The Student Composer Awards were established in 1951 to encourage young composers in the creation of serious music, and through cash prizes, to aid in continuing their musical education. Celebrated composer Milton Babbitt serves as the Awards Chairman. Composer luminaries such as William Bolcom, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, John Harbison, Aaron Jay Kernis, Donald Martino, Steven Mackey, Philip Glass, Christopher Rouse, Joseph Schwantner, Michael Torke and Charles Wuorinen received their earliest recognition through this program.

There are no limitations as to instrumentation, style or length of work submitted. The prizes, which range from $500 to $5,000, are awarded at the discretion of the final judging panel and compositions are judged completely under pseudonyms. Official rules and entry forms are available here.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

The Student Composer Awards were established in 1951 to encourage young composers in the creation of serious music, and through cash prizes, to aid in continuing their musical education. Celebrated composer Milton Babbitt serves as Chairman of the awards.

There are no limitations as to instrumentation, style or length of work submitted. The prizes, which range from $500 to $5,000, are awarded at the discretion of the final judging panel and compositions are judged completely under pseudonyms. The 2007 competition is open to students who are citizens of the Western Hemisphere (North, South and Central America, the Caribbean Island Nations and the Hawaiian Islands) and who are under the age of 26 on December 31, 2006.

Click here for official rules and entry blanks.

Eleven former winners of the BMI Student Composer Awards have gone on to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music, including Stephen Albert, Dominick Argento, William Bolcom, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, John Harbison, Aaron Jay Kernis, Donald Martino, Christopher Rouse, Joseph Schwantner and Charles Wuorinen.

There are no limitations as to instrumentation, style or length of work submitted. The prizes, which range from $500 to $5,000, are awarded at the discretion of the final judging panel. The 2006 competition is open to students who are citizens of the Western Hemisphere (North, South and Central America, the Caribbean Island Nations and the Hawaiian Islands) and who are under 26 years of age on December 31, 2005. Compositions are judged completely under pseudonyms. Official rules and entry blanks are available here for download. The postmark deadline for entering the competition is Friday, February 3, 2006.

Celebrated composer Milton Babbitt serves as chairman of the awards. Eleven former winners of the BMI Student Composer Awards have gone on to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music, including Stephen Albert, Dominick Argento, William Bolcom, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, John Harbison, Aaron Jay Kernis, Donald Martino, Christopher Rouse, Joseph Schwantner and Charles Wuorinen.]]> 2005-11-02T17:00:01+00:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234467 Sheehan, Joseph, Adams, John, Babbitt, Milton, Bryant, Del, Crumb, George, Schwantner, Joseph, Classical, Foundation, BMI Student Composer Awards Composer George Crumb Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Eight young classical composers, ranging in age from 10 to 25, have been named winners in the 53rd Annual BMI Student Composer Awards. Del R. Bryant, BMI President & CEO, announced the decisions of the jury and presented the awards at a reception held June 6 at Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City. Composer Milton Babbitt, Chairman of the awards, and Ralph N. Jackson, President of the BMI Foundation, Inc. and Director of the awards, joined in the presentations.

Click here to read the winners bios

The 2005 BMI Student Composer Award winners are Preben Antonsen (age 14, studies privately with John Adams in Berkeley, California); Sebastian Chang (age 17, studies at Curtis Institute of Music); Glenn Crytzer (age 24, studies at Cleveland Institute of Music); Andrew Jeffrey Norman (age 25, studies privately with Donald Crockett in Los Angeles, California); Joseph Sheehan (age 24, studies at Indiana University); Jeff Stanek (age 21, studies at Indiana University); Conrad Tao (age 10, studies privately with Christopher Theofanidis in New York City); and Spencer Stuart Topel (age 25, studies at Cornell University).

BMI Lifetime Achievement winner George Crumb is congratulated by BMI's Del Bryant

A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award, BMI's highest honor in the classical field, to composer George Crumb on the occasion of his 75th Birthday Year. Crumb, a 1956 BMI Student Composer Award winner, was cited as a "true American original," and honored for his "profound gift of music to the world." Among his many honors are the Pulitzer Prize in Music, a Grammy Award, a Fulbright Fellowship, a Cannes Classical Award, the Prince Pierre de Monaco Gold Medal, and the Brandeis University Creative Arts Award. He has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1975 and was named "Composer of the Year" in 2004 by Musical America. Crumb held the position of Annenberg Professor of the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught for over 30 years.

