• The Cortona Sessions for New Music and the International Foundation for Contemporary Music invite composers to submit scores for consideration for The Cortona Prize. 

    The Cortona Prize will be awarded to one or more composers whose work demonstrates particular skill and innovation.

    SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

    Composers must be age 18 and above as of June 1, 2025 to be eligible for consideration. Submitted works may be up to 15 minutes in length; if a longer multi-movement work is submitted, select movements may be performed. Works may be composed for any combination of instruments represented by the 2025 Cortona Sessions performance faculty. SEE BELOW FOR A FULL SET OF RULES AND PROCESSES.

    PRIZE DETAILS

    Faculty will select a small number of Cortona Prize Finalists; all finalists will be offered immediate acceptance to the 2025 Cortona Sessions, should they wish to participate. One work will receive The Cortona Prize, and the composer of that work will be offered immediate acceptance to the 2025 Cortona Sessions as well as a full tuition scholarship. The winning composition will be performed and recorded (video and audio) by the Cortona Collective Ensemble during the 2025 Cortona Sessions.

  • Application Fee:  pay-what-you-can ($25 suggested; amount paid does not affect prize consideration in any way)
    Submission Deadline: January 5, 2025 (11:59pm Eastern Time)
    Notification/Award Date:  January 25, 2025

    HOW TO APPLY 

    Applications are due by 11:59 EST on January 5, 2025.

    Please complete the application using the above button.

    Application requirements:

    • General personal information

    • Link(s) to PDFs of scores where appropriate, and/or link(s) to any other means by which you communicate information to your performers (audio, video, etc). ******PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK PERMISSIONS ON LINKS TO FILES. FILE LINKS THAT ARE NOT PUBLICLY VIEWABLE WILL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION*******

    • Optional: Recordings of any kind may be submitted as additional supplementary materials, but are not required. MIDI recordings are also permissible, but are not required.

    PROCESS

    Scores will be distributed to a panel made up of Cortona Sessions faculty and outside evaluators, who will select all winners. Cortona Prize Finalists and the Cortona Prize winner will be notified by email on January 25, 2025, and results will also be posted online.

    Feedback will be given upon request.

    INSTRUMENTATION

    Any combinations of the listed instruments are welcome [duo minimum]; please note restrictions below. Submitted works that do not follow these guidelines will be automatically disqualified. Duo is the minimum ensemble size. Works must be playable via the combination of performers listed here. Works with electronics are eligible, but works for solo + electronics will be considered as solo and will not be accepted.

    voice: Rachel Calloway (mezzo soprano, University of South Carolina / Duo Cortona)
    flute:  Sarah Brady (BMOP; Boston Conservatory)
    clarinet:  Gregory Oakes (Iowa State University)
    saxophone:  Geoffrey Deibel (Florida State University / h2 Quartet)
    violin:  Ari Streisfeld (University of South Carolina / Duo Cortona)
    cello:  Kivie Cahn-Lipman (Youngstown State University / International Contemporary Ensemble)
    piano:  Brianna Matzke (Wilmington College); Winston Choi (Roosevelt University)
    percussion: Michael Compitello (Arizona State University; New Morse Code)

    Instrumentation restriction guidelines:

    • FLUTE: C flute, piccolo, and alto flute are permissible; bass flute is not permissible.

    • SAXOPHONE: Works featuring tenor or bari sax may be submitted, but may or may not be eligible for performance at the Sessions (consultation will be held with faculty about instrument availability if work is selected as a finalist).

    • PERCUSSION: only works including the instruments listed here, and/or small percussion, and/or body percussion are eligible. Works that call for instruments not listed on the linked document will not be accepted. Works that require more than one percussionist to perform will not be accepted.

    • ELECTRONICS: Works with fixed media and/or live electronics are eligible. Must be achievable within a 45-minute sound check WITHOUT the composer present. Video is also possible. Electronics must be realizable in 2 channel stereo mixes. Should the piece be selected for performance at the Cortona Sessions, any special equipment and microphones other than small and large diaphragm condensers must be provided by the composer.

    RULES

    1. Composers must be age 18 and above as of June 1, 2025 to be eligible for consideration.

    2. Submitted works may be up to 15 minutes in length; if a longer multi-movement work is submitted, select movements may be performed.

    3. Works must be composed for any combination of instruments represented by the 2025 Cortona Sessions performance faculty, must be playable by the forces of the 2025 Cortona Collective, and must follow instrumentation guidelines. A work that requires multiples of any instrument except piano will not be accepted. Submitted works that do not follow instrumentation guidelines will be automatically disqualified.

    THE PRIZE

    • All Cortona Prize finalists will be offered immediate acceptance to the 2025 Cortona Sessions, should they wish to participate.

    • One work will receive The Cortona Prize, and the composer of that work will be offered immediate acceptance to the 2025 Cortona Sessions as well as a full tuition scholarship. 

    • The winning composition will be performed and recorded (audio and video) by the Cortona Collective Ensemble. 

    • Winners of the Cortona Prize may be offered opportunities to compose new works for the Cortona Collective in the future.

  • 2024: Aaron Israel Levin
    winning piece:     Videogame Vespers (vln/electronics)

    2023: Christian Quiñones
    winning piece:     Loud Music for Quiet Places (cl/vln/vlc/pno)

    2022: Paul Novak
    winning piece:     prisms and mirrors (pierrot sextet)

    2020: Kevin Kay
    winning piece:     duality ii (fl/cl/vln/vlc/pno/electronics)

    2019: Annika Socolofsky
    winning piece:     Don’t Say a Word (pierrot)

    2018:  Tonia Ko
    winning piece:      Reaction (Axis III) (fl/pno)

    2017:  Pascal LeBoeuf
    winning piece:      Obliquely Wrecked (vln/vlc/pno)

    2016:  Viet Cuong
    winning piece:      Wax and Wire (cl/vln/vlc/pno)
    2nd Prize:  Xinyang Wang
    Honorable Mentions:  
    Turkar Gasimzada, George N. Gianopoulos, Greg Steinke, Mark Wolf

    2015:  Bin Li
    winning piece:  Fuzhou, 1860 (vln/pno)
    commissioned piece:  Concetto Spaziale 5 (vln/vlc)

    2014:  Dave Reminick
    winning piece:      Consort (saxophone quartet)
    commissioned piece:  Bird Songs (fl/cl/sax/vln/vc/pno)