IFCM - International Federation for Choral Music

INTRODUCTION

The International Federation for Choral Music has organized four international choral composition competitions since this project was created in 2010. The aim of these competitions is to promote the creation and distribution of new, innovative, and accessible choral repertoire. Participation is open to composers of any age and nationality.

Strong consideration is given to a work’s potential for performance and for the prospect of repeated performances by a medium to advanced SATB (SSAATTBB) choir possessing the appropriate voicing requirements. The winning work must demonstrate excellence of compositional craft, imagination, ‘sing-ability’ (given reasonable rehearsal time), idiomatic effectiveness and, most importantly a fresh approach to choral writing.

WINNERS

Winners of the First Composition Competition 2010

First Prize: “White, those that stayed still” by Matthew Van Brink (New York – USA)
Highly commended, for harmonic thought: “At that hour” by Tom Norman Harrold (Glasgow, Scotland, UK)
Highly commended, for choral textures and formal landscape: “Drawing number one” by Michael Fili (Pittsburgh, USA)

Winners of the Second Composition Competition 2012

First Prize: “Eight Haikus” by Francis Corcoran (Germany)
Special Prize Original Sonic Landscape: “On Desire” by Itzam L. Zapata Paniagua (Mexico)
Special Prize Notable Harmonic Originality: “Pie Jesu” by Tas Rudi (Belgium)
Suitability for Youth Choir: “Yuku haru ya” by Ivan Bozicevic (Croatia)
Suitability for Community Choir: “Poem I” by Xingzimin Pan (USA)
Repertoire Value and the Well-Crafted Manuscript: “Ave Verum” by Gaetano Lorandi (Italy)

Winners of the Third Composition Competition 2017

First Prize: ‘‘NUR’’ by Juan Manuel Conejo Gonzales (Spain)
Second Prize: ‘‘Falling Stars’’ by Jakub Szafrański (Poland)
Third Prize: ‘‘Miserere’’ by Benedikt Brydern (USA)

Winners of the Fourth Composition Competition 2019

First Prize: ‘‘Jubilate Deo’’ by Simone Campanini (Italy)
Second Prize: ‘‘Te Lucis ante Terminum’’ by Jonathan David (USA)
Third Prize: ‘‘A Voice is Heard in Rama’’ by David Walters (USA)

JURY MEMBERS SINCE 2010

Graham Lack (Germany), Reijo Kekkonen (Finland), Stephen Leek
(Australia), Jonathan Rathbone (United Kingdom), Ko Matsushita
(Japan), Ambrož Čopi (Slovenia), Dominick DiOrio (USA), Oscar
Escalada (Argentina), Josep Vila (Spain), Alberto Grau (Venezuela),
Ēriks Ešenvalds (Latvia), and Sergey Pleshak (Russia)