Composition Competition
The RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Competition is an annual competition open to all composers, regardless of age or nationality. The competition is judged by composition faculty and ensemble directors at the Illinois State University School of Music as well as by nationally and internationally recognized composers. The composer of the winning piece in each category receives a $1000 prize and a performance at the RED NOTE New Music Festival.
To enter, or to learn more about the competition, visit the link below for the complete Rules and Guidelines.
For details on past competitions, visit the Past Winners page.
Category A (Chamber Ensemble)
In Category A (Chamber Orchestra) there were 468 anonymous submissions from 43 states and Canadian provinces and from 38 other nations around the world, the highest number of submissions entered for this category in the 12-year history. Initial rounds were judged by the Music Composition faculty at Illinois State University. The final round was judged by the esteemed composers: Benet Casablancas (Liceu Conservatory, Barcelona), Melinda Wagner (The Juilliard School), and Yehudi Wyner (Brandeis University, emeritus).
The results of the competition (Category A) are as follows:
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WINNER:
Quintet for clarinet, strings, and piano
by Max Grafe (Wallkill, New York) -
RUNNERS-UP:
Grin
by Robin Haigh (London, United Kingdom)Winter Sister
by Timothy Peterson (Los Angeles, California) -
Honorable Mentions:
Nonsense Passacaglia
by Theo Chandler (Houston, Texas)Piano Quartet No. 2
by Douglas Boyce (Blowing Rock, North Carolina)roses
by Baldwin Giang (Malvern, Pennsylvania)Taxonomies of Pulse
by Benjamin Krause (Holland, Michigan)
Max Grafe will receive the $1000 prize, and his winning work will be performed on March 28, 2023 in Normal, Illinois.
Category B (Full Orchestra)
In Category B (Full Orchestra), there were a record number of submssions received with 211 submissions from 33 states and provinces in the United States and Canada and from 37 other nations around the world. Initial rounds were judged by the Music Composition faculty at Illinois State University. The final round was judged by Dr. Glenn Block, director of orchestras at Illinois State University.
The results of the competition (Category B) are as follows:
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WINNER:
Hydrosphere
by Sam Wu (Melbourne, Australia) -
RUNNER-UP:
Wo We Are
by Cody Hutcheson (Eastland, Texas) -
Honorable Mention:
Breathe, Come Together, Embrace
by Angelique Poteat (Seattle, Washington)
Sam Wu will receive the $1000 prize, and Dr. Block will conduct the Illinois State University Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the winning work on Thursday, March 30, 2023 in Normal, Illinois.
Category C (Chorus)
In Category C (Chorus), there were 111 submissions from 32 states and provinces in the United States and Canada and from 17 other nations around the world. Initial rounds were judged by the Music Composition faculty at Illinois State University. The final round was judged by Dr. Mark Grizzard, interim director of choral activities at Illinois State University.
The results of the competition (Category C) are as follows:
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WINNER:
Absalom
by Adrian Wong (Ho Man Tin, Hong Kong) -
RUNNER-UP:
Two Falling Stars
by Paul Rudoi (West Saint Paul, Minnesota) -
HONORABLE MENTION:
To Music
by Mark Kilstofte (Greenville, South Carolina)
Adrian Wong will receive the $1000 prize, and Dr. Grizzard will conduct the Illinois State University Madrigal Singers in a performance of the winning work on Thursday, March 30, 2023 in Normal, Illinois.