What is the SwanSongS Fund? Dr. Phillip A. Swan, has established himself as a supporter and promoter of new choral compositions. To honor his 15th anniversary season as Artistic Director of NEWVoices, we established the SwanSongS Fund. This fund will support an ongoing choral composition competition that will provide an exciting opportunity for composers throughout the world. The winner will receive a monetary award and concert premiere of their composition at a NEWVoices season concert.This competition will bring recognition and deserved performances to living choral composers’ new works as well as shining a global light on NEWVoices’ choral excellence. 

Up to three winners will be selected to receive a monetary award.  

First Place: $3,000 plus performance in December 2026. 
Second Place: $1,500 
Third Place: $750 

In addition, the first-place winner may be invited to attend the performance of their work. A performance recording will be provided to the composer for non-commercial use.  

Eligibility

• Open to composers of all ages and nationalities

Application Details

Send the following materials to admin@newvoiceschoir.org: 

• PDF of your piece 
• Written permission from text copyright holder, if not in public domain in the US. 
• Pronunciation guide or diction recording if you believe it is useful. 
• A recording of your piece. A MIDI file is acceptable.  
• PDF of brief statement describing your interest in this competition and any other useful information we should know about the piece submitted. 
• PDF of your bio/resume or link to website.  

Please submit the application and emailed materials no later than September 1, 2026,  11:59PM CT.  Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Applicants are encouraged to research our choir to understand the types of works typically performed. Please email admin@newvoiceschoir.org with any questions about submissions.  

Score Requirements 

Submit a piece for an 80-100 mixed-voice choral ensemble with no more than eight voice parts (SSAATTBB). The piece should be between 3-5 minutes in length, and texts must be public domain in the US or have written permission from copyright holder. Submissions must be unpublished, unawarded, and not previously performed. Composers may submit a maximum of one piece per year.  

For this year’s competition, the piece must be a cappella or with piano accompaniment and up to one additional instrument. The text must be sacred and appropriate for a Christmas setting.  

Timeline 

Decision announcement: October 1, 2026. The First Place composition will be performed at our Christmas concerts on December 18 and 19, 2026. Second and Third place compositions will be read and a rehearsal recording will be provided.