Composition Competition Information

2025 Submission Deadline: 11:59pm April 3, 2025

Prize

• $1000 cash prize
• World Premiere by the Montana Youth Symphony on August 3, 2025
• Consideration to add piece to MASO music library

Submission Specifications

Piece to be:
• A concert overture, festive in nature
• Standard symphonic instrumentation: woodwinds (2/2/2/2), brass (4/2/3/1), timpani and two percussionists, and strings (approximately 12/12/10/8/6)
• Playable by an advanced youth orchestra
• Duration 3-5 minutes

Submission Materials

Submission to consist of:
• Application form
• PDF Score
• Digital mp3
• 1-page artist statement (300 word maximum)
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Submissions must be submitted on this webpage via the form below.

Submission Evaluation

Submission will be adjudicated by a panel of recognized American composers.

Eligibility

All composers with a significant connection to Montana up to 30 years of age are encouraged to apply. This includes those who are current students or graduates of a Montana high school or university; those born, raised, or residing in Montana; or those who have some other connection to Montana. Residents of other states may be considered, providing they can explain their connection to Montana or their submitted work to Montana.

Previous winners of the competition will not be considered.

For questions regarding eligibility or other aspects of the composition competition, please email info@montanayouthsymphony.org.

Intellectual Property and Rights

By entering this competition, composers give the rights to the Montana Youth Symphony to perform and record their submitted work. The rights to perform and record this work are exclusive to the Montana Youth Symphony until the premiere performance. The winning composer is able and encouraged to pursue other performances of the piece after August 3, 2025.

The Montana Youth Symphony will retain exclusive rights to the recording of the premiere performance and may use that recording for promotional purposes.

If a composer's work makes use of the intellectual property of another person (poetry text, visual art, extended quotations of other musical works), the composer must secure the legal rights to distribute the composition before entering the competition.  

Previous Winners and Premieres

The winner of the 2024 Composition Competition was Aidan McCormack. Aidan's piece, Sun and Shadow on the Blackfoot, was premiered by Montana Youth Symphony in August, 2024.

The premiere on the Montana Youth Symphony's 2023 Inaugural composition was Montana Music by Dr. Ilse-Mari Lee. The world premiere performance took place in August 2023 and featured Chontay Mitchell Standing Rock.