholarship each per year for a performer, composer, and musicologist, carrying out studies in France, adapted to the needs of each candidate. | Candidates must be at least 20 years old and at most 32 years old by the deadline, and must pursue their studies in France. | Free |
| Composers & Schools in Concert: Composer Commissions and Workshops | Commissions for professional composers to write pieces for high-school students; opportunities to develop music-creation workshops for students. | Professional composers | Free |
| Delta Omicron Composition Competition | Delta Omicron seeks works for male voice & piano of 7-15 minutes in length, to be performed at the 2021 Delta Omicron International Fraternity Conference. Winning composer will receive $1,000. | All composers of college-age or older. Submitted works must not have been previously commissioned, published, or publicly performed. | $25 |
| Downbeat Student Music Awards | The award categories include various genres and styles, including jazz, blues/pop/rock, Latin, and original compositions for small and large ensembles; there are also awards for sound engineering. | Separate awards for students in middle school, high school, and college. Students may not be enrolled in full-time professional work. | Free |
| Earplay Donald Aird Composers Competition | $1000 cash prize and a performance by Earplay in their next season, for compositions for 1-6 players, with or without electronics. | Anyone | $26/score |
| Encore Wind Ensemble Charles Olson Young Composers Contest | Call for 5-8 minute compositions for wind band. The winning composition will receive a $1,000 cash award with a public performance. | Composers must be 15-22 years old at the time of application | $25 |
| Emerging Composer Completion Grants | The San Francisco ARTZenter Institute and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players offer these grants to young composers currently enrolled in a degree-granting program of study in composition. The grant program offers $3,000 completion grants to six winners, who will then have the opportunity to participate in a three-day open rehearsal workshop. The workshops will culminate in a recorded “open work-in-progress rehearsal” of the six works. | Composers must be currently enrolled in an academic program of study in music composition in the United States. | Free |
| Face the Music Composer Program | The Face the Music Composition Program welcomes composers at all levels and with varying stylistic interests. Instrumentalists who have never composed before but have always wanted to can use this as an opportunity to compose their first piece of music! Student-composers who have experience and are working on larger-scale works may be invited to write a piece for a Face the Music ensemble and have the opportunity to develop that piece in a laboratory environment. | Composers under college age, and studying a musical instrument. | $40 |
| Foundation for Modern Music: Robert Avalon Composition Competition | $75-$1,000 cash prizes and performance by FMM performers of the winning submissions in a variety of categories | 4 Divisions ranging from through 8th grade to professional. | Varies by category ($30-$75) |
| Fromm Commission Grant | $12,000 commission for all compositions regardless of idiom, instrumentation, style, or the use of technology. Submissions in jazz, hybrid, electronic, or other idioms are welcome. | To be eligible, a composer must be a legal resident of the United States for a term of one year or more during the time of the application. For these purposes, "residents" shall be deemed to include U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents, temporary residents, asylees, refugees, and nonimmigrants who have been lawfully admitted to, and reside in, the United States and can ensure they are legally able to be paid for services by Harvard University. | See website |
| Gil Soundtrack Award | Composers may submit a score for the short film, Somos Tierra. The winning composer will receive 50,000 euros. | Composers must be between the ages of 18 and 36 and scores must match instrumentation listed at gilsoundtrack.com | |
| Heckscher Foundation-Ithaca College Composition Prize | $1750 cash prize for a new composition to be premiered by Ithaca College Contemporary Ensemble. | Anyone | Free |
| ICEBERG Young Composer Award | These awards are intended to reward composers and music-makers of exceptional ability who hail from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. Winners will receive a $1,000 scholarship. | Applicants must be at least 16 years of age, a citizen or permanent resident of USA, and currently enrolled in an accredited high school (or homeschooled). Preference will be given to applicants who self-identify as being from a traditionally underrepresented community. This includes, but is not limited to, applicants who identify as female, nonwhite, and/or LGBTQ+. | Free |
| InterContinental Music Awards | The Los Angeles-based InterContinental Music Awards (ICMA) evaluates music entries from a global and ethical perspective by a panel of judges who are active industry professionals and Hollywood music executives. Winners are rewarded with education, prizes and high quality, direct coaching on how to be successful in the music industry. ICMA welcomes amateur and professional musicians and songwriters of all ages to submit original music and/or performances (including covers and remixes of existing music). | Anyone | See website |
| Intermusic SF (Formerly SF Friends of Chamber Music) Musical Grant Program | Grants for composers, performers, and presenters to cover composer fees, performance and rehersal fees, production costs, etc. for a concert series or festival. | Must reside in one of the 15 counties of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. Must be at least 18 years old. Must confirm eligibility with the organization prior to applying. | Free |
| International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) Call for ____ | The International Contemporary Ensemble has had a long history of collaboration with artists as well as calls for proposals/scores (see info about our past programs – icelab & iceCOMMONS AiR). Throughout this past year, the Ensemble sought out new ways to make the process more inviting to welcome as many applicants as possible. After holding an open forum in October 2020 which was focused on how to make calls for works more inclusive and to reimagine the open call process, there was an overwhelming desire to humanize the process and hone in on collaborating with artists. The Ensemble took feedback from this forum to build a new submission form. Each artist will receive the support of Ensemble musicians, rehearsal time, video and audio documentation, marketing support, and a paid commission all alongside performances of their pieces created with the Ensemble. | Anyone, however ICE encourages applicants who are female-identifying, POC, transgender, LGBQ, immigrant, individuals with disabilities, as well as people of diverse social, educational, and economic backgrounds. | None |
| International Society for Contemporary Music | Ongoing list of competitions for composers | Varies | See website |
| International Society of Bassists: David Walter Composition Competition | $1000 and world premieres for new works in four categories: 1. unaccompanied solo bass, 2. chamber ensemble featuring bass, 3. bass ensemble, and 4. bass and electronic media | Anyone | $50/composition |
| International Songwriting Competition | The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual song contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. Winners receive cash prizes and career development opportunities. | Anyone - various categories | $30 per song or category |
| Iowa State University Carillon Competition | Competition to encourage young composers to write for carillon | See website | See website |
| Ithaca College Choral Composition Contest | Cash prizes up to $1200 and performances for 3-5 minute works for mixed choir. | Anyone | $25/score |
| Jâca Emerging Composers Competition | Composers are invited to submit 5-12' works for Bb clarinet and guitar that deal with the theme of culture. Winning composers will receive cash prize, performance, and publishing deal. | Limited to ages 16-30 | $25 |
| Jerome Foundation Grants | 2-year Artist Fellowship supports creation of new work workspace/studio/rehearsal rental, research, travel, professional development, professional equipment purchase, residency participation, development of new skills, and/or other needs directly related to artistic and career development as defined by the Fellow. | Open only to non-student early career generative artists who are legal residents of Minnesota or the five boroughs of New York City and not-for-profit arts organizations that serve those artists. | Free |
| Juventas New Music Ensemble Call for Scores | Juventas New Music Ensemble seeks chamber music and art songs responding to current affairs, to be performed at their February concert, "Freedom of Speech" in Boston. | Any composer who identifies as both an emerging composer at the early stages of their career | $10/composition |
| Lake George Music Festival Composition Competition | Call for works for 3-8 players, under 25 minutes. 1-2 winners receive $500 and performance of their work at LGMF. Winner is invited to be "Composer In Residence" to work with the musicians performing their work. | Anyone | $10 |
| League of American Orchestras Women Composers Readings and Commissions Program | Selected works will be read by various partner orchestras. Selected composers will receive $15000 commisions. | All female/female identifying/non binary composers | See website |
| League of Composers/ISCM Composition Competition | Works no longer than 20 minutes for solo, chamber ensemble, and chamber orchestra may be submitted. Winners are awarded cash prizes up to $1000 and performance in NYC by Orchestra of the League of Composers | Anyone | $25/work |
| Left Coast Chamber Ensemble Composition Contest | Call for works between 5 and 20 minutes for 1-7 instruments. Winners are awarded $2000, a performance by Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, and a recording of the performance. | Anyone | $16/work |
| Luna Composition Lab | Yearlong program in which young composers write a piece to be performed at the end of the program. Includes 1:1 mentorship and bimonthly lessons with an established female composer, performance opportunity as part of the Face the Music season, recording of their work, and networking opportunities. | Applicants must be self-identified female, gender nonconforming and non-binary composers, ages 12-18 | $15 application fee; $600 program fee. Scholarships available. |
| Lydian String Quartet Commission Prize | The winning composer will receive a $15,000 commission to compose a large- scale (15- to 30-minute) string quartet that will be premiered by the Lydian String Quartet in spring 2022. | Anyone, except for current Brandeis students and faculty | $30 |
| MATA Festival Call for Submissions | Selected works will be performed at the MATA Festival in New York City. All sorts of music is accepted: fully notated, improvised, sound art, video, electronic, found instruments, toys, installations, and everything in between. | Composers under age 40 | Free |
