Zemlinsky 2019

Composition Competition

Orchestral Music for Dance

About image
Mrs. Louise Zemlinsky endowed the Alexander Zemlinsky Prize for Composition at the University of Cincinnati in 1990 to promote the music of young composers from around the world.  

The Alexander Zemlinsky Prize for Composition serves three purposes:

  • To perpetuate the memory of Alexander Zemlinsky.
  • To discover new works for symphony orchestra that are truly original and have the power to communicate with and engage a broad audience.
  • To promote and encourage young composers from around the world.
Prize Details

Three prizes will be given as follows:

First Prize: US$30,000 cash prize, plus the world premiere performance by CCM's Philharmonia Orchestra in its 2020-2021 season of a newly commissioned work for orchestra (instrumentation TBD) and ballet, plus a commercially produced recording by the CCM Philharmonia.

Second Prize: US$20,000 cash prize.

Third Prize: US$10,000 cash prize.

Terms of the Awards: For the first prizewinner, 50% of the cash prize will be awarded upon announcement of the prizewinners; the remaining 50% will be awarded upon the receipt of scores and parts. For the second and third prizewinners, the entire prize will be awarded upon the announcement of the prizewinners.

Adjudication: Judges for the competition will be selected by the Dean of CCM, the Alexander Zemlinsky Fund in Vienna, and the Austrian Cultural Institute in New York City. Adjudication will be completed according to the TIMELINE below.
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Eligibility Instructions for Submission

Composers of any nationality born after April 1, 1984 may apply.

Applications will be accepted between November 5, 2018 and February 28, 2019. An external link for submitting materials will be available during this window of time.

Eligible composers will submit one score of 10-15 minutes for orchestra only (no soloists, no choir, no electronics) of any size (either published or unpublished). Recordings of this work, while not necessary, are encouraged. A MIDI recording is acceptable in lieu of a live performance.

Eligibility image
  • UC College-Conservatory of Music
  • PO Box 210003, Cincinnati OH, 45221-0003, USA

 

Semi-Finalists Announced

Announcement of twenty semi-finalists whose scores will be forwarded to our international panel of composers.

Learn More06/05/2019
 

Finalists announced

FIVE finalists will be announced on or before September 1, 2019. Click Learn More to see the five selected finalists.

Learn More01/09/2019
 

Winners Announced and Promoted

The three winners will be announced and promoted from this date.

Learn More05/12/2019

Aya Yoshida

First Prize Winner

First Prize for her work DOUBLE FACE. Aya will compose a new work for orchestra and ballet to be premiered in Cincinnati during the 2020/2021 season.

Read More  

Tomasz Skweres

Second Prize

Second Prize for his work "über das farbige Licht der Doppelsterne..."

Read More  

Joel Järventausta

Third Prize

Third Prize for his work Cantus.

Read More  

Ulrich Kreppein

First Prize 2013

SPIEL DER SCHATTEN (The Play of the Shadows)

Aaron Travers

Second Prize 2013

FAIRYTALE

Miguel Farías

Third Prize 2013

ECOS DE UN COLOR (Echoes of a Color)

Enrico Chapela

First Prize 2005

INGUESU

Narong Prangcharoen

Second Prize 2005

RESPIRATION OF THE SUN

Cynthia Lee Wong

Third Prize 2005

SINFONIETTA

Katsuji Maeda

First Prize 1999

REFLECTIONS

Moritz Eggert

Second Prize 1999

NUMBER NINE I-III

Kelly-Marie Murphy

Third Prize 1999

UTTERANCES

A new Zemlinsky Prize in Chamber Music will be introduced in 2023. With well endowed first, second and third prizes, the winning composer will create a new work to be professionally premiered and commercially recorded in Cincinnati.

ENTRIES CLOSE LATE 2022.

ENTRIES OPEN DECEMBER 2021.
2023 Chamber Music Prize image