Composition Competition

The Winners of the Valley Winds International Composition Competition are:

FIRST PRIZE: THE POOR POET by CHRISTIAAN JANSSEN, Netherlands $4,000

SECOND PRIZE: BRANCALEONE by JAYME VIGNOLI, Brazil $1,000

Congratulations to our two winners! We look forward to performing your works.

Congratulations to all of our finalists

Clackermonkey – Kent Darnielle, USA
Fantasy Suite – Jeremy Makkonen, USA
Mazurkas of Water and Fire – Roman Czura, POLAND
Millennial Sketches Part I – Neal Endicott, USA
Pillars of Creation – Joshua Reed, UNITED KINGDOM
Recondito – Israel Ruiz Ayala, MEXICO
Sinfonia Breve – Joseph Hallman, USA
Tha-raack! – David Heuser, USA
 
We received 386 compositions from 50 countries. All identifying information about the composers and their home countries were redacted throughout the entire adjudication process until after the winners had been selected.
 

Special appreciation to our Jury Members

Tony Brackett, President of The Valley Winds and Composition Competition Coordinator
Dr. Brian Messier, Artistic Director, The Valley Winds
Janice Murphy, Principal Clarinet, The Valley Winds
Justin Eliason, Trumpet, The Valley Winds
Michelle Rakers, retired Trumpet and Conductor, United States Marine Band, DENMARK
Ingrid Martin, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Crosswinds Ensemble, AUSTRALIA
Sarah Watts, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet Professor, Royal Northern College of Music, UNITED KINGDOM
Kristin Davidson, retired French horn, United States Marine Band, USA
David Zerkel, Professor of Tuba and Euphonium, University of Michigan, USA
 

Many thanks to our generous Sponsors

Vandoren USA
Christopher Kempf, Euphonium, The Valley Winds
Janice Murphy
Dorothy Brackett
The Valley Winds
Tony Brackett
www.valley-winds.org

 

COMPETITION PURPOSE, GOAL, AND PRIORITY

  • The purpose of this competition is to encourage the creation of new works for Wind Ensemble.
  • The goal is to identify several works that the Valley Winds can premiere in a live performance setting.
  • Additional consideration will be given to works that are not overtly virtuosic in nature. While the Valley Winds is an exceptional ensemble, the goal is to premiere works that are accessible to professional and collegiate wind ensembles.

DEADLINE

  • Scores, midi renderings and applications must be submitted by May 31, 2021

RULES AND GUIDELINES

  • Submitted works must not yet have received a public performance
  • The Valley Winds will have world-premiere rights for all submitted works through the conclusion of this competition. Premiere rights for all non-awarded works will be released back to the composer on August 1, 2021.
  • The Valley Winds will have premiere recording rights for all Prize-Winning compositions.
  • Compositions shall not exceed 10 minutes in length. There is no minimum length requirement.
  • Determinations of the evaluation panel are final
  • Composers must submit the following by the application deadline:

A digitally-rendered, transposed full score. Use of notation software is required.

A midi rendering of the selection.

Contact information

  • The work must include the following parts (* indicates parts that are likely to be doubled)

Piccolo: 1

Flute*: 1st & 2nd

Oboe: 1st & 2nd

English horn (optional)

Bassoon: 1st & 2nd

Eb Clarinet (optional)

Bb Clarinet*: 1st, 2nd & 3rd

Bass Clarinet: 1

Soprano Saxophone (optional)

Alto Saxophone: 1 if using soprano sax, 2 if not using soprano sax

Tenor Saxophone: 1

Baritone Saxophone: 1

Bb Trumpet/Cornet*: 3 to 6 independent parts

French Horn in F: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th

Tenor Trombone: 1st, 2nd (optional 3rd)

Bass Trombone: 1 if using 2 tenor trombones, none if using 3 tenor trombones

Euphonium*: 1

Tuba*: 1

String Bass: 1

Percussion: up to 5 players including timpani (optional)

  • Percussion parts may include more than one instrument, but each part must be logistically and musically played by one player.
  • All standard battery, mallet, and auxiliary percussion instruments acceptable.

 

QUESTIONS

All questions about this competition can be directed to Tony Brackett, President of The Valley Winds, via ambclarinet@gmail.com

 

SUBMISSIONS

Submit all compositions via email to ambclarinet@gmail.com
In the body of the email, please include
1. Name
2. Mailing address
3. Email address
4. Phone number
5. Title of composition
Please remember to attach a midi rendering of your composition and a pdf copy of your score.