Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composer’s Award 2023
Ninth Planet is excited to announce the 37th annual Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composer’s Award. An award of $1,000 will be given for a new chamber work. Works submitted may have been performed previously. The
winning work will be performed in the San Francisco Bay Area during Ninth Planet's 2023-2024 concert season. Attendance at the performance is encouraged but not required. Works not awarded the prize will also be
considered for programming.
winning work will be performed in the San Francisco Bay Area during Ninth Planet's 2023-2024 concert season. Attendance at the performance is encouraged but not required. Works not awarded the prize will also be
considered for programming.
ELIGIbility
Composers of any age, nationality, and educational background may enter. Composers who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color, as well as women and gender non-binary composers, are strongly encouraged to apply.
Previous winners of this award are ineligible.
Previous winners of this award are ineligible.
Guidelines
Entries may be scored for one to five performers plus conductor. Performers shall be drawn from the core instrumentation of the ensemble Ninth Planet (one player each):
Examples: a string quartet is eligible, as is a trio for flute, viola and harp. A duo for oboe and French horn is not eligible, nor is a work for voice and harpsichord.
Composers may submit more than one work.
- flute/piccolo/alto flute/bass flute
- clarinet/bass clarinet
- trombone
- electric guitar
- piano
- violin
- cello
- double bass
Examples: a string quartet is eligible, as is a trio for flute, viola and harp. A duo for oboe and French horn is not eligible, nor is a work for voice and harpsichord.
Composers may submit more than one work.
Preparing your entry
Submit an ANONYMOUS .pdf and streaming audio link (such as SoundCloud or Dropbox) of each score on the submission form. The submitted .pdf’s and audio links must be free of names and identifying marks (including composer, dedicatee, performer, and publisher names). A non-refundable entry fee of $25 USD for one work and $20 for each additional work is due on submission. Please proceed to HOW TO SUBMIT below.
NOTE: If the $25 entry-fee poses a significant barrier to entering the competition, please contact ettelson@ninthplanetmusic.org
judging
All submitted works will be reviewed a panel comprised of the members of the Ninth Planet Artistic Committee.
deadline EXTENDED: DEC. 30, 2022
Entries must be received by December 30, 2022 at 11:59 pm (local time). The winner will be announced during March 2023. You may reach us at ettelson@ninthplanetmusic.org if you have any questions.
CONTACT: You may reach us at ettelson@ninthplanetmusic.org if you have any questions.
NOTES: Ninth Planet reserves the right to use the concert recordings of Award recipients for promotional purposes.
NOTES: Ninth Planet reserves the right to use the concert recordings of Award recipients for promotional purposes.
HOW TO SUBMIT
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1. Pay the submission fee here.
2. After you receive order confirmation via email, copy the 9-10 digit “ORDER NUMBER” and go to step 3. 3. Enter your information (Name, Contact, Order Number, URL to audio recording and PDF) on the APPLICATION FORM page. NOTES: The submitted PDF’s and audio links must be free of names and identifying marks. |
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History
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Past Winners
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The Suzanne and Lee Ettelson Composer's Award is an annual prize for composition. It was first awarded in 1986 by Composers, Inc., a non-profit advocate organization for living American composers.
The prize began in 1986 as a composition prize for living American composers. In 1991, the prize was renamed in honor of Lee Ettelson (1898-1988). He was a successful reporter and editor for newspapers across the country, working for several years as the right-hand-man of media titan William Hearst. After retiring from journalism at The San Francisco Examiner, he also served as the head of the California Department of Motor Vehicles under Edmund G. (Pat) Brown. Lee's wife, Suzanne Ettelson (1913-2005) was a driving force in the San Francisco music community. She founded the San Francisco Chamber Music Society in the 1960s, before helping found Composers, Inc, where she served on the board for several years, including as the board president. After her passing, her name was added to the award.
The prize began in 1986 as a composition prize for living American composers. In 1991, the prize was renamed in honor of Lee Ettelson (1898-1988). He was a successful reporter and editor for newspapers across the country, working for several years as the right-hand-man of media titan William Hearst. After retiring from journalism at The San Francisco Examiner, he also served as the head of the California Department of Motor Vehicles under Edmund G. (Pat) Brown. Lee's wife, Suzanne Ettelson (1913-2005) was a driving force in the San Francisco music community. She founded the San Francisco Chamber Music Society in the 1960s, before helping found Composers, Inc, where she served on the board for several years, including as the board president. After her passing, her name was added to the award.
