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   Challey School of Music
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Edwin Fissinger Choral Composition Competition

The NDSU Challey School of Music honors the legacy and traditions of noted choral composer and long-time NDSU choral conductor Edwin Fissinger with its annual choral composition competition.

Guidelines

Entries should be:

  • For mixed choir (SATB), divisi is acceptable.
  • Unaccompanied, or with keyboard accompaniment, obbligato instruments are OK.
  • Three to eight minutes in duration.
  • Original and unpublished (by an established commercial firm) works only. Arrangements will not be accepted.
  • Text may be sacred or secular, either in the public domain or copyrighted, as long as a letter of permission from the copyright owner is included with the submission.
  • Suitable for an accomplished high school or university choir.
  • Submissions need not be anonymous.

Prizes / Performances for Each Category

  • First: $1,500
  • Second: $1,000
  • NDSU reserves the right to not award prizes in any given year.
  • The first-place composer is invited to be present at the NDSU Concert Choir performance.
  • For the performance, NDSU will reimburse actual travel, lodging and food expenses, up to a maximum of $1,000.
  • Winners will be announced on the Challey School of Music’s website by January 15, 2025.
  • The first prize winner’s piece, with the approval of the composer, will have their composition considered for publication in Pavane Publishing for placement in the Jo Ann Miller Choral Series.

Judging Panel

  • Jo Ann Miller, Director Emerita of Choral Activities, NDSU
  • Dwight Jilek, Director of Choral Activities, NDSU
  • Michael Weber, Associate Director of Choral Activities, NDSU
  • Charlette Moe, Assistant Director of Choral Activities and Music Education, NDSU
  • Jocelyn Hagen, Composer, Graphite Publishing
  • Allan Petker, Pavane Publishing, composer, conductor

Submission Guidelines

  • Email PDF submissions and audio files to Michael Weber: m.weber@ndsu.edu
  • Please include your name and mobile telephone number.
  • There is a $25 submission fee for each work submitted. Money from the fees will be used to support the prizes and travel expenses for the winning composer. Click here to access the online payment portal.
  • Submitted scores must be in Finale or Sibelius.
  • An audio file is strongly recommended.
  • All scores selected for performance will be reproduced by NDSU.
  • Submissions must be submitted via email by 11:59 PM on November 1, 2024.

Past Fissinger Choral Competition Recipients