Composition Competition

Composition Competition

The CSO is undergoing a Music Director Search Year during the 2023-2024 Season and will not be hosting a Composition Competition during this time. Please check back in August 2024 for details about the 2025 Composition Competition. Thank You!

2023 Composition Competition:



Austin Ali is the winner of the 2023 Composition Competition. Hailing from Texas, Austin Ali (b. 1997) is a composer, trumpeter, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. An insatiably curious person, he strives to inspire wonder through his music. From complex-meter jazz to spacey orchestral scores, he seeks to compose infectiously fun and unforgettable music.

 

Austin graduated summa cum laude from the University of Texas at Austin, earning two undergraduate degrees in four years (Music Composition and Plan II Honors) and studying composition principally with Drs. Yevgeniy Sharlat and Donald Grantham. After completing his MA in Music Composition from UCLA, Austin is currently pursuing his PhD at UCLA, studying with Drs. Ian Krouse and Richard Danielpour.

 

His compositions have been premiered by world-class musicians including the Austin Symphony Orchestra in Austin, Texas, Spanish Brass in Valencia, Spain, and the Carpe Diem String Quartet in Siena, Italy. As a trumpeter, Austin was named “Promising Artist of the 21 st Century” on tour with Big Wy’s Brass Band, performing for the U.S. Ambassador and President of Costa Rica. Most recently, the Tampa Bay Symphony premiered his orchestral work Defiant Overture in February, April, and May 2023. Austin is looking forward to the premieres of The Beginner’s Guide to Space Travel with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in June 2023 in Indiana and his Harp Concerto by the Los Angeles Chamber Music Company in July 2023.

Austin Ali smiling at the camera with a natural scene of mountains and a river behind him.
The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is pleased to issue a “Call for Scores” for the second annual CSO Composition Competition. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1922 and is the oldest continually operating orchestra in the state of Indiana. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra is a primarily volunteer orchestra whose mission is to engage the community of Columbus, IN by furthering musical excellence for education and enjoyment. The Composition Competition is part of the CSO’s recent strategic priority to champion music by living composers. In addition to a $1,000 monetary prize, the winning composer will receive a world premiere performance of their composition with the CSO at the June 04, 2023 concert.

TIMELINE
The deadline for submissions is March 3, 2023. 
Finalists will be notified by March 17, 2023 and must submit parts by March 31, 2023.
Reading of the finalist’s scores will occur on April 07, 2023. 
The winner will be announced April 14, 2023. 
The winning composition will be selected for the June 04, 2023 concert, at The Commons, 300 Washington St., Columbus, IN. 
The CSO reserves the right to choose multiple winners, or no winning selection. 

ELIGIBILITY
The work must be a world premiere (the piece should not have been performed previously outside of an academic setting). 
Composers may only submit one work. Concerti or works featuring a solo instrumentalist as primary focus of the composition will not be considered at this time. 
The work should be between four and twelve (4-12) minutes in performance duration. 
Works must be original; any plagiarized works, in whole or part, will be disqualified. 
Works that do not follow all guidelines may be disqualified. 
There is a cash prize ($1,000 USD) for the winning composer, who must attend the concert and minimum of two rehearsals including the dress rehearsal the day of the concert. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
All materials should be submitted electronically via email to columbusorchestra@gmail.com.
Score, fully realized (no piano reductions), in PDF format.
Link to recording of submitted work (YouTube, SoundCloud, etc.). MIDI is acceptable.
One (1) current curriculum vitae that includes applicant’s current address, telephone number, and email address.
Deadline for submissions is March 3, 2023.

Please contact Rachel Wilken, CSO Board President, at columbusorchestra@gmail.com with questions.
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