1986 Martin Bresnick: String Quartet No. 2 (1st prize), Darrell Handel: Mooncycle (2nd prize)
1987 John Anthony Lennon: Ghostfires (1st prize), Margaret Brouwer: Timespan (2nd prize)
1988 David Lang: Illumination Rounds (1st prize), Reynold Weidenaar: The Thundering Scream of the Seraphim’s Delight (2nd prize)
1989 Martin Bresnick: Piano Trio, (no second prize)
1990 (co-winners) David MacBride: Three Dances for String Quartet, David Lang: Orpheus Over and Under
1991 James Mobberley: Soggiorno (1st prize), Cindy Cox: Four Studies of Light and Dark (2nd prize)
1992 Mark Kuss: Contraband (1st prize), Shirish Korde: Tenderness of Cranes (2nd prize)
1993 Arthur Levering: Roulade (1st prize), Ramon Zupko: Fluxus I (2nd prize)
1994 Roger Neill: String Quartet (1st prize), Jose Halac: Illegal Edge (2nd prize)
(1995 and beyond—two equal prizes)
1995 Jennifer Higdon: Voices for string quartet, David Kechley: In the Dragon’s Garden
1996 Robert Maggio: Two Quartets, William Popp: Toccata
1997 Jeffrey Hass: Keyed Up, Kevin Beavers: Sonata for Violin and Piano
1998 Marti Epstein: Swirl, Michael Timpson: Mirrors of the Psyche
1999 Donald Crockett: Scree, Pierre Jalbert: Piano Trio
2000 Lansing D. McLoskey: Wild Bells, Christopher Theofanidis: O Vis Aeternitatis
2001 Sean McClowry: Parting the Waters, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez: Luciérnagas
2002 Burt Goldstein: Aspen Quartet, Craig Walsh: Schism
2003 Marjorie Merryman: Bending the Light, Andrew Waggoner: The Desires of Ghosts
2004 Stephen Andrew Taylor: Quark Shadows, Mischa Zupko: The Seven Deadly Sins
2005 Mason Bates: From Amber Frozen, Nathan Davis: Sea Songs
2006 Susan Burkey: Light That Fuse, Edward Cansino: Wo(men) In Love
2007 Ryan Carter: Grip, Michael Djupstrom: Walimai
2008 Sean Friar: Hell-bent, Clint Needham: Five Pieces
2009 Mikel Kuehn: Tag, Joseph Kolkovich: Seven Faces of the World
2010 Taylor Brook: Vocalise, Carl Schimmel: The Pismirist’s Congeries
2011 José Bevia: Three Enigmas, Sam Nichols: Refuge
2012 Ryan Chase: Gold Rush, David Biedenbender: you’ve been talking in your sleep
2013 Justin Dello Joio: Due per Due, Martin Kennedy: Trivial Pursuits
2014 Andrew Sigler: finding the air up there, Chris Arrell: Of Three Minds
2015 Viet Cuong: Wax and Wire, Chia-Yu Hsu: Urban Sketches
2016 Alyssa Weinberg: Parallels
2017 Peter Knell: Intimate Voices
2018 Ingrid Stölzel: The Gorgeous Nothings
2019 Jack Frerer: Spiral Sequences
2020 Selim Göncü: Widerklang
2021 - Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Gabriel José Bolaños Chamorro: nosotros hemos puesto los muertos
1987 John Anthony Lennon: Ghostfires (1st prize), Margaret Brouwer: Timespan (2nd prize)
1988 David Lang: Illumination Rounds (1st prize), Reynold Weidenaar: The Thundering Scream of the Seraphim’s Delight (2nd prize)
1989 Martin Bresnick: Piano Trio, (no second prize)
1990 (co-winners) David MacBride: Three Dances for String Quartet, David Lang: Orpheus Over and Under
1991 James Mobberley: Soggiorno (1st prize), Cindy Cox: Four Studies of Light and Dark (2nd prize)
1992 Mark Kuss: Contraband (1st prize), Shirish Korde: Tenderness of Cranes (2nd prize)
1993 Arthur Levering: Roulade (1st prize), Ramon Zupko: Fluxus I (2nd prize)
1994 Roger Neill: String Quartet (1st prize), Jose Halac: Illegal Edge (2nd prize)
(1995 and beyond—two equal prizes)
1995 Jennifer Higdon: Voices for string quartet, David Kechley: In the Dragon’s Garden
1996 Robert Maggio: Two Quartets, William Popp: Toccata
1997 Jeffrey Hass: Keyed Up, Kevin Beavers: Sonata for Violin and Piano
1998 Marti Epstein: Swirl, Michael Timpson: Mirrors of the Psyche
1999 Donald Crockett: Scree, Pierre Jalbert: Piano Trio
2000 Lansing D. McLoskey: Wild Bells, Christopher Theofanidis: O Vis Aeternitatis
2001 Sean McClowry: Parting the Waters, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez: Luciérnagas
2002 Burt Goldstein: Aspen Quartet, Craig Walsh: Schism
2003 Marjorie Merryman: Bending the Light, Andrew Waggoner: The Desires of Ghosts
2004 Stephen Andrew Taylor: Quark Shadows, Mischa Zupko: The Seven Deadly Sins
2005 Mason Bates: From Amber Frozen, Nathan Davis: Sea Songs
2006 Susan Burkey: Light That Fuse, Edward Cansino: Wo(men) In Love
2007 Ryan Carter: Grip, Michael Djupstrom: Walimai
2008 Sean Friar: Hell-bent, Clint Needham: Five Pieces
2009 Mikel Kuehn: Tag, Joseph Kolkovich: Seven Faces of the World
2010 Taylor Brook: Vocalise, Carl Schimmel: The Pismirist’s Congeries
2011 José Bevia: Three Enigmas, Sam Nichols: Refuge
2012 Ryan Chase: Gold Rush, David Biedenbender: you’ve been talking in your sleep
2013 Justin Dello Joio: Due per Due, Martin Kennedy: Trivial Pursuits
2014 Andrew Sigler: finding the air up there, Chris Arrell: Of Three Minds
2015 Viet Cuong: Wax and Wire, Chia-Yu Hsu: Urban Sketches
2016 Alyssa Weinberg: Parallels
2017 Peter Knell: Intimate Voices
2018 Ingrid Stölzel: The Gorgeous Nothings
2019 Jack Frerer: Spiral Sequences
2020 Selim Göncü: Widerklang
2021 - Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Gabriel José Bolaños Chamorro: nosotros hemos puesto los muertos
Photo in header attributed to Dejan Krsmanovic, released for reuse and adaptation under an Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license.