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Call for Scores

Call for Scores 2025-2026

Seattle Festival Orchestra is excited to announce a call for scores to include one (1) overture-style piece to be performed in one of our three masterworks concerts of the 2025-26 concert season. In an effort to continually diversify our programming, we are seeking compositions by living composers.

The chosen piece will be featured at both performances of one of SFO's concert weekends of the 2025-2026 season.

Rules

Compositions finished after January 1, 2023. There are no restrictions on whether works have been previously performed, recorded, published, awarded, etc.

Composition must be less than 8 minutes in length.

Maximum Orchestration:

3(1.2.picc), 3(1.2.Eh), 3(1.2.Bcl), 2bsn - 4hn, 2tp, 3tbn, 1tba - tmp+1 - str

- No marimba

- Crotales and Chimes discouraged but not prohibited

Minimum Orchestration:

2222 - 4231- 1perc - str

Orchestral works larger than the maximum or smaller than the minimum orchestration may be considered if the applicant includes a note stating that they will revise the work to fit the instrumentation if selected.

Seattle Festival Orchestra will give equal opportunity to all genders and races.

Prize

The chosen piece will be featured at both performances of one of SFO's concert weekends of the 2025-2026 season.

The piece will be recorded for the composer’s use. Video recording can be discussed.

The composer will receive 2 comp tickets to each performance.

Composers wishing to attend the performances are responsible for their own travel.

Application

All materials must be submitted before the piece will be considered. Limit one piece per composer.

Please submit materials through this Google Form. We will need an uploaded PDF of the full score. For recordings, please use online accessible links (YouTube, Google Drive, SoundCloud, etc.) and provide a URL address to the recording. If you link to a file on an online drive, please make sure you have given us permission to access the file.

The following materials are required: 

  • Short Bio (100 words max)

  • Brief description of the piece (100 words max)

  • PDF file of the full score

  • File link (URL) to a recording of the piece (MIDI/Digital generation acceptable)

  • File link (URL) to a 30-Second continuous audio clip from the piece. What do you think is the best 30 seconds of the piece? (MIDI/Digital generation acceptable)

There is a $15 application fee to apply. Please send the $15 via PayPal (@seattlefestivalorch) or Venmo (@seattlefestivalorchestra) and specify Call for Scores 2025 in the comments of the payment. 

Please contact scores@seattlefestivalorchestra.org if you have financial hardship and need to request an application fee waiver.

Deadline

All materials must be submitted on or before midnight PST on June 1st, 2025. No materials submitted after the deadline will be considered.

Results

Winner will be announced by July 31st, 2025.

Submissions

Please submit application materials here. 

Please contact scores@seattlefestivalorchestra.org with any questions or concerns.

Previous Winners

Past winners of Seattle Festival Orchestra’s Call for Scores include -

● Pradhyumn Pradeep (Phoenicia)

● SiHyun Uhm (Parrot in the Rainforest)

● Yifeng Yvonne Yuan (Ephemeral Bloom)

● Kaisho Barnhill (Monday Mornings)