Competitions › Gaudeamus Award (Gaudeamus International Composers Award)
Gaudeamus Award (Gaudeamus International Composers Award)
Next edition
No future edition is announced on the official pages we could check.
Overview
Annual composition prize run by the Gaudeamus Foundation in Utrecht for composers born after 13 September 1990. Applicants submit three pieces (a main entry plus two). Nominees (max four) receive commissions, and the prize is a EUR 6,000 commission for a premiere at a future Gaudeamus Festival.
- Organiser
- Stichting Gaudeamus Muziekweek
- Instruments
- Composition
- Category
- Chamber & solo composition
- Age limits
- Composers born after 13 September 1990 (2026 call); the 2024 page describes the prize as for composers under 35.
Rules & repertoire
Registration & fee
2026 call: registration fee EUR 35; deadline 1 Oct 2025 23:59 CET (closed). Applicants unable to pay may contact gaudeamusaward@gaudeamus.nl.
Rounds & time limits
- Application deadline (2026 call): 1 Oct 2025, 23:59 CET
- Jury selects nominees (max four), who are commissioned for the next festival
- Winner announced on the final night of the Gaudeamus Festival
Repertoire
Three works per applicant: a main entry and two additional works; each may use up to 16 instruments; any instrumentation, electronics or interdisciplinary form is allowed.
Jury & prizes
Jury
- 2026: Peni Candra Rini, Hardi Kurda, Ash Fure (side readers: Bekah Simms, Hugo Morales, Robin de Raaff)
- 2024: Joanna Bailie, Maya Verlaak, Zaid Jabri
Prizes
- EUR 6,000 commission for a new composition to be premiered at a future Gaudeamus Festival (2026 call).
Past editions
Summarised from official sources, last checked 10 Nov 2026. Main source