SPECTRUM DISCOVERS! Supporting the composers of tomorrow through performance opportunities
Fifth Annual · Call for Submissions
Spectrum Chamber Music Composition Award 2027
Submissions close Friday, April 2, 2027 · 11:59 pm
Apply Online →Spectrum Chamber Music Society is excited to announce its fifth annual call for new compositions. This year's contest is for standard brass quintet: two trumpets (B♭ or C), horn, tenor trombone, and tuba (or bass trombone). No other instruments can be considered, and no instrument doublings.
The winning composer will be awarded $800, and the winning piece will be performed by Spectrum musicians on a September 2027 concert in Fort Worth, Texas. Only one submission per composer is allowed.
Guidelines
- Open to composers of any age and nationality.
- The work must be for standard brass quintet.
- Between 10 and 20 minutes in length.
- May have been previously performed, but must have been written in the last ten years.
- Submissions do not need to be anonymous.
- The winning composer must arrange to travel to Fort Worth, Texas for the performance.
- Spectrum Chamber Music Society reserves the right to give no award.
What to submit
- Completed online application through New Music Engine
- One full score (PDF)
- One audio recording (live instruments preferred; MIDI acceptable; mp3 only)
- Bio
- $25 application fee, paid on our donation page — choose PayPal, enter $25, and later enter your PayPal receipt number on the New Music Engine form
A panel of distinguished judges — professional musicians and composers — reviews every entry. The winner will be announced in late April 2027.
Questions? Contact Till Meyn at t.meyn@tcu.edu.
Composition Award
Annual Competition for New Chamber Works
The Spectrum Chamber Music Composition Award is an annual competition that aims to bring innovative compositions to Fort Worth audiences. We encourage composers of all ages and backgrounds to apply. Winners of the award will receive a cash prize and a professional performance of their work by Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians during our concert season.
2026 Award Winner
Robert Denham
"Transformatio"
Robert Denham’s music includes works of every genre and has been performed to great acclaim across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Robert Denham holds a DMA in composition from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM), MA in Composition from UCLA, and a BM in Trumpet Performance from Biola University.
Honorable Mentions
- Frederic Glesser — “Portraits from my life in Appalachia”
- Theo Chandler — “Music in Shattered Colors”
Previous Winners
- 2024 Michael Salvatore Grebla — “Piano Trio No. 1: In Search of Peace”
- 2023 Yoni Fogelman — “A Selection of Pets”
- 2022 Kian Ravaei — “Family Photos”