International Competition for Contemporary Sacred Music Composition (Schwäbisch Gmünd)

Rules & repertoire

Registration & fee

• The municipal upload portal for the 18th edition is open. Submit digitally by 15 February 2027. Schwäbisch Gmünd is on CET (Europe/Berlin, UTC+1) that day. The call gives no cutoff hour or explicit portal time zone.
• One composition per entrant. It must be unpublished and unperformed. Previous prizewinners are ineligible. The published call gives no age or nationality restriction and does not state an entry fee.
• The municipal portal starts with required data-processing consent. Enter the composer’s information in the form, separate from the anonymous PDF. The consent page identifies name, address and contact information as data collected. The complete fields beyond consent could not be verified. The public call does not specify a recommendation letter, referee, witness, identity document, photograph or CV.

Rounds & time limits

Single stage · anonymous score review

• Compose one original work for SATB vocal ensemble, with a maximum of eight parts and a performance duration of 5–8 minutes. The festival theme is unterwegs (On the Way). The work must freely reference Mark 16:15, where the risen Christ sends out the disciples. The call gives no required text wording, language, movement count, repeat instructions or detailed accompaniment specification.
• Upload one clearly legible PDF score without the composer’s name or signature. A recording link is optional; no file encoding, duration, platform, camera or witness requirement is specified for it. The selection is based on anonymous score review; there are no published live audition pieces, performance-order, memorization or concerto requirements.

Repertoire

• The jury may split or withhold the EUR 2,000 prize. Entrants will be notified of the result. The selected work is scheduled to be premiered by calens vocalensemble at the ecumenical opening service on 16 July 2027.
• Entrants grant the organizer the premiere right for the selected work and must make the performance materials available free of charge and free of third-party rights. No additional finalist round, delivery deadline or material format is stated. Organizer contact: klaus.stemmler@schwaebisch-gmuend.de.

Source: Official 2027 call and competition rules · Official municipal composition upload portal · Complete 2027 call for scores (English PDF)