Pictured after the awards presnetation are (front row) winners Preben Antonsen, Sebastian Chang, and Conrad Tao, Awards Chairman Milton Babbitt, (back row) winners Spencer Topel, Jeff Stanek, Andrew Norman, Glenn Crytzer and Joseph Sheehan. Photo by Gary Gershoff

Joseph Sheehan was the named the winner of the William Schuman Prize, which is awarded to the score judged "most outstanding" in the competition. This special prize is given each year in memory of the late William Schuman, who served for 40 years as Chairman, then Chairman Emeritus, of the BMI Student Composer Awards. Additionally, two special Carlos Surinach Prizes, underwritten by the BMI Foundation's special endowed fund, were awarded to the youngest winners, Preben Antonsen and Conrad Tao.

The BMI Student Composer Awards recognize superior creative talent and winners receive scholarship grants to be applied toward their musical education. This year, more than 500 manuscripts were submitted to the competition from throughout the Western Hemisphere, and all works were judged under pseudonyms. Cash awards totaled $20,500.

This year's distinguished jury members included Robert Beaser, John Eaton, Steven Mackey, Cindy McTee, and Joseph Schwantner; the preliminary judges were Chester Biscardi, Shafer Mahoney and Bernadette Speach.

BMI has awarded 493 scholarship grants to young composers over the years, and many of today's most prominent and active classical composers received their first recognition from the BMI Student Composer Awards. Eleven former winners have gone on to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music. The BMI Student Composer Awards competition is co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, Inc.]]> 2005-06-06T18:00:00+00:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/234260 Mario, Babbitt, Milton, Bolcom, William, Bryant, Del, Crumb, George, Davidovsky, Mario, Harbison, John, Kernis, Aaron Jay, Martino, Donald, Rouse, Christopher, Schwantner, Joseph, Wuorinen, Charles, Foundation BMI Student Composer Awards competition will award $20,000 to young composers, BMI President and CEO Del Bryant announced today. The postmark deadline for entering the 2005 competition, co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, is Friday, February 11, 2005.

The BMI Student Composer Awards were established in 1951 to encourage young composers in the creation of serious music and, through cash prizes, to aid in continuing their musical education. There are no limitations as to instrumentation, style or length of work submitted. The prizes, which range from $500 to $5,000, are awarded at the discretion of the final judging panel. Milton Babbitt is the awards chairman.

Eleven former winners of these prestigious awards have gone on to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music, including Stephen Albert, Dominick Argento, William Bolcom, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, John Harbison, Aaron Jay Kernis, Donald Martino, Christopher Rouse, Joseph Schwantner and Charles Wuorinen.

The 2005 competition is open to students under the age of 26 by December 31, 2004 who are citizens of the Western Hemisphere, which includes North, South and Central America, the Caribbean Island Nations and the Hawaiian Islands. Compositions are judged completely under pseudonyms.

Click here for official rules and an entry form.]]> 2004-11-22T17:00:00+00:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233898 Mario, Babbitt, Milton, Bolcom, William, Crumb, George, Davidovsky, Mario, Harbison, John, Kernis, Aaron Jay, Martino, Donald, Rouse, Christopher, Schwantner, Joseph, Wuorinen, Charles, Classical, Foundation BMI Student Composer Award competition will award $20,000 to young composers, it was announced by BMI President and CEO, Frances W. Preston. The postmark deadline for entering the 2004 competition, which is co-sponsored by the BMI Foundation, is Friday, February 6, 2004.

The BMI Student Composer Awards were established in 1951 to encourage young composers in the creation of serious music and, through cash prizes, to aid in continuing their musical education. There are no limitations as to instrumentation, style or length of work submitted. The prizes, which range from $500 to $5,000, are awarded at the discretion of the final judging panel. Eleven former winners have gone on to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music including Stephen Albert, Dominick Argento, William Bolcom, George Crumb, Mario Davidovsky, John Harbison, Aaron Jay Kernis, Donald Martino, Christopher Rouse, Joseph Schwantner and Charles Wuorinen.

The 2004 competition is open to students who are citizens of the Western Hemisphere (North, South and Central America, the Caribbean Island Nations and the Hawaiian Islands) and who are under 26 years of age on December 31, 2003. Compositions are judged completely under pseudonyms. Milton Babbitt is the awards chairman. Download official rules and entry blanks, or request forms by email at classical@bmi.com or by writing to:

Ralph N. Jackson
Director
BMI Student Composer Awards
320 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019 USA]]> 2003-11-10T17:00:00+00:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/233866 Crumb, George, Golijov, Osvaldo, Classical Osvaldo Golijov has been named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Golijov, 42, is one of 24 grant recipients and will receive $500,000 of "no strings attached" funds over the next five years.

