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EBCP Application

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  • Applicants must be 35 years of age or younger
  • The deadline to apply is Monday, February 1th, 2024 (Winner(s) will be notified on at the end of April)

All applicants must submit the following:

  • 3 representative works, scores, and recordings. All scores must be properly engraved and submitted as PDFs.

Recordings of samples are strongly preferred, but MIDI realizations are acceptable. Work samples should be composed within the last 5 years.

  • Résumé
  • Short paragraph to describe the composer's sound and approach

SCORE REQUIREMENTS

  • Total duration must be indicated on each score, either on the inside cover or after the final bar.
  • Indicate on the first page of the score if it is "Transposed" or "In C"
  • IMPORTANT: All identifying marks should be removed, including any names, organizations, and publishers. Do not submit any file names that include your name.
  • Scores are expected to be fully engraved, legible, and clearly convey your musical ideas
EBCP logo

About the project

The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), in partnership with the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) have opened applications for the fourth annual Emerging Black Composers Project (EBCP) Competition, a project co-created by the SFCM President's Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion. First launched in 2020 with the first-place commission awarded in 2021, the EBCP is a 10-year commitment to spotlight early-career Black American composers and their music. This year's application will be open to young black composers 35 years of age and under.

With a goal to spotlight new music from a historically underrepresented demographic and create an ongoing space for the talent of Black voices, a call for applications is now open. Submitted materials will be reviewed anonymously, emulating blind auditions in orchestras. Gender, age, and any other identifying information will be concealed to eliminate unintentional bias in the review process.

The winner of the 2024 Michael Morgan Prize will receive a $15,000 award and have a new work commissioned to receive its world premiere with the San Francisco Symphony, led by Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. The winner will also receive mentorship from Salonen, SFCM Music Director Edwin Outwater, and Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, the resident conductor of engagement and education at SF Symphony and chair of the EBCP selection committee. 

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