2027 YOUNG COMPOSER COMPETITION GUIDELINES

EXPANDING PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES WITH ACM
Tribeca New Music (TNM) is pleased to continue its partnership with Access Contemporary Music (ACM) to expand performance opportunities for young composers. Through this collaboration, Young Composer Competition (YCC) First Prize-winning works will again be presented in two cities: at the Tribeca New Music 2027 Festival in New York City and ACM’s The CheckOut in Chicago.

Composer Circle

An Online Showcase of Award-Winning Young Composers

First Prize and Honorable Mention compositions selected through the Young Composer Competition will be featured in Composer Circle, a curated online showcase of outstanding new art music. This is not a membership group or a program of scheduled meetings. Rather, it provides performers, ensembles, educators, curators, and producers with an opportunity to discover emerging voices in contemporary art music.



DEADLINE: The 2027 Competition deadline is Friday, January 8, 2027 at 11pm EST.  The guidelines are below.  
All applications must be submitted online.

DIVISION 1: Ages 22-35
Composers born Jan. 1, 1991 through Dec. 31, 2004.

DIVISION 2: Ages 21 & under
Composers born after Dec. 31, 2004

1) Awards and Performances
The First Prize-winning composer in each division will receive
•  a $1,000 cash award
•  a professional performance of the winning score on the Tribeca New Music 2027 Festival in New York City and at Access Contemporary Music’s venue, The CheckOut, in Chicago
•  one audio/video recording of the performance

These awards are presented at the sole discretion of the TNM Board of Directors.

2) Eligibility
•  All composers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and meet the age requirements are eligible.
•  Note: Former Division winners of the Young Composer Competition are not eligible for the same Division. 

3) Submission Guidelines
•  Works may be written for solo, duo, trio, quartet, or quintet.
•  Instruments may include any combination of the following: flute (piccolo, alto flute), clarinet (bass clarinet), oboe (English horn), bassoon (contra bassoon), saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone), French horn, trumpet, trombone (bass trombone), tuba, percussion, guitar (acoustic, electric), accordion, harp, piano, violin, viola, cello, bass. 
•  Acoustic works that utilize electronic/computer accompaniment are also acceptable.      
•  Any combination of the above instruments is acceptable.  Note: The use of two or more of the same instruments is allowed, i.e., string quartet (two violins), brass quintet (two trumpets), flute quartet (four flutes), etc. Traditional doublings are allowed: flute/piccolo/alto flute; clarinet/bass clarinet; etc.
• All music must be no more than fifteen minutes in duration.
•  Works that have been professionally published by an established, reputable publisher are ineligible.  Self-published works by the composer are acceptable.
•  Composers are allowed a maximum of four entries for the competition.

4) Submission Items 
•  Legible full score in PDF format (do not submit parts)
•  An audio recording of the piece as an MP3 upload or URL web link -- A live performance or studio recording is best. (An audio recording of a computer realization is acceptable if no live performance or studio recording is available. Do not upload MIDI files.) 
•  Composer biography of no more than 250 words with current address, e-mail address, and phone number in PDF format
•  Program notes about each piece you submit, consisting of no more than 250 words

5) Application Fee and Deadline
•  The application fee is $35.00 per work.  Application fees are non-refundable.  (maximum of 4 applications)
•  Payable via PayPal or Credit Card
•  All entries must be submitted online by 11PM EST, Friday, January 8, 2027. 

Registration opens Wednesday, October 15, 2026.
The winning composition will be announced on www.TribecaNewMusic.org website on February 19, 2027.
You may e-mail questions to: TribecaNewMusic@gmail.com