Guild of Carillonneurs in North America contests
The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) announces its Franco Carillon Composition Proposal Contest. The GCNA encourages composers who are relatively new to carillon composition to enter this contest in order to receive support through the compositional process of a new carillon piece. The goals are to bring new voices to the carillon repertoire and to increase awareness of the carillon and its technical and expressive capabilities. Two prize-winning proposals of this biennial competition will be awarded $2,000 each and will be published and premiered at the 2027 GCNA congress.
Entries must be a proposal to write an original composition for carillon and should contain one to three sample scores demonstrating one’s best work in any genre; at least one of the sample scores must be paired with a corresponding audio recording; a description of compositional experience (maximum 250 words); a statement (500–1,000 words) detailing the ideas and direction of the proposed work. While scores for any instrumentation are welcome, it is particularly encouraged to submit keyboard and/or solo instrumental scores, and/or any scores considered most related to the carillon. Sketches or images (e.g., motivic material, themes, compositional structure) may be submitted as well. The jury consists of Linda Dzuris, Deborah Hennig, Alex Johnson, Joey Brink, Abby Pan, Scott Orr, and Charles Zettek, Jr. Deadline for submission is June 16.
The GCNA also announces its Franco Carillon Composition Contest, to grow the carillon repertoire with new works of high quality and innovative musical language. Entries must be an original composition of any length for a solo performer and must be playable on a four-octave carillon with a two-octave pedalboard. First prize is $2,000; second prize, $1,000; performance award, $150, with all winning compositions to be published and premiered at the guild’s 2027 congress. The jury consists of Linda Dzuris, Deborah Hennig, Alex Johnson, Abby Pan, Scott Orr, Tiffany Ng, and Charles Zettek.
For further details on each contest: https://gcna.org/
Other carillon news:
GCNA 2026 Sally Slade Warner Competition
