PUCCINI International Chamber Opera Composition Competition 2026

ANNOUNCEMENT
PUCCINI International Opera Composition Academy Lucca, for the 100th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, is pleased to announce the PUCCINI International Chamber Opera Composition Competition 2026.

PROJECT
We are seeking composers to submit an intermezzo/chamber opera of any aesthetic direction. The intermezzo/chamber opera as to be written using a music fragment of the lyric opera Turandot (by Giacomo Puccini) chosen by the composer (the fragment used must be explicitly mentioned in the scheme project by the applicants). The libretto is free.
The intermezzo/chamber opera should be written for any combination of 1 singer, 1 actor, and 1-3 performers.
Instrumentation must be chosen from the list below (other instrumentation will not be considered):
Tenor, Actor, Violin, Cello, Piano

GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSIONS
- Applicants may be of any nationality, age, gender, religion and race
- Send a project includes: concept, synopsis, libretto, and score
- Only one composition may be submitted per composer
- Maximum length is 10 minutes
- Submission deadline is September 1oth, 2026 (23:59 Italian time)
- The libretto is to be written in Italian, Spanish, English (or all languages mentioned)
- The winner will be announced by email and on www.puccini-iocal.it, and on our social media (Facebook, Instagram), on September 15th, 2026. Composers must be able to supply parts immediately upon selection
- Submission Fee € 30 - IBAN: IT21N0503413709000000004130, SWIFT: BAPPIT21P96 (write in the body message "Submission Fee for the PUCCINI International Chamber Opera Composition Competition 2026")
- By submitting to this competition the composer is in agreement with all these rules
- Previous winners cannot participate

HOW TO APPLY
Email to info@puccini-iocal.it the following material:
- PDF of the project (includes: concept, synopsis, libretto)
- PDF score (which should clearly show the composer's name)
- PDF short biography (English or Italian, one page maximum) with contact details
- PDF of Fee Payment Receipt

PRIZE INCLUDES
- Cash prize € 500,00 offered by the Fondazione Giacomo Puccini
- The winning opera will be published by EMA Vinci (publisher's choice)
- The performances of the winning composer will be in October 2026 at the:
* PUCCINI Chamber Opera Festival 2026 in collaboration with Teatro del Giglio Giacomo Puccini - Lucca
* Caminos de la Ópera Lirica 2026 - Asuncion, Paraguay
* Cilea Opera Festival 2026 - Palmi, Italy
- "Special Mention Certificate" will be given to the finalist works
- Info: info@puccini-iocal.it

The PUCCINI ICOCC 2026 is in collaboration with: CLUSTER - Compositori Interpreti del Presente, Lucca, Fondazione Giacomo Puccini, Teatro del Giglio Giacomo Puccini di Lucca, Cilea Opera Festival, Congreso dela Nación, Centro Cultural de la Republica Cabildo, Orquesta Sinfónica del Congreso Nacional del Paraguay, Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca.