The Jules Léger Prize for New Chamber Music is a competition for Canadian composers that is designed to encourage the creation of new chamber music and to foster its performance by Canadian chamber groups. The competition for the prize is administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Deadline: June 1, 2016

Amount: $7,500 (taxable)

Eligibility: This prize is open to professional Canadian composers. To be considered for this prize, you must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You do not need to be living in Canada when you apply.

Eligible forms of new chamber music are not defined by specific aesthetic categories, but all applicants should be aware that the nature of this prize is to support groundbreaking musical creation, risk-taking and the overall development of Canadian chamber music. Chamber music is traditionally understood as a work with a limited number of instruments, with one performer to a part. Works may be written for any combination of performers, from a minimum of two to a maximum of 15 (excluding the conductor).

To be eligible, the submitted work must have had a premiere performance of professional quality during the three years preceding the deadline date of the competition. The composer must specify the date and place of the first performance and the names of the performers. A revised work is eligible if it has a new score, it has had a professional premiere within three years preceding the deadline date of the competition, and if it meets all other criteria.

Guidelines and application form (pdf)

For More Information and to ensure you are eligible to apply, contact:
Jeff Morton
Program Officer
Music Section, Canada Council for the Arts
1-800-263-5588 (toll-free), ext. 5211

 photo credit: 2007.07.13-088dkh via photopin (license)