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The Grand Philharmonic Choir Choral Works Competition welcomes new, unpublished and unperformed works by composers 30 years of age or under.

The GPC Choral Works Competition is for composers, to encourage the creation of new music for symphonic chorus, mixed chamber choir, children’s choirs and youth choirs on an annual rotating basis. This year the winning work will be for Adult SATB choir.

A jury of professional musicians, including Artistic Director Mark Vuorinen, will review the applications. The composer’s name will be removed from entries.

The winning composer receives a prize of $2000 and a Grand Philharmonic SATB Adult Choir ensemble will perform the piece in the 2021-2022 season. Funds are available for travel (if travel is approved by public health authorities) so that the winning composer can attend the dress rehearsal and premiere.

The winner should also be prepared to provide a rehearsal guide for singers to support their learning in the event that rehearsals take place in an online environment.

This competition is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The Grand Philharmonic Choir strongly encourages composers of diverse backgrounds and experiences, including Black and Indigenous composers, to submit works for consideration.

The guidelines of the competition change each year depending on which ensemble of the Grand Philharmonic Choir organization is the focus of the competition. Works must be unpublished and unperformed at the time of the competition and must follow the criteria of the competition with respect to length, instrumentation, text, etc. Securing the permission to use texts currently under copyright is the responsibility of the composer (proof of permission will be a requirement of the winning entrant).

To enter a work for the 2021-22 competition:

  • Entries will be submitted online in 2021. If this is a problem for you, please be in touch at info@grandphilchoir.com
  • Fill out and submit the registration form, and email it to info@grandphilchoir.com.
  • There is no application fee, in consideration of the difficulties posed to the performing arts by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Submit an electronic copy of the original work to the above email, notated using computer notation software in open score format (Sibelius, Finale, etc). Ensure that the composer’s name, or other identifiers do NOT appear on the score.
  • The deadline for entry is December 15, 2021.

Receipt of applications will be acknowledged by the GPC office.

For more details contact:

Grand Philharmonic Choir
101 Queen Street North
Kitchener, ON, N2H 6P7
Amy Dale: info@grandphilchoir.com

Guidelines for Submission
2021-2022 Grand Philharmonic Choir
Choral Works Competition

Choral Works competition entries: 

  • should be written for SATB choir, suitable for a large ensemble (100+ singers); some divisi permitted, though should be predominantly SATB
  • can be a cappella, or accompanied by piano, and up to one solo instrument (if desired)
  • no longer than 4-6 minutes in length
  • must be accessible for online rehearsals and distance learning

Performance of the winning composition will take place during the 2021-2022 season in Waterloo Region, Ontario. Funds are available for the winning composer to travel to Waterloo Region for the dress rehearsal and world premiere of the work.

The winner should be prepared to provide a rehearsal guide for the piece to support the singers’ learning in the event of online rehearsals/distant learning

Registration Form