Calefax & Alba Rosa Viëtor and join forces for a unique collaboration and invite young composers of all nationalities to participate in their competition for Reed Quintet.
Composers aged 40 and under are invited to submit an original work for Reed Quintet of up to 9 minutes in length. The theme is: write a Rhapsody. Four works will be selected by the jury to be premiered on 20 November 2025 during Calefax’ Reed Festival in Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Amsterdam (The Netherlands). These finalists will be performed by several reed quintets, including Calefax Reed Quintet, Dianto Reed Quintet, Akropolis Reed Quintet and Kalamos Reed Quintet.
The winning composer will be awarded a prize of 3.500 EUR by the jury. The runner-up will be awarded a prize of 2.500 EUR. Additionally, the audience will also pick a winner and award a prize of 1.000 EUR. The winning piece will furthermore be performed or recorded in 2026 by the world-renowned Calefax Reed Quintet.
* The competition is open to young composers from all over the world born after 20 November 1985
* Entries for the Calefax Composers Competition must be received at the latest on 19 October 2025, 23.59 hours CET
* The length of submitted compositions should not exceed 9 minutes
* The composition is a ‘Rhapsody’ for Reed Quintet. How to approach this theme is entirely up to you.
* Only one work per composer can be submitted
* Submissions must be an original composition or an arrangement of an original work that has not yet been publicly performed.
* Compositions have to be feasible by five players on the following instruments:
* If live electronic media is used, it should be operable without the composer present, using stand-alone software to be operated by the ensemble or a sound technician. Multichannel sound should be limited to a maximum of four channels.
* If a soundtrack is used, preferably without click track.
* During the process of composing, participants are not allowed to have contact with the musicians who will perform the finalists’ works.
In order to give maximum exposure to all entries, Calefax would like to share the compositions with other ensembles of the International Reed Quintet Network, after receiving permission from the composer.
The jury consists of composers Willem Jeths, Carola Bauckholt, Mayke Nas and Joey Roukens as well as pianist Reinild Mees and chair Maurits Haenen.
Send your composition both as a score (in C) and as transposed parts in PDF format to composition@calefax.nl. If your piece needs to be performed from a score please add a transposed score as well. Please also include a midi file or recording of your composition. Please note that digital scores and parts should not contain the composer’s name, since the scores are to be judged anonymously by the jury.
Also enclose the following documents:
* A signed statement confirming that the composition has not been performed previously and that you were born after 20 November 1985. Here is a template you can use.
* A picture and short bio of yourself, in English
In case your composition is selected for the shortlist and will be performed at the final at Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ on 20 November 2025, the Alba Rosa Viëtor / Calefax Composers Competition might ask you to provide a valid passport extract. Around 30 October 2025 all participants will be notified of the selections for the final concert. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the jury’s choice.
The deadline for submissions is 19 October 2025, 23.59 hours CET.
