Applications for the 17th Biennial Young Composers’ Competition are now open!
The deadline for submissions is Friday, November 7, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. PST.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Founder and Conductor Emeritus Jon Washburn created the Young Composers’ Competition in 1992 to support the development of young choral composers. The competition is held every two years with entries judged in the following three categories:
- Elementary (ages 8-12)
- Secondary (ages 13-18)
- College/University (ages 18-25)
There is no entry fee to participate.
This is a global competition.
2025/26 COMPETITION DETAILS
- All entries must be received by Friday, November 7, 2025 at 9am PST.
- The competition is open to applicants of all nationalities. Each composer is permitted to enter one piece in the competition. Multiple entries will be disqualified.
- All scores must be typeset or hand-written and submitted as a PDF file. Letter size (8.5″x11″) is preferred. Please ensure all necessary tempo indications are included, and words (if applicable) should appear clearly under every voice part. The adjudication process is blind, so please ensure that all names and identifiers have been removed from the score. Winners will be asked to provide a score with their real name on it for performance and archival purposes.
- Entries must be original music and must be unperformed as of January 24, 2026. Text may be in any language, but must be one of the following:
- Original (written by the composer)
- Public domain (not currently under copyright)
- Under copyright, but with the written permission of the copyright holder. In this case, a copy of the permission letter must be submitted with the application.
- The chosen text must be included in its original layout in the preface of the score. For languages other than English, a translation should be provided.
- Pieces should be a maximum of 5 minutes long.
- If possible, please submit a MIDI realization for the jury’s reference.
- For the Secondary and College/University categories, compositions must be for unaccompanied (a cappella) SATB choir. Divisi up to SSAATTBB is permitted. Applicants to the Elementary category may choose from SA, SAB, or SATB voicings. Pieces with accompaniment will be disqualified.
- First-place prizes to be awarded are:
- $300 for Elementary (Ages 8-12)
- $500 for Secondary (Ages 13-18)
- $1000 for College/University (Ages 18-25)
- The jury reserves the right to make no award in a particular category if there are no suitable entries.
- Additional prize money may be awarded as Honorable Mentions at the discretion of the jury.
- Winners will be announced on Monday, December 8, 2025 and prizes will be awarded at a special youth concert on Saturday, January 24, 2026. The winning pieces will be performed by the Vancouver Chamber Choir at this concert.
THE JURY
Kari Turunen
Artistic Director
Vancouver Chamber Choir
Stuart Beatch
Composer-in-Residence
Vancouver Chamber Choir
Katerina Gimon
Composer
Vancouver Chamber Choir
Cassie Luftspring
Composer & Conductor
Vancouver Chamber ChoirACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We gratefully acknowledge the following foundations who are so generously supporting this educational program:
- Chris Spencer Foundation
- The Christopher Foundation
- Diamond Foundation
- The Hamber Foundation
- Heathcliff Foundation
- The McLean Foundation
- Martha Lou Henley Charitable Foundation
We are also grateful for the ongoing support of:
