Composition Prize
Manchester Midday Music Composition Prize
New for 2027
Manchester Midday Music Composition Prize launches in early 2027 and creates a valuable opportunity for postgraduate composers, and those within 3 years of graduating. We are encouraging early career and emerging composers to write a new work for the winners of our Chamber Ensemble Prize. The instrumentation will be subject to whichever ensemble is successful (ranging from trio to sextet, including vocalists) – and this will be announced in early 2027. Following this announcement we will launch our 2027 Composition Prize.
The winning work will be performed by the ensemble in their Manchester Midday Music recital in our 2027/28 season in The Bridgewater Hall. The winning composer will be awarded a £1000 cash prize and a professional recording of the work taken during the live recital.
Four works will be shortlisted, and composers invited to a workshop session with the chamber ensemble, led by composer Ryan Latimer. The winning work will be selected following this workshop day and all composers will gain valuable feedback.
Criteria
- Open to UK Residents and UK based students who are either PG level or have graduated within the last three years.
- Composers must write for the stipulated instrumentation, with no extended techniques, prepared piano, electronics, or doubling.
- The work must be able to be performed unconducted.
- Duration of work 6-8 minutes.
- Where the ensemble involves vocalists, composers must ensure that they have the legal permission to use their chosen texts.
- Submission must include a formatted score and individual parts and a programme note of 150 words (maximum).
Key dates
- Competition launch: February 2027
- Submission deadline: 12 July 2027
- Winner and workshop participants announced: 2 August 2027
- Workshop dates: TBC
- Winning work performance: during 2027/28 Manchester Midday Music season
Adjudication
Works will be judged by an established composer who is also a Professor/Lecturer of Composition in a UK University or Music College, along with our Artistic Consultant.
Keep up-to-date
To be the first to hear about the launch of our Composition Prize, sign up to our mailing list.
Chamber Ensemble Prize
Chamber ensembles of three or more musicians are invited to enter our new Chamber Ensemble Prize. Entry to the prize is online and finalists will perform in a live final in Manchester in early 2027.
Chamber groups for our 2027-28 season will be selected via this prize, as we continue to develop our support for emerging and early career artists, and create links with young composers.
Perform With Us
As a charity, we aim to offer exciting opportunities for emerging and early career artists on the chamber music scene.
If you would like to be part of our chamber music series at The Bridgewater Hall, you can propose concerts to be considered via our expression of interest form. Read more about this here.