New England Conservatory
Choral Department
2024-2025
Voices of NEC
Choral Composition Performance Competition
General Information
As part of the 3-year performance series, Voices of NEC, the NEC Choral Department is looking forward to focusing one performance in the 2024-2025 academic year* on choral works composed by NEC alumni.
The 2024-2025 Choral Composition Competition is open solely to all New England Conservatory college alumni up to a graduation date of May 2024.
Any alumnus may submit a choral composition, regardless of degree program at the time of graduation.
Entry deadline: October 1, 2024
Winning compositions will be performed by either the NEC Chamber Singers or Symphonic Choir on Thursday, March 6, 2025 in NEC's Jordan Hall. Composers are not required to attend but encouraged to do so, if able.
Texts may be sacred or secular and can be in any language and in any style. An English translation should be included for any text that is not in English. Language pronunciation guides are preferred and may be requested.
Compositions can be 3-7 minutes in length, scored for SATB up to 8-part divisi (SSAATTBB).
Compositions must include a piano reduction if the piece is a cappella. Compositions with independent piano accompaniment, an obbligato instrument, or string quartet, are eligible.
Compositions must be an original work (not an arrangement). An unpublished, previously published, and/or previously commissioned, work is eligible. If a published work is selected by the adjudication panel, NEC will purchase the necessary number of scores. If a piece is unpublished, NEC will cover printing costs on behalf of the composer.
Texts must be free from copyright restrictions (unless the work is previously published), either public domain or written permission from the poet/copyright holder included with the score submission.
Composers will retain the copyright of their compositions.
Composers may anonymously submit no more than 2 compositions.
This is a free application - no fee is required.
*2023-2024: Voices of NEC; Arise, be enlightened! featuring works by former and current NEC faculty
2025-2026: Voices of NEC; Our Future, featuring works by current NEC students and 2025 graduates.
Submission Guidelines
All identifying marks must be removed from the score - submissions must be anonymous.
All score submissions must be in a notational software layout, and in PDF format - no handwritten scanned submissions will be eligible.
The inclusion of a previous recording (identifying marks aside from piece title removed) or Mp3 midi mock-up is strongly encouraged.
All submissions must be sent via the submission form link found at the bottom of this website.
To complete the submission form you will need a Google account. If you do not have a Google account, follow these simple steps to create one:
Go to the Google Account Creation Page: Visit this link to get started.
Enter Your Information: Fill out the form with your first and last name, desired email address, and a password.
Verify Your Email: Google may ask you to verify your email address by sending a code to the email you provided.
Provide Your Phone Number: Enter your phone number for account security and recovery options.
Agree to the Terms: Review and agree to Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Complete the Setup: Follow the remaining prompts to finish setting up your account.
The following will mark a submission as ineligible:
Entries received after October 1, 2024 11:59:59PM Eastern Standard Time
Incomplete entries
Entries with composer identification on the scores
Entries that do not follow submission guidelines
Evaluation of Compositions
Eligible entries will be judged by the Choral Composition Performance Composition panel, which is composed of distinguished composers and conductors, including NEC's Chair of Choral Activities, Erica J. Washburn.
The committee will judge blindly, receiving access to the submitted scores and any additional materials provided by the NEC Choral Department. The name of the composer entrant will not be revealed to the committee until all their decisions have been submitted to the NEC Choral Department.
The winning composition should show the unique and creative voice of the composer, as well as their vested interest in the ingenuity, growth and development of the choral genre.
In the instance a composer has submitted 2 compositions, and the panel has selected both compositions as winners, only 1 of the 2 submissions will be performed. The selected performed work will be decided on by the composer and Erica J. Washburn.
Notification of the Results
Winning composers will be contacted individually by Monday, December 23, 2024 via email.
A public announcement of all winners will be made no later than February 3, 2025.
Honorable mentions may also be named by the panel of judges and announced on February 3, 2025.
Winning composers will be asked to provide biographical information for program purposes, as well as a short program note.
Submission FAQs/Tips
If you have any questions regarding submission, please contact Sally Millar, NEC Choral Department Administrator via email (sally.millar@necmusic.edu). Do not reach out to Erica Washburn directly, as that risks making your submission ineligible.
No conductor ever feels they have enough rehearsal time with their ensemble. Therefore, it is extremely important that a submitted score is neat, readable, includes all necessary information and is well formatted / laid out on the page.
If your score does not include a piano reduction (for a cappella works), and/or information such as dynamics, articulations, phrase marks, etc. a conductor must make an educated guess as to what a composer's preference is, which may, or may not, be in line with the the composer musically intended.
If your score does not include clearly marked measure numbers, as well as rehearsal numbers or letters, tempi/metronome marking, etc. rehearsals will not be efficient.
A score cover and title page should make certain basic information clear, such as instrumentation, approximate duration of piece, as well as any other special instructions a conductor would need to know, such as physical spacing / arrangement of the musicians, electronic needs, etc.
Submission by the entrant certifies that the composition is an original work, the score was produced by the entrant, and that all information provided is true and accurate.