Young Composers’ Competition – Vancouver Chamber Choir

Thank you for your interest in the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s Young Composers’ Competition!

Applications are now closed and we look forward to announcing the winners in the near future.

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 13-17)
College/University (ages 18-22)

There is no entry fee to participate.

This is a global competition.

2023/24 COMPETITION DETAILS

All entries must be received no later than Wednesday, November 1, 2023
This year’s competition is open to composers of all nationalities.
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. 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 the score in its original layout.
Pieces should be a maximum of 5 minutes long.
Compositions must be for unaccompanied (a cappella) voices and scored for an SATB choir. Divisi up to SSAATTBB is permitted. Applicants to the Elementary Category may choose from SA, SAB, or SATB voicings.
First-place prizes to be awarded are:
- $300 for Elementary
- $500 for Secondary
- $1000 for College/University
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 jury’s discretion.
Winners will be announced on December 1, 2023 and prizes will be awarded at a special youth concert on Saturday, January 27, 2024. The winning pieces will be performed by the Vancouver Chamber Choir on this concert.