| Mata Jr. Festival | Six school-aged composers will be paired with one of MATA’s alumni composer-mentors and asked to write a new work for the Bergamot String Quartet. Works will be rehearsed and performed in concert in New York City during MATA’s 2020-2021 season. | Composers who have not yet graduated high school | Free |
| Miquel Llobet Guitar Composition Contest | Call for scores for 3-6' unpublished classical guitar works. Winning compositions will receive performances and winning composers will receive cash prize and honorary certificate. | Anyone | 15 Euro |
| mise-en Music Festival Call for Scores | Selected works will be performed at the Mise-En Festival in NYC, and composers are offered free housing to attend and participate. | Anyone | $25 per entry |
| Mivos/Kanter String Quartet Composition Prize | The competition is designed to promote works of talented emerging composers currently residing in the United States. Its winner will receive a $650 cash prize, and a performance of the submitted piece in New York City during Mivos Quartet’s 2020-21 season. | Composers must be currently residing in the United States and in the early/middle stages of developing an international career and for whom this prize would represent a significant career opportunity. | Free |
| MIZZOU New Music Summer Festival Call for Scores | Eight composers from around the world will be selected through a portfolio application process to compose a work to be performed by the internationally acclaimed new music ensemble, Alarm Will Sound. Composers will take part in discussions and masterclasses with Chen Yi and David T. Little; take part in workshops with Alarm Will Sound and receive a professional live recording of the premiere performance of their work. | See website | $22 |
| Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Competitions | Competitions for a variety of age groups and instrumentations | MTNA membership required, or nonmember fee of $150 | Varies between categories |
| Music International Grand Prix Competition | Musicians in four age groups in the categories of Voice, Piano, Strings, Woodwinds and Brass will be selected for performances at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall and will receive cash prizes. | Anyone (four different age categories) in four different vocal/instrumental categories | $25 |
| NAfME Electronic Music Composition Competition | The NAfME Electronic Music Composition Competition recognizes outstanding compositions and highlights the effectiveness of music technology in the school curriculum. Entries will be judged based on their aesthetic quality, use of electronic media, and the power of the composition. The schools of the winners in each category will receive a subscriptions to music softwares and plugins | Students, or teachers of students in grades K-grad school. 3 Categories: K-8, High School, and Collegiate. Entrants must be sponsored by an NAfME member teacher, or be a NAfME Collegiate member in good standing. | $40 |
| National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Student Composers Competition | Students (K-grad school) are invited to submit original music to be performed at the Young Composers Concert. Up to ten winning composers will receive cash awards and all entrants receive written feedback. | Students, or teachers of students in grades K-grad school. 3 Categories: K-8, High School, and Collegiate. | $40 |
| National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Junior Composer Awards | Cash prizes for various types of pieces: choral works, piano solos, small ensemble pieces, and pieces for voice and accompaniment. | Various awards and categories for composers under 9 through 18 years old. | $5 |
| National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) Student Collegiate Division | Cash award for student/collegiate composition students | Must have reached the 19th, but not the 26th birthday by the application deadline. Must be a junior, senior, or graduate student in college, majoring in composition | $10 |
| National Flute Association Flute Choir Composition Competition | This annual competition selects one work each year to be premiered by the Professional Flute Choir, High School Flute Choir, or Collegiate Flute Choir, in rotation. The winning composition will be performed by the High School Flute Choir during the NFA Convention. The winning composition will also be displayed in the Exhibit Hall during the convention and deposited in the NFA Music Library at the University of Arizona. | Must be a current NFA member | Free |
| National Guild of Piano Teachers Composition Contest | Various prizes and categories for new compositions for piano & piano chamber music | See website | between $20-$60, depending on category |
| New England Philharmonic Call for Scores | Performance of a 15 minute or shorter orchestral work on a New England Philharmonic concert. | Emerging composers | $40/score |
| New Music on the Bayou Festival | Selected works in one of several instrumentation categories will be performed, in addition to participation in 3-day festival, and eligibility for $500 commission for a new work. | Anyone | $20 for first three works submitted, $5 for each additional work submitted |
| New Voices Project | San Francisco Choral Artists is soliciting new works for chamber choir from composers under 30. Composers are encouraged to submit new and creative settings of poetry for consideration for a June 2023 concert set entitled Shakespeare & Friends. The first-prize winner receives a $500 cash prize, and all winners receive a professional-quality recording of the performance. | Composers under the age of 30 | Free |
| nief-norf Summer Festival Call for Scores | Selected works are premiered by Performance Fellows at the nief-norf Summer Festival. | Anyone | $15 for the first composition, $10 for each additional work. |
| NIH Community Orchestra (NIHCO) Call for Scores | The NIHCO, a community orchestra in Maryland, has announced a new competition for composers aged 30 or younger, especially those studying or based in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC. Composers are invited to submit a new work 8-10 minutes in length that is inspired by the theme of “Reflection and Rejuvenation.” The winner will receive a $3,000 honorarium and a video-recorded premiere in June 2023. Up to three honorable mentions may be named. | Composers ages 30 and younger | Free |
| North/South Consonance Call for Scores | Selected works will be performed and recorded by North/South Consonance (NYC). | Anyone | See website |
| Pacific Musical Society Annual Competition | One $1300 prize. | Various age categories. Applicants must be residents of San Francisco, Marin, Napa, Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Sonoma, Yolo, Sacramento, or Placer counties. | $80 |
| Parma Recordings Call for Scores/Sphinx | The Sphinx Organization, PARMA Recordings, cellist Thomas Mesa, and pianist Michelle Cann present a call for scores open exclusively to Black and Latinx composers. Selected composers will receive studio recording produced at no cost to the composer, full ownership of the resulting master recording, commercial release of the recording on an album with worldwide digital distribution, all post-production, design of all album visual elements, and promotional support at no cost to the composer, a majority share of received royalties from resulting streams and sales, invitation to attend the recording of their piece either virtually or in person, and a $250 honorarium. | The Call for Scores is open to Black and Latinx composers of any nationality, state, or country of residence. | Free |
| Pulitzer Prize in Music | One $15,000 prize. | Anyone. Works submitted must have their premiere in application year. | $75 |
| Quadre Composition Competition | Call for scores for horn quartet or horn quartet + 1 percussionist. 1st and 2nd place compositions will receive cash prizes ($500 and $300, respecitively) and will be performed the following season by Quadre. | Anyone | Free |
| Random Access Music Call for Scores | Each year, RAM collaborates with an ensemble to present a concert of world premieres. As part of this collaboration, RAM conducts an anonymous call for scores on which the winning composition is included. | Anyone | Free |
| Red Note Composition Competition | Composers may submit to up to three categories: Works for Chamber Ensemble and works for String Orchestra. Winners receive performance of work on Red Note Festival in Illinois State University and a cash prize. | Anyone | $25 |
| Red Note Composition Workshop | The RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Workshop will help composers widen their creative perspectives and hone their craft through open rehearsals with guest performers, seminars with distinguished guest faculty composers, as well as resident faculty composers. Invited participants will each compose a 5 to 10-minute piece for one of the guest ensembles. Each composition will be carefully rehearsed during the festival and will be premiered at a formal concert. Each composer will receive a recording of his or her piece. Participants will discuss their compositional ideas, techniques, and aesthetics with the faculty and other fellows. In addition, each student composer will have the opportunity to meet with the faculty composers individually or as part of group lessons or masterclasses. Each day of the festival culminates in an evening concert featuring contemporary music performed by the guest ensembles or members of the School of Music faculty. | Anyone | $25 for first score, $20 for each additional score |
| Rivers School Conservatory Young Composers Commission Award | The Rivers School Conservatory invites high school-aged composers to compete for a chance to create a commissioned 6-8 minute work for four-hand piano to be performed at The Rivers School Conservatory Annual Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young in April of 2021. Winning composer will also be awarded $1,000. | Applicants must be at least 14 years of age, enrolled in an accredited high school or home-schooling program and be a US resident or citizen | $35 |
| San Francisco Choral Artists "New Voices Project" | Call for works up to 4 minutes for SATB a capella chamber choir. Winners will receive cash prizes up to $500. | Must be under 30 & a US resident | Free |
| San Francisco Contemporary Music Players Call for Scores | one winning composer will receive a private score reading and feedback session with SFCMP players and SF Search panelists, a public performance on a subscription-series concert, and an archival recording. In addition the winning composer will receive a $1,000 stipend | Composers under 30 with a permanent address in the US. Composers in the Bay Area are required to attend workshops and performances. | $10 |
| Victor Salvo Music Composition Scholarship for high school students | San Francisco Contemporary Music Players is pleased to announce our 2022 Victor Salvo Music Composition Scholarship for high school students. One San Francisco Bay Area high school music student will receive five mentoring sessions with advising composer, Amadeus Regucera in a private score reading by San Francisco Contemporary Music Players of the student’s work, feedback from the musicians, and a video recording of the reading session. | High School students in the Bay Area, California | |
