ACG Guitar Ensemble Composition Competition

Details for the 2023 Composition Competition will be announced soon. 

Austin Classical Guitar is pleased to announce the 16th annual Guitar Ensemble Composition Competition. We are in search of compositions suitable for performance by non-professional guitar ensembles that celebrate making music together in person. In addition to a cash prize and a professional recording, winning compositions will be published on GuitarCurriculum.com for the use of student guitar ensembles in classrooms all over the world.  

Prizes

First Prize:

  • $1,000
  • A professional recording of the winning piece
  • A public premiere by student artists in the spring of 2023
  • Publication in the GuitarCurriculum.com Music Library 

Honorable Mentions:

  • Publication in the GuitarCurriculum.com Music Library 

* Up to two Honorable Mentions may be awarded at the judges’ discretion.

Eligibility
  • US-based composers only
  • No age restrictions
  • Work must be unpublished and not previously performed in public
  • Multiple submissions are allowed
  • Contestants must agree to the terms of Austin Classical Guitar’s License Agreement for winning compositions
Guidelines For Submissions
  • Work must be playable by intermediate level ensembles
  • In 3 or 4 parts for standard 6-string classical guitar – divisi is acceptable. A bass part is also acceptable
  • Approximately 3-6 minutes in duration – multiple movements allowed
  • Standard tuning and scordatura of 6th string to D acceptable. No other tunings will be accepted.
Recommendations
  • Successful entries balance musical integrity and technical demands
  • It is helpful, but not required, to have skill levels separate on each part. For example: Part 1 and 2 most advanced, Part 3 beginner, Part 4 intermediate.
  • Complete fingerings, dynamics, articulation and rubato on each part with appropriate page turns

For reference, see previous recent winning entries: Solace by Brandon Carcamo, Gale by Michael Keplinger,  November Blues by Mark Anthony Cruz, Fugata Y Danza by Carlos Rios, and Nebulae by Olga Amelkina-Vera

What To Submit
  1. A cover letter including: Name, address, telephone, email address, and brief (one paragraph max) description of your composition
  2. MP3 recording of the entry. Live or MIDI recordings are acceptable
  3. One PDF copy of your full score and one copy of each part. Scores and parts must be anonymous; they may not contain anything allowing identification of the composer.
Judging and Rules

Entries will be judged anonymously by Austin Classical Guitar with consideration not only of compositional integrity but playability and practicality of performance. The prize will not be divided. The decision of Austin Classical Guitar will be final.

Austin Classical Guitar makes no claims on any of the entered compositions beyond the right to premiere the winning composition, and the right to publish winning compositions on GuitarCurriculum.com. Scores will not be returned. Submission of an application to participate in the competition confirms that the contestants unconditionally accept all the rules as established in this announcement.

Deadline to submit is December 5th, 2022.

Questions? Please contact tony@austinclassicalguitar.org.

Please complete the form below to receive an email with instructions and a link to upload your submission.

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