Institute for Choral Creativity

Composition competition

The Institute for Choral Creativity (ICC), in conjunction with the William Baker Choral Foundation, is thrilled to announce its seventh annual composition competition!

The ICC invites submissions of choral works from composers of any age, race, gender, or nationality; applicants’ only restrictions are that they may not be current members of any William Baker Choral Foundation ensembles and they cannot have previously won first or second prize.

Two prizes—first and second—will be awarded; the ICC reserves the right not to name a second prize winner.

The first prize winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize. The second prize winner, if named, will receive a $750 cash prize. Both prizes also include:

• Performance of the winning work by Vox Venti in Chicago on May 8, 2027*;
• Inclusion in the Jane Sullivan Choral Library and possible future performances by other ensembles in the William Baker Choral Foundation.

( * Should the performance date need to be postponed for any reason, the winning composer(s) will still receive their cash prize up front.)

Criteria for all submissions is as follows:

• Must be written either for 1) SATB choir a cappella or 2) SATB choir with piano (not organ). We will not accept compositions for SA-only or TB-only choirs;
• Must be an original composition, i.e. NOT an arrangement of a pre-existing work;
• May be about any subject matter, secular or sacred;
• Texts may either be 1) original, 2) in the public domain, or 3) copyrighted if a letter of permission from the copyright owner is included with the submission. We will also accept compositions that do not use text;
• Texts may be in any language, however texts not in English, French, German, Italian, Latin, or Spanish must include a pronunciation guide;
• Must be between 3 and 6 minutes in length; multi-movement works are acceptable as long as they fall within the 3-6 minute window;
• Divisi up to 8 parts (SSAATTBB) is allowed;
• If a cappella, must include a piano reduction in the score;
• Must be anonymous, i.e. your name and any other identifying information must not appear anywhere on the score;
• Must have been composed between 2016 and 2026;
• Must not be published by a major publisher; works that are self-published or published through artist-owned organizations such as MusicSpoke are acceptable;
• Must not have been previously performed in Illinois; we encourage the submission of works which have never been performed;
• Composers may submit up to two works.

To enter, please complete the following online form:

Submit your entry

Submissions must be received by end of day (11:59 PM your local time) on December 31, 2026. The results will be announced in early February 2027.

For questions: Email Ed Frazier Davis

Previous winners

Mission

The ICC seeks to further and empower the art of contemporary choral music by (1) identifying talented emerging and underrepresented choral composers and connecting them with ensembles committed to performing and/or recording their music; (2) curating an annual composition competition with a cash prize and multiple performances of the winning work(s); and (3) offering private and group instruction in writing for choirs, contemporary choral music appreciation, and other topics for anyone from compositional newcomers to experienced composers looking to diversify their output.

The Institute for Choral Creativity was founded by composer Ed Frazier Davis in the summer of 2020 as an outreach institute of the William Baker Choral Foundation. It is based in Chicago. Winning works are premiered in Chicago.

Faculty and Staff

Ed Frazier Davis, Director, Institute for Choral Creativity