Composition
Competition
Composers must not have reached their 40th birthday on June 1, 2026.
Composers must be legal residents or full-time students in New York State
Composers may submit only one work each
Members of STSC or its Board and their immediate family members are not eligible.
Eligibility
Entries must be for unaccompanied chorus (SATB, up to SSAATTBB divisi available).
Entries should be challenging and gratifying for advanced regional chamber choirs (see STSC website for recent repertoire), and well suited to a performance venue with a reverberant acoustic
Entries should be 3 to 10 minutes in length
Scores must be formatted for 8.5”x11” (letter-size) printing
Scores must be accompanied by an audio recording exported from the music notation app, a MIDI recording, or some kind of demo recording clearly demonstrating the composer’s performance intentions.
Entries may not have previously been performed publicly or recorded.
Texts must be in the public domain, or permission for their use must be obtained in writing from the copyright holder and accompany the submission.
Entries
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: November 1, 2025
Submit your entry using our Google Form.
To upload the score in PDF format, with the composer's name and any other identifying information removed (entries will be judged anonymously). Through the form you will also be asked to provide affirmation that:
you will be under 40 years of age on June 1, 2026.
you are a New York State resident or a full-time student in NY State
any text used is in the public domain.
OR a copy of the copyright-holder's written permission has been obtained and accompanies the submission.
OR a statement that the text was authored by the composer.
a 100-word biography (for use in program and publicity materials).
a headshot-type photo (JPEG format) in color or black-and-white suitable for reproduction (for use in program and publicity materials).
Submission
Submissions will be judged by a panel of STSC members and the Artistic Director. The panel's decisions will be final.
All submissions will remain the intellectual property of their composers and authors.
Only one piece will be selected as the winner.
Judging
$500 Prize Money
Reimbursement for ground travel expenses
The winning piece will be premiered by STSC in a concert in June of 2026, to be professionally recorded.
The winning piece may not be publicly performed by any other performers prior to that date without permission from STSC. The composer of the winning piece must grant permission to use any recordings made of the piece for promotional purposes.