The International Federation for Choral Music has organized five 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 and to promote and encourage composers to creation and distribution.
The International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM) launched its sixth International Choral Composition Competition 2023/2024 to promote new works in choral music and encourage innovation in choral writing that fits the needs of a 21st-century choir. We were looking for compositions that combine originality, imagination, and creativity within the context of contemporary global themes.
The competition is open to all composers of any nationality and any age. The participation fee varies according to the nationality of the composer and a country’s designation in the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index (HDI). The HDI country groups are based on measures of achievement in the basic dimensions of human development across countries. These dimensions include knowledge (education index), long and healthy life (life expectancy index), and a decent standard of living (GNI index).
Fees for each category:
Fees can be paid by Paypal: please send the money to office@ifcm.net
Fees can also be paid by bank card: please use this link to submit your card details (number and expiration date, as well as your postal address)
Composers may join the competition with one piece per category.
Submissions should be sent by email to secretarygeneral@ifcm.net. Each submission should include:
The file name for the score and accompanying audio file should include: category (Mixed or WCD), the title, pseudonym/motto chosen by the composer, and the estimated duration of the composition (e.g., Mixed_Ilovetosing_LouiseMaeDye_4.70). Compositions not submitted in this format will not be accepted.
Deadline: 30 September 2023. Submission to be sent to secretarygeneral@ifcm.net.
The compositions submitted must be original and unpublished. They cannot have been awarded prizes nor be waiting for a verdict in any other competition. They should not have been presented to the public. Arrangements or adaptations of existing works will be excluded.
Participants should ensure that their pseudonym/motto is clearly written on the files according to the specified above. Any indication that reveals the composer's identity in advance will lead to immediate disqualification.
The works presented should not be divided into parts as a song collection or suites; rather, they must be one comprehensive work.
The jury of the IFCM Choral Composition Competition consists of five composers/conductors of world-class, international reputation from multiple continents. The decision of the jury is final. The jury may, at its discretion, withhold any or all prizes if submitted works fail to meet the set criteria. Jury members can also give special mentions to any submitted piece.
Compositions submitted to the competition shall be deemed the Intellectual Property of the submitting composer and any rights relating to this shall remain with the composer. The winner of the competition shall grant IFCM the right to premiere the winning piece within 12 months of the announcement of the winners. No public performance shall be allowed prior to the premiere performance by IFCM without the consent of IFCM. Should IFCM be prevented from giving the premiere within this time frame, the composer shall be free to have the composition premiered elsewhere. IFCM shall not have to pay any additional fee to the composer for any audio and/or audio-visual recordings of the performance. If the winning composer is not subject to a contract binding him/her to a specific publishing house, IFCM may publish parts of the score in the International Choral Magazine without remuneration to the composer.
Publication of the full score shall only be possible with the explicit consent of the composer. In this case, IFCM shall also support the composer in finding a publishing house for full publication. All winning works should be marked, whenever possible, as “one of the winning entries of the IFCM Sixth International Competition for Choral Composition” on the music score cover or in the concert program.
Participation in the competition implies full knowledge and acceptance of these regulations.
Official magazine of the International Federation for Choral Music, the International Choral Magazine is published quarterly in the four official languages of IFCM: English, French, German and Spanish. It is distributed in more than 80 countries on the five continents and is the official voice of choral music around the world.
Read moreOur focus at the moment is to unite the choral calendars of international choral organisations. Meanwhile please consult the calendar of choral events published by the European Choral Association - Europa Cantat here.
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