Emerging Composers with a connection to Canada’s Prairie Region, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut are invited to submit their orchestral works to the CMC Prairie Region Emerging Composer Competition for Orchestra with a cash prize and performance by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO) during the 2027 edition of the Winnipeg New Music Festival (WNMF).

Applicants must either be current residents of, have been born in, or have completed a substantial portion of their musical education in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, The Northwest Territories, or Nunavut. 

Applications will be accepted from April 13 to May 31st. Guidelines and additional information below. 

History:

The CMC Prairie Region invites emerging composers to enter this annual competition produced with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at its Winnipeg New Music Festival. Conceived by anonymous donors, the Canadian Music Centre Prairie Region Emerging Composer Competition prize was first awarded in 2004; 2027 will mark the 24nd annual edition of the contest. The winning composition will receive a performance by the WSO during the 2027 edition of the WNMF.

Mentorship:

The winner will be invited to participate in the WNMF Composers Institute, giving them the opportunity to experience the Winnipeg New Music Festival from behind the scenes, attending WSO rehearsals and concerts, and participating in professional development workshops with Canadian and international guest composers.

Eligible applicants are also welcomed to apply separately to the WNMF Composers Institute HERE.

Emerging Composer Competition requirements:

  • Applicants must either be current residents of, have been born in, or have completed a substantial portion of their musical education in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, The Northwest Territories, or Nunavut.
  • There are no age restrictions; however, applicants should be composers at the early stages of their professional careers.
  • Each composer may submit only one composition for consideration.
  • Past winners of the Emerging Composer Competition are not eligible. 
  • Only works that have not been officially premiered prior to the WSO world premiere date are eligible. Works that have been read in an academic or workshop context are eligible, provided they have had no more than one reading by a professional orchestra. 
  • Only works completed after January 1, 2024, will be considered.  
  • MAXIMUM duration for the work is 6 minutes.  
  • A recording of the work is required, either as a computer/electronic mock-up, or from a live reading.  
  • Works requiring soloists or employing electronics, MIDI, digital technology, and/or sound reinforcement in combination with the above instrumental forces will not be considered. 
  • The quality of the score and of the recording/mock-up submitted are the primary evaluation criteria. It is therefore in the applicant's best interest that the score be clear, accurate, and the best representation of the composer's work. The additional background information is for eligibility and documentation purposes, these materials are not considered in the general review of scores.
  • Applications that are incomplete, illegible, late, or that do not meet the above criteria will not be considered.

  • The winner will receive a cash prize from the CMC, a concert performance of the winning work by the WSO at WNMF 2027, and participation in the full week of the WNMF Composers Institute. This affords the winner the opportunity to meet and receive coaching and mentorship from the Festival's Canadian and International visiting guest composers. In addition, the winner will receive professional career coaching sessions with established industry professionals in the CMC PR network, and one year memberships to both the Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Centre Prairie Region, as either an Associate Composer (if eligible and following the admission process) or as a student/community member. 

  • Instrumentation should not exceed: woodwinds at 2*.2*.2.2; brass at 4.3.3.1; timpani plus 2 percussion; harp; and strings at 12.11.8.7.6. *Available doublings are Flute 2/piccolo, and Oboe 2/English Horn. Works with instrumentation that exceed the above will not be considered, they may, however, be re-orchestrated to conform to this instrumentation. 
  • The submitted composition must be scored for symphony orchestra (chamber works will not be considered).
  • There will be 20-30 minutes of rehearsal for each selected work before the concert, in addition to the dress rehearsal which offers the opportunity for a few quick notes.  The suitability of entries for performance with this amount of rehearsal will be a factor in the jury's deliberations. 

  • MAXIMUM of six minutes. Excerpts or single movements from multi-movement works will be accepted, if they are presented with coherent beginnings and endings.

  • Submissions must be completed no later than May 31, 2026.

  • The winner will be notified by September 1st.
  • Must attend the rehearsals, concert, and professional development workshops held in Winnipeg, MB as part of the Winnipeg New Music Festival.  
  • Winner will receive an honorarium to assist with their travel and accommodations to/from Winnipeg. Any additional expenses incurred are solely the responsibility of the participants. 
  • Must agree to submit photos and sound clips for web use and a short biography for media purposes; to participate in blogging and social media to be videotaped/recorded for archival and promotional purposes; and to have their music recorded for archival and study purposes.
  • Must provide professional, legible orchestral parts and scores. Scores must be prepared according to guidelines established by the Major Orchestral Librarians Association. 
  • Must work within provided deadlines to revise scores and parts.

  • Applications are CLOSED at this time
  • All submissions must be anonymous, with any reference to the identity of the composer redacted from both the score file and the audio file. No pseudonym is required or expected; the submitted works will be identified by title only. 
  • In the online application form you will be asked to provide a link to a folder (Dropbox or Google Drive) containing downloadable files (PDFs and MP3s only) of your supporting materials, including: 
    • A PDF score of the orchestral work; use the naming format PieceTitle-score.pdf 
    • An MP3 recording (highly recommended; MIDI realization acceptable); use the naming format PieceTitle-audio.mp3  
  • Submissions that do not match these naming conventions will NOT be accepted.  
  • In addition to the anonymous score & audio file, the following support materials are required (these are not anonymous, and will not be visible to the adjudication panel): 
    • A current artist resume, in PDF format, including educational background, major teachers, awards, and professional affiliations; LASTNAME-Resume.pdf 
    • A list of works, in PDF format, including title, year composed, instrumentation, duration, and performance history; LASTNAME-Works.pdf 

  • There is no application fee. 
  • Applications must be submitted by 11.59pm MST on May 31.  
  • Late submissions will not be considered.  
  • Links to your supporting materials must remain active until the ECC winner(s) are announced.  
  • The winning score will be chosen by a jury consisting of representatives of the WSO and a CMC representative. Honourable mentions will also be awarded to up to three composers. 

  • 2026 Winner – Chris Byman – Scherzo Oscuro
    • 2026 Runner Up – Ashton Latimer – Overlow
  • 2025 – Nic Bray – spruce
  • 2024 – Robert Humber – Warmth Comes
  • 2023 – Gregory Parth – Teutoberg
  • 2022 – Thomas Joiner – Dawn
  • 2021 – Isaac Zee – On the Day of Judgement
  • 2020 – Henry From – Isle of Pic
  • 2019 – Scott Ross – Molyneux – Ehrykaviss
  • 2018 – Luis Ramirez – Chido
  • 2017 – Michael Ducharme – X-1
  • 2016 – Glenn Sutherland – To See Again with Spirit Eyes
  • 2015 – Nova Pon – Awakenings
  • 2014 – Roydon Tse – Three Musings
  • 2013 – Daniel Belland – Voyage
  • 2012 – Jesse Plessis – Tender is the Night
  • 2011 – Luke Nickel – L’étoile noyée
  • 2010 – Darren Miller – for amma
  • 2009 – Karen Sunabacka – And There Was a Great Calm
  • 2008 – Shelley Marwood – Illumination
  • 2008 – Andrew Staniland – Protestmusik
  • 2007 – Boriša Sabljić – Deliverance
  • 2006 – Vincent Chee-Yung Ho – Stigmata
  • 2005 – Abigail Richardson – Dissolve
  • 2004 – Jocelyn Morlock – Bird in the Tangled Sky
Email CMC Prairie

For More Information

Call the Canadian Music Centre – Prairie Region – at 403.220.7403

Email CMC Prairie