| Society for New Music: Brian Israel Award | Two prizes — one for $1,000 and one for $750 — are awarded. Also, each of the two prize-winning compositions will be performed by the Society for New Music during the following season. | Open to any composer in New York State who are 30 or younger | Free |
| SoundWebs MicroCommissions | Up to 6 composers will receive a $500 commission fee and be given 4-6 weeks to create their works. Commissioned composers will be assigned a public space in Cincinnati and an ensemble to work with. They'll be asked to create a space-specific work that is an impactful part of the event. | Anyone - must be able to workshop in Cincinnati | Free |
| Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composer’s Award 2020 | An award of $1,000 will be given for a new chamber work. The winning work will be performed in the San Francisco Bay Area during Ninth Planet’s 2020-21 concert season. Award winners are expected to attend performances. Works not awarded prizes will also be considered for programming. | Anyone | $25 for one submission; $20 for subsequent submissions |
| Texas New Music Ensemble (TNME) Student Composers Competition | One winner will be commissioned to write an 8-10 minute piece for flute, clarinet, and cello, to be premiere at the annual TNME summer concert in July. | Open to any composer currently enrolled in a music degree program at a Texas institution or a High School student attending school in Texas | $35 |
| The Choral Project's Rachel Moore Composition Contest | High school and undergraduate students are invited to submit original choral works. First prize is $1,500, a live performance and recording, and possible publication with Santa Barbara Music Publishing. 2nd prize is $750; 3rd prize is $500. | Open to High School (grades 9-12) and undergraduate students of any nationality. | $20 per entry |
| The Composer's Site | Extensive list of regularly updated Calls for Scores and other composer opportunities | Varies | Varies |
| The Flute New Music Consortium Composition Competition | Call for scores for solo flute, flute/piano, and/or flute plus another instrument. Winning composers receive a cash prize, one or more performances, and a live recording from one or more of the performances. Winning scores will be provided to current FNMC Commissioning and Performing Level members. | Anyone | $15 per work submitted |
| Toolbox Percussion International Composition Competition | Toolbox Percussion is presenting the Toolbox Percussion International Composition Competition (TPICC) as a part of the Toolbox International Creative Academy (TICA), which will be held during 4-22 January 2021 in Hong Kong. TPICC is an annual competition for emerging composers across the globe who share our vision to create percussive arts practices with creativity, originality and potentials. | Composers of any nationality under the age of 30 | Free |
| Toru Takemitsu Composition Award | One cash prize of 3,000,000 yen and performances of selected orchestral works. | Any person, regardless of nationality, who is not over 35 years old at the end of the year of the application deadlines. | Free |
| Tribeca New Music Festival Young Composer Competition | The winner in each division will receive $1,000, a performance at the festival, and a recording. | Two divisions: 1. composers ages 22-35; 2. composers ages 21 and younger. Must be a US Citizen or permanent resident. | $35/work |
| Underwood New Music Readings and Commission | Chosen composers will have their pieces workshopped and recorded by the American Composers Orchestra (NYC). Composers also participate in a series of professional development workshops covering such topics as promotion, score preparation and publishing, copyright and commissioning agreements, and other career essentials. | U.S. citizens or non-citizens lawfully and permanently residing, or studying full-time, in the United States. | Free |
| Vox Novus Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame Project Call For Scores | Vox Novus commissions fifteen 1-minute scores to be performed by that year's performer | Anyone | Free |
| wasteLAnd Featured Composer | Performances of selected works on the wasteLAnd ensemble's concert series. | Anyone | See website |
| Women Composers of Hartford Festival: Composer in Residence Application | The Composer-in-Residence will have her music showcased on the Festival, will give talks and masterclasses to area schools, participate in other outreach and publicity activities, compose a new work to be premiered at the Festival, and more. | Women composers | Free |
| Emory University Symphony Orchestra – Call for Compositions | Emory University and the Emory University Symphony Orchestra are excited to announce a commissioning opportunity for BIPOC female-identifying composers. The selected composer will receive $5000, workshop time with the orchestra, a premiere in the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts and a professional recording of the performance. | BIPOC women composers | Free |
| The George A. and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation Fellowships | The George A and Eliza Gardner Howard Foundation annually awards nine fellowships of $40,000 to early mid-career artists and scholars. Fellowships for the 23-24 AY will be awarded in the fields of Music for Performance and Musicology, Ethnomusicology, and Sound Studies. The application period is from 7/1/22 to 11/1/22. Please visit https://www.brown.edu/howard-foundation/george-and-eliza-gardner-howard-foundation for more information. | early mid-career scholars and artists | See website |