The Estella Gahala Lange Emerging Composer Competition


Quintessence announces a new annual competition for composers aged 35 and younger!

Winners receive:
  • a prize of $1000, 
  • a premiere of the work by Quintessence, and a
  • a recording of the piece.
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Submissions will be judged by a panel of composers, conductors, and singers. Judges may also award a 2nd-place winner, who will receive a $500 prize, and a premiere performance and recording. Historically underrepresented composers are strongly encouraged to apply. Premieres will occur annually at the May Quintessence concert.

Deadline for applications is February 15th, 2023
Winners will be announced by March 15th, 2023

Applicant Requirements

  • Applicants must be 35 years old or younger at the time of the premiere concert in May.
  • Applicants must be residents of United States, Canada, or Mexico.
  • If awarded a prize, composers are invited, but not required, to attend the final rehearsals and premiere, and will receive a $300 travel stipend if they wish to attend.

Composition entries should be:

  • For mixed choir (SATB). Divisi is acceptable.
  • Unaccompanied, or with keyboard accompaniment. One or two obbligato instruments are acceptable.
  • Three to eight minutes in duration.
  • Original and unpublished. (This includes self-publishing; the work should not have been made available commercially before being submitted to the competition.)
  • The text may be sacred or secular, either in the public domain or copyrighted, as long as a letter of permission from the copyright owner is included with the submission. Text may be in any language.
  • Appropriate for the theme of the concert. The theme of the May 2023 concert is "Home."

Applicants must submit the following:

  • PDF copy of your composition without your name anywhere on the body of composition.
  • MP3 recording or midi rendering are encouraged, but not required.
  • Cover letter that includes the following information:
    • Composer’s name
    • Physical address and mailing address (if different)
    • Phone number
    • Email address
    • Date of birth
    • Current occupation (including if you are currently an enrolled student)
    • Short bio ​​
Deadline for applications is February 15th, 2023

To submit your application:

Complete the form linked below. There is a place on that form for you to upload your PDF of your composition, an optional mp3 recording/midi rendering, and cover letter.

Questions about your application?

If you have additional questions about this competition, please reach out to Quintessence Artistic Director, Matthew Greer: matt@quintessence-abq.com