Celebrating South Florida Talent
The Alhambra Orchestra is pleased to announce its annual competition for young composers. The winning work will be performed at the orchestra’s
concert on Saturday, February 6, 2027, at FIU Wertheim Performing Arts Center.
Guidelines
- Instrumentation: Submitted works must not exceed the following instrumentation: 2 flutes (2nd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (2nd doubling English horn), 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani plus 1 percussion, strings. However, not every instrument in this list has to be used in the composition.
- Works for string orchestra will also be accepted, and piano can be included in the string orchestra score.
- Duration: 4–11 minutes.
- Submissions must be the entrant’s original work and not previously performed by a professional orchestra. Only one submission per composer is allowed.
Prize
- Winner: $500 honorarium + public performance of the winning work.
- Runner-Up: Honorable mention announced.
Eligibility: Entrants must be enrolled degree-seeking or diploma-seeking music students in a college or university within Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach Counties as of August, 2026.
Deadline: November 1, 2026 (11:59 PM EST).
Notification: Winners announced by November 13, 2026.
Download the composer form 
ComposerForm.pdf
Fill it out and email it to composition@alhambraorchestra.org
ComposerForm.pdf Fill it out and email it to composition@alhambraorchestra.org
YOUNG COMPOSERS SCORE SUBMISSION
Be sure not to include your name on the score. The score should only contain the title of the piece.