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Young Composer

General Information

The competition consists of two rounds.


Age Categories

AG 1: Junior Composer

Up to 14 years old

AG 2: Young Composer

Ages 15–22

The participant's age must correspond to their age at the time of application for Round I.

Round I

Participants must submit 2 works with a total duration of up to 6 minutes, including:

  • 1 work by a composer of the past
  • 1 original composition by the participant

Round II

Participants must submit 1 original composition with a duration of up to 5 minutes.

Instrumentation and genre are free (solo / ensemble / with accompaniment).

Application Fees


 Category Round I
 Round I €85
 Round II €75
  

All payments are made online. Fees are non-refundable.

Final Gala in Vienna

  • Grand Prix winners will be invited to have their Round II composition performed at the Gala Concert in Vienna
  • The participant must perform the work themselves (if applicable) and arrange performers independently, if needed


Repertoire Requirements

Compositions may be of elementary, intermediate, or advanced level. Accepted styles include: Classical, Romantic, Contemporary, New Age, Jazz.

⚠ Important

Only
original compositions
will be accepted. Arrangements and transcriptions are not allowed.

Video Requirements

  • Only one video link may be submitted per application for each round
  • If the programme includes more than one work, all works must be combined into a single video and submitted through one link. Editing between separate works is permitted
  • Each individual work must be recorded as a single continuous take. Cuts, edits, splicing, or other alterations within a work are strictly prohibited
  • The complete programme must not exceed the time limit specified for the relevant age group
  • The video must be recent (no older than 6 months at the time of submission)
  •  The video must not contain any reference to the participant's name (including subtitles or on-screen text)
  • The video must clearly show the performer's face and hands 
  • The recording must be submitted via YouTube 


Scores

  • All original compositions must be submitted in PDF format
  • Handwritten scores are not accepted — all scores must be professionally notated using music notation software


Copyright & Responsibility

© Copyright Notice

Plagiarism is strictly prohibited. The participant bears full responsibility for the originality of the submitted work. All materials must be free from copyright infringement.

Application Deadlines

Round I

September 1 – November 1, 2026

Round II

November 20, 2026 – January 15, 2027

Please first consult the FAQ section. If your question is not answered, contact: info@icmceurope.com

ICMC 2027

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