Young Composers:Contests and Competitions

Young Composers competitions promote members of our community and recognize high levels of achievement in music composition. As well as being a good source of inspiration for composers and a good motive to crawl out of the dreaded writer's block, our contests and competitions, hosted on our public forums, continue to identify the strongest of young composers (of all ages) in our community and contribute to the establishment of their future careers. Of course bragging rights are always dealt in large amounts, however we currently offer no prizes to the winners of our competitions, we simply host them for the benefit of the contestants, usually providing in-depth critiques of all the entries - another great motive for entry.

Current competitions and deadlines

Please see the devoted section of the Homepage

Past competitions and results

Monthly Competitions

These are usually held on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. The following list begins with the most recent rounds.


  • August 2009 Composition based off a specific mood or emotion.

Seven entries:

1st place: Jeremy Thompson (Bachian) - Adagio for String Orchestra, "Heavy Night Sits My Soul in Sorrow"

2nd place: Blackballoons

3rd place: Jimmy Jewson (jimmyjuicin) - "I Always End Up Choking On the Pits of Dates" for piano

4th place: Graham D. Cohen (Heckelphone) - Winds, Air, and Fire for mixed ensemble

5th place: Jared - "Triton Sounds the Shell"

6th place: José Pablo Fernández Magaña (josepablofm) - "One day of Culture"

7th place: Jonah Robinson (impresario) - Grief for Ten Instruments


  • July 2009 Composition based off of an octatonic scale.

Eight entries:

1st place: José Pablo Fernández Magaña (josepablofm) - Acusmer #1 for Piano

2nd place: Jeremy Thompson (Bachian) - Etude - Octatonic for piano

3rd place: Daniel Gilbert - Dance of the Witching Hour for solo piano

3rd place: Paul Poston - Impromptu for solo bassoon

4th place: P. Hanson (Ad Hoc) - March of the Dandelions for solo clarinet

Vince Meyer (thatguy) - Fear is an Illusion for solo violin

Jimmy Jewson (jimmyjuicin) - Octology for piano

Chris Sahar (composerorganist) - Short Suite for Piano


  • October 2008 Composition based off of an image scored for any ensemble.

Four entries:

1st place: Berlioz - Masquerade and Fireworks for Orchestra

2nd place: EnigmusJ4 - Prélude à un portrait de la Corée du Nord

3rd place: M_is_D - Nocturne

4th place: MoosyCoosy - The Magnificent Lion


  • September 2008 National Anthem(s) for Solo Flute

One entry:

1st place: Jimmyjuicin


  • May/June 2008 Piece consisting only of a family of instruments written based on a text.

Results Pending.


  • February/March 2008 Duo for any specified family of instruments.

Results Pending.


  • January 2008 Theme and Variations

Four entries:

1st place: EnigmusJ4

2nd place: M_is_D

3rd place: Dev

4th place: VirtualShock


  • Competition #3 Wind Trio

Four entries:

1st place: CreationArtist

2nd place: Mitchell

3rd place: FPSchubertII

4th place: Eddwin


  • Competition #2 Piano Rhapsody

Nine entries:

1st place: Sinequanon

2nd place: spc1st

3rd place: Anders

4th place: Bassam

5th place: Mitchell, Rolifer

6th place: FPSchubertII, blueygh2, Eddwin


  • March 2007 Free-form sonata.

Four entries:

1st place: ralphb

2nd place: KSP

3rd place: awayfromlight, lind

Withdrawn: Invisionary

Other Competitions

The Conceptual Music Competition

The CMC is a monthly composition contest directed by Kenneth Edward Keyn (Abadoss). The CMC was created shortly before the Thematic Original Music Competition was disbanded. The contest is typically open to registered members of the forums of OverClocked ReMix, VGMix, VGMusic, Gaming World, Young Composers, and GameDev.

More information and history of results and be found on the organizer's own profile: Kenneth Keyn

Happy Birthday Competition for Orchestra

Posted Nov 28 2008 by OmarSanchez. Thread

Winning entry:

gollam12 "A Bulgarian Birthday"

Fantastic Competition for Recorder

Posted May 30, 2008 by Peter Smal. Thread

One entry:

1st place: EnigmusJ4 "Concert Étude for Unaccompanied Recorder"

New Year's Competition 2008

Posted Dec 20, 2007 by pricewalden. Thread

Two entries:

1st Place: EnigmusJ4 "Reflections of New Years"

2nd Place: Verdi_Lvr "New Year's Trio"

Duet Competition

Posted June 23, 2007. Thread

Twelve entries:

1st place: Nightscape

2nd place: rolifer

3rd place: Berlioz

Runners-up (in no specific order): TheMeaningofLIfe, Rafn, virtualshock, RavingSpleen, Euler, James QZ, EnigmusJ4, KSP, fegane.

Retrieved from "http://wiki.youngcomposers.com/Young_Composers:Contests_and_Competitions "