In Person in 2022!

We hope you will join the FMMC Foundation for the 2022 Washington International Competition for Composition! In its 69th year, the WIC provides renowned jurors offering individual advice and feedback to all semifinalists. See below for important deadlines, details, and more.

The GetAcceptd application link will be open as of October 1, 2021.

The WIC Competition for Composition is held every three years. The winner of the 2022 Competition for Composition will be performed by professional musicians of the Washington, DC area at the Finals for the Washington International String Competition on May 29, 2022 in the Terrace Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Washington International Competition for Composition is one of several competitions sponsored by the Friday Morning Music Club in Washington, DC. Established in 1950, WIC competitions for singers, pianists, and string players are held each spring in annual rotation. A string competition will take place in 2022 concurrently with the composition competition, a voice competition will be held in 2023, and a piano competition in 2024.

Important Dates and Information

  • Application Open: October 1, 2021
  • Application Deadline: February 15, 2022
  • Winners’ Announcement: April 1, 2022
  • Performance of Winning Composition: May 29, 2022 at the WIC Strings Finals. The performance will take place in the Terrace Theater of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

Prizes

  • First Prize:  $5,000
  • Second Prize:  $2,500

Judges

Christopher Theofanidis

Michael Torke

Kevin Puts

Competition Requirements and Eligibility

  • Entrants must be between 18 and 35 as of February 15, 2022.
  • Entrance fee of $45 US must be submitted.
  • Composition must be a chamber work for 3 to 5 players for string trio, string quartet, piano trio, piano quartet, or piano quintet. No electronics or other instruments may be included.
  • Composition must be no more than 8 minutes long.
  • Composition must not have been commercially published or publicly performed.
    • Amateur performances—such as by music students at a college campus—are acceptable and will not disqualify a work. Do not send a recording.
  • Winning composers must be prepared to supply a set of performance materials upon notification of their award. The winning compositions will be announced by April 1, 2022.

Application and Score Requirements

  • All application materials are available at app.getacceptd.com/wiccomposition. Contestants will be able to submit their application, pay the application fee, and download their entry scores using this site. Applications will be accepted until February 15, 2022.
  • Electronic entry via Acceptd is preferred. Contestants who are unable to submit their scores electronically may submit them in paper form and the contest administrator will convert the documents to PDF. Send all paper scores to the following address: Washington International Composition Competition, 
1536 Winding Waye Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20902.
  • Scores must be accompanied by an indication of the composer’s name, contact information and curriculum vitae (such as a cover page or full CV).
  • Scores must be neat, legible, and adhere to accepted standards for instrumental score order: violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, piano.
  • The composer’s name must not appear anywhere on the score.

Additional Information

  • FMMC Foundation assumes no responsibility for actions of or injuries sustained by applicants or their escorts during their course of stay in the Washington, DC area.
  • All contestants are responsible for transportation to and from Washington, DC.
  • The decision of the judges is final and not to be disputed. No contact with the judges is permitted until after the results have been announced.
  • The WIC reserves the right to use any recordings or photographs originated during the competitions, or any photographs or recordings provided by the contestants.
  • For further information, contact Mark Simon, WIC 2022 Composition Competition Chair: mark@markgsimon.com.