The MacArthur Fellows Program is designed to emphasize the importance of the creative individual in society. Fellows are selected for the originality and creativity of their work and the potential to do more in the future. Candidates are nominated, evaluated, and selected through a rigorous and confidential process. No one may apply for the awards, nor are any interviews conducted with nominees. The MacArthur Fellows Program places no restrictions on how recipients may use the $500,000, and no reports are required.

Born in Argentina, Golijov grew up in Eastern Europe and moved to Israel in 1983 to study with Mark Kopytman at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem. He moved to the US in 1986, where he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, studying with George Crumb. Golijov has been Associate Professor of Music at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., since 1991, and also serves as a faculty member at the Boston Conservatory and the Tanglewood Music Center.

Golijov's impressive list of commissions is quite long and includes the St. Lawrence String Quartet, the Kronos Quartet, the Spoleto USA Festival, Lincoln Center, the Boston Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival. His most well-known work, "La Pasi�n Seg?n San Marcos" ("St. Mark's Passion"), was commissioned by Helmuth Rilling to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's death. Premiered in 2000 by the Schola Cantorum of Caracas, the piece has subsequently been performed in the US and recorded on the H�nnsler label. Golijov has served as composer-in-residence at Music from Marlboro, Spoleto, Merkin Hall in New York City and the LA Philharmonic's Music Alive series.

As one of the nation's largest private philanthropic foundations, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded more than $3 billion in grants since it began operations in 1978, and today has assets of approximately $4 billion. The Foundation is named for John D. MacArthur (1897-1978), who developed and owned Bankers Life and Casualty Company and other businesses, as well as considerable property in Florida and New York. His wife Catherine (1909-1981) held positions in many of these companies and served as a director of the Foundation.]]> 2003-10-08T21:00:00+00:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/533564 Artists, Babbitt, Milton, Beeferman, Gordon, Crumb, George, Kernis, Aaron Jay, Schwantner, Joseph, Wuorinen, Charles, Awards, BMI Foundation Awards, BMI Student Composer Awards 46TH ANNUAL BMI STUDENT COMPOSER AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED;

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER AARON JAY KERNIS AWARDED BMI SPECIAL CITATION

New York, New York, June 9, 1998—Eight young composers, ranging in age from 18 to 26, have been named winners in the 46th Annual BMI Student Composer Awards. Ralph N. Jackson, Assistant Vice President, BMI Classical Music Relations and Director of the Student Composer Awards, and Awards Chairman Milton Babbitt announced the decisions of the jury and presented the awards at a reception held today at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

The 1998 BMI Student Composer Award winners are: Gordon Beeferman (age 21, recent graduate of the University of Michigan); Ryan T. Deasy (age 18, recent graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis); Rafael A. Hernandez III (age 22, recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University); Jeff Myers (age 20, studies at San Jose State University); Paul D. Osterfield (age 24, studies at Cornell University); Joshua Penman (age 18, studies at Yale University); Kevin Putz (age 26, studies at the Eastman School of Music); and Michael Weingartner (age 26, recent graduate of the University of Utah).

Ralph Jackson announced that Kevin Putz and Michael Weingartner were the co-winners of the 1998 William Schuman Prize, which is awarded to the score judged “most outstanding” in the competition. The prize is given in memory of the late William Schuman, who served for 40 years as Chairman, then Chairman Emeritus, of the BMI Student Composer Awards. The BMI Student Composer Awards recognize superior creative talent and winners receive scholarship grants to be applied toward their musical education. More than 400 manuscripts were submitted to the competition in 1998 and all works were judged under pseudonyms. Cash awards totaled $15,000.

The distinguished Student Composer Awards jury members for the 1998 competition were Leslie Bassett, George Crumb, Joseph Schwantner, Michael Torke and Charles Wuorinen. The preliminary judging committee included Chester Biscardi, David Leisner and Bernadette Speach.

During the ceremony, Aaron Jay Kernis, the recipient of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in Music, was presented with a BMI Special Citation of Achievement for “outstanding contribution to the world of classical music.” Mr. Kernis, a former three-time Student Composer Award winner, received his earliest recognition from BMI at age 17. Now 38, he has been performed and commissioned by many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and chamber music groups. His Pulitzer Prize winning work, String Quartet No. 2, “musica instrumentalis,” was premiered by the Lark String Quartet on January 10, 1998 in Merkin Hall in New York City. Eleven former Student Composer Award winners have gone on to win the coveted Pulitzer Prize in Music.

According to Jackson, BMI has given 432 scholarship grants to young composers over the years, and many of today’s most prominent and active classical composers received their first recognition from the BMI Student Composer Awards. The awards are co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation.