NEW! 05/23/2022 ACDA Expands Opportunities for the Creation of Choral Music
ACDA has maintained an ongoing commitment to choral composition for more than five decades. This year, ACDA is expanding our opportunity to make a positive impact on choral music through the creation of new works and support of new voices.
The ACDA Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission ($10,000) will continue to be awarded annually to honor established choral composers and generate new repertoire for choirs, with premieres at national or regional conferences.
The ACDA Raymond W. Brock Prize ($5,000) will continue to be awarded annually (a prize for professional composers in national conference years, and for student composers in regional conference years). The award amounts have been increased from the previous $1,000 to re-establish the Brock prizes as some of the most substantial awards in choral composition. Additionally, the student prize winning piece will now be premiered at all six region conferences. These awards are available only to ACDA members, to ensure that prize money and benefits are reinvested directly in members and their work.
A third new program will now be offered annually: a Focus Competition structured to meet identified gaps in repertoire needs of ACDA members and their ensembles. A total of $6,000 in prizes will be awarded each year. The 2023 Focus area will be works for SSAA and TTBB choirs. More details will be released when the call for submissions opens September 1, 2022.
In summary, Brock prizes will be open for entries each year March through August, and Focus Competition Prizes will be open for entries each year September through February. The Raymond W. Brock Commission is not chosen via applications. Our goal is for these increased awards, more predictable schedule, and more targeted approach to benefit both choral composers and the choral community.
The call for submissions for the 2023 Raymond W. Brock Prize for Profession Composers opens today, and ends August 15. The winner will receive the new $5,000 prize, and the piece will be premiered at the 2023 ACDA national conference in February. You can find details about the eligibility requirements and submission guidelines at https://acda.org/about-us/awards-competitions.
For questions related to the Raymond W. Brock Prize for Professional Composers call for submissions, please contact Brandon A. Boyd, member of the Composition Initiatives Committee, at .
ACDA Composer Members
ACDA members interested in composition are strongly encouraged to add “Composition” as an Activity (Primary, or Other) in their ACDA member profile at acda.org. Simply log in to your account and update your profile.
Online Choral Composer Communities
The American Choral Composers Facebook group is the primary place for American Choral Composers to network, discuss, crowd-source information, as well as hearing news, announcements, and opportunities.
The New Choral Music Facebook group is an invaluable place for composers to share scores, audio, or video with each other and with choral conductors looking for new music.
Conferences
National ACDA conferences provide opportunities for composers to hear top-level choral performances, meet other choral musicians and composers, network with conductors, attend composition-related interest sessions, and exhibit in the Composer Fair. Regional and state conferences also provide a variety of similar opportunities in a more localized context.
Awards
New! A Focus Competition structured to meet identified gaps in repertoire needs of ACDA members and their their ensembles will launch this Fall. A total of $6,000 in prizes will be awarded each year. The 2023 Focus area will be works for SSAA and TTBB choirs. More details will be released when the call for submissions opens September 1, 2022.
Raymond W. Brock Competition for Student Composers (entries due bi-annually)
Raymond W. Brock Competition for Professional Composers (Call for submissions is currently open! Deadline is August 15, 2022!)
Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission (awarded annually)
Other Initiatives
ACDA Pearl Prize (2021-22)
Genesis Prize: A Composer/Poet Response (2020)
Diverse Voices Collaborative Grant (2019)
Free music sharing during the COVID pandemic.
Publications
Choral Journal articles help choral composers stay aware of current thinking, research, and trends. Periodic articles or even entire issues also focus on aspects of choral composition.
