open call for submissions
Submission Deadline: 1st July 2026, 6pm SGT
Composium 2026, the 5th Singapore International Composition Competition for Chinese chamber music, aims to promote international awareness towards Chinese chamber ensembles and their music.
Led by Ding Yi Music Company, Composium is a composition festival which comprises three segments, a composition competition, a series of symposiums, and a series of concerts. Through this platform, Ding Yi hopes to provide a platform for composers of all nationalities and ages to write Chinese chamber music and establishing a wide repertoire of Chinese chamber works.
Composium 2026 is slated to be a multi-day festival in July and August in Singapore and Thailand. Since 2012, we have received hundreds of composition submissions from both local and international composers. A panel of internationally-acclaimed composers will be invited to serve as adjudicators and speakers at this event.
Composition Competition
The competition consists of two stages – a preliminary round and an open rehearsal (final round). Up to eight finalists will be selected and invited to work closely with musicians from Ding Yi Music Company and the adjudicating panel. Through this open rehearsal format, composers will receive direct artistic feedback while adjudication continues. The finalists’ works will subsequently be performed by Ding Yi Music Company at the Prize-winner Concert, during which the competition results will be announced.
In Composium 2026, a new category for Western String Quartet with Chinese instrument will be introduced, expanding the compositional scope of the competition and encouraging cross-cultural exploration.
Symposium
A series of panel discussions/workshops/talks by renowned composers on Chinese chamber music, available in-person and live-streamed.
A new thematic focus, “East Meets West”, will frame discussions on cross-cultural collaboration, instrumentation, and compositional approaches across musical traditions.
Concerts
Composium 2026 will feature two main public concerts:
– A Prize-winner Concert in Singapore, showcasing the finalists’ works performed by Ding Yi Music Company
– An Adjudicator Compositions Concert in Thailand, featuring works by the invited adjudicators
– In addition, Mahidol University will participate as a key partner, with its musicians performing works from the Western String Quartet + Chinese Instrumental Quartet category, further reinforcing the festival’s East–West dialogue and international collaboration.
schedule
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 1 February 2026 | Open Call for Scores Submission |
| 1 July 2026 (18:00 hrs SGT) | Scores Submission Deadline |
| 5 – 8 July 2026 | Preliminary Round Thailand International Composition Festival & Adjudicator Compositions Concert |
| 8 July 2026 | Finalists Announcement during Adjudicator Compositions Concert |
| 29 & 30 August 2026 | Final Round & Composium 2026 Festival |
ADJUDICATORS
Adjudication Chair
- Tsung Yeh (Singapore)
Preliminary Round Adjudicators
- Chen Mu Sheng (China)
- Liu Qing (China)
- Yuan-Chen Li (USA)
- Chong Kee Yong (Malaysia)
- Eric Watson (Singapore)
Final Round Adjudicators
- Ye Xiao Gang (China)
- Hao Wei Ya (China)
- Chan Wing-Wah (Hong Kong, SAR)
- Narong Prangcharoen (Thailand)
- Law Wai Lun (Singapore)
AWARDS AND PRIZES
| Award | Prize | |
|---|---|---|
| Category A | Composition Award, 1st | SGD 2,000 |
| Category A | Composition Award, 2nd | SGD 1,500 |
| Category A | Composition Award, 3rd | SGD 800 |
| Award | Prize | |
|---|---|---|
| Category B | Composition Award, 1st | SGD 2,000 |
| Category B | Composition Award, 2nd | SGD 1,500 |
| Category B | Composition Award, 3rd | SGD 800 |
| Award | Prize | |
|---|---|---|
| Special | Young Singaporean Composer Award + | SGD 500 |
| Special | Audience Choice Award ^ | SGD 200 |
First prize winners will have an opportunity to be offered a 1-year Composer Fellowship with Ding Yi Music Company. They will also be offered opportunities and commissions by Ding Yi Music Company.
+ The Young Singaporean Composer Award is exclusively for participants who are Singaporeans or Singapore Permanent Residents aged 35 years and below (as of 31 December 2026).
^ The Audience Choice Award will be based on audience voting during the Prize Presentation Concert.
ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to composers of all nationalities and ages.
Submissions must be original composition of the composer (works that have not been performed or published prior to the competition).
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All participants must submit the following documents in soft copy only.
The deadline for submission is 1 July 2026, 18:00hrs SGT (Singapore Time) UTC/GMT +8 hours.
Wherever possible, applicants are encouraged to submit their works before the final deadline.
Please email the required documents listed below to admin@dingyimusic.com:
- Completed registration form (Annex B), affixed with a recent passport sized photograph and identification document that indicates clearly the name, age and nationality of the participant.
- Biography of the participant in both English and Chinese language. (about 200 to 250 words)
- Programme synopsis/notes in both English and Chinese language. (about 100 to 150 words)
- Full score in Sibelius (.sib) or Finale (.mus) format (Sibelius 8 and earlier, and/or Finale 26 and earlier), bearing the title of the work and name of the participant. Handwritten scores will not be accepted.
- Full score in PDF (.pdf) format without the name of the participant.
- Midi realization (or sample recording) of the submitted composition with the title of the piece as the file name. It must be free from names or any form of identification to the participant.
Scores and documents submitted will not be returned.
All participants must provide a valid email address and other contact details as participants will be issued an acknowledgement by email from the organiser within FOURTEEN (14) days upon receipt of submission.
CONTACT DETAILS
If there are any queries, please contact Ding Yi Music Company via email or WeChat;
Ding Yi Office Number: +65 6345 9908
E-mail Address: admin@dingyimusic.com
WeChat ID 微信: dymccomposium
OR scan the following QR Code (WeChat) to contact Ding Yi Music Company:
