International Eisenach Bach Composition Prize 2023

The city of Eisenach is awarding the composition prize for orchestra for the fourth time worldwide. The prize was awarded in 2018 by the City of Eisenach's culture department, headed by Dr. Achim Heidenreich, brought into being. With this, the city of Eisenach expressly honors the work and memory of the most important composer in the world, who was born in Eisenach in 1685, and would like to update this obligatory cultural heritage with contemporary orchestral works.

The composition prize is an important factor in the Eisenach cultural cluster BachWelt Eisenach, in which all Bach actors in the city participate.

The prize money is 4,000 euros.

In the new work, the composers would like to be inspired by the work of the great son of the city of Eisenach.

The competition criteria are:

• Duration: up to 12 minutes
• Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2.-4.2.3.0.-timpani-percussion, max. 3 players (bass drum, snare drum, 2 humpback gongs, tubular bells etc.), strings: 10-8-6-5-3
• The score must be anonymized. If your name is mentioned on the score, it is excluded from the competition
• A short biography (CV) must be attached to the submission email as a separate file in German or English.
• Previous winners are excluded from the competition
• The award winner provides the orchestra with the orchestral material for the world premiere concert free of charge.
• The scores will only be sent as a pdf file by e-mail
• The closing date for entries is June 1st, 2023

There is no age limit.

Jury

An international jury formed for this purpose will decide on the prize work from the works submitted in a non-public session. The decision of the jury is not contestable. The legal process is excluded.

World Premiere & Prize Winners' Concert

The premiere will take place in the 2023/2024 concert season in Eisenach with the Thüringen Philharmonie Gotha Eisenach Orchestra.