Composition Festival

ABOUT THE COMPOSITION FESTIVAL

This festival is to encourage students to write their own music and enjoy the creative process including the opportunity for a forum and public performance.

Students take so much pride in writing their own music! 

This event gives them an opportunity to share their music and meet other young composers.

COMPOSITION FESTIVAL CO-CHAIRS

Cynthia Papierniak and Billie Howard

Phone: (708) 834-0847)

compfest@camta.org

IMPORTANT DATES AND VENUE

  • Registration Open: Saturday, March 1, 2025

  • REGISTRATION DEADLINE: THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025

  • Composition Forum and Recital Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.

  • Composition Forum and Recital Venue: Live or video on Zoom (TBA).

    If the recital is virtual, students may perform live or with a video recording.

     All students will be able to discuss their composition and each student will  receive a written critique from the judge. The judge will announce the winners at the recital.

REGISTRATION AND FEES

  • CAMTA member: $45 per manuscript | Non-member: $50 per manuscript

  • FEES CANNOT BE REFUNDED!

  • Registration and fee payments must be completed via the new CAMTA Member Portal.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

  • No student age or grade requirements.

  • No requirements as to form, length, or genre.

  • Elementary I students, ages 6 and younger, may submit a handwritten manuscript, inked over for clarity by an adult. Elementary II students seven years and older are required to use computer music notation software.

  • Piano or Instrumental: No requirements as to choice of instrument(s).

  • Songwriting: Words for songs must be original or in the public domain. Songwriting may be collaborative; lyrics and music may be composed by two or more persons.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All materials will be submitted via the CAMTA Member Portal.

  • Upload a Recording: Send by audio, .mp3 file. No visual formats, DVD or YouTube videos. Make sure recordings do not list composer’s name.

  • Upload a Manuscript: Only title and age on manuscript. Please number measures and use a .pdf file.

2025 Judge and Artist:

Michelle Isaac

A native of Waukegan, IL, Michelle is an accomplished percussionist and pianist having received her musical start in the Waukegan Public School system. She earned her Master of Music in Composition from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where she studied with Stacy Garrop and Kyong Mee Choi, and her Bachelor of Arts in Music from the College of Saint Benedict.

Michelle’s music has been heard globally, with notable performances by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta at Millennium Park, Navy Pier,  Symphony Center, Paradox Opera, and the UW-River Falls Percussion Ensemble. She received the Gerts and Hammond Award from the Musician’s Club of Women, and through her Chicago Sinfonietta fellowship received mentorship from Music Director Mei-Ann Chen and composers Jennifer Higdon, Joel Thompson, and Kathryn Bostic. Michelle is enthusiastically active in music education, running a 2023 summer composing workshop with The People’s Music School and creating the Composing Notes video series for Chicago Sinfonietta. She is currently in her fourth year as a guest artist with Woodridge (IL) School District 68, collaborating on a groundbreaking project that incorporates student compositions into a piece for their junior high bands.

COMPoSITION FESTIVAL REGISTRATION

Register students via the CAMTA Member Portal.

Note: a computer (desktop/laptop) is required to use the CAMTA Member Portal. Mobile devices and tablets are not supported at this time.

Instructions for CAMTA Members

  • Log in to your Member Portal account.

  • Add all participating students to your Student Roster (if they are not listed already).

  • From the sidebar, click Events, then Active Events. 

  • Select 2025 Composition Festival 

    • Click Register next to each student’s name to register students.

    • Enter the student’s composition details and upload the mp3 and manuscript.

    • Click the blue Register button. This will move the student to the Pending Payment column.

    • Check out of the Payment Cart to fully submit the registration.

      NOTE: The Payment Cart is currently unavailable due to maintenance. We will restore access for registration payments once maintenance is completed at 12:00 AM March 17, 2025.

Instructions for NON-Members

Teachers who are not members of CAMTA will need a Member Portal account to register students for the Composition Festival.

Any non-member who previously created a portal account for other CAMTA events can simply login and register their students. All non-member fees will automatically be applied.

If you have not previously created a Member Portal Account, fill out the form to request a non-member account. You will receive an email from portal@camta.org with instructions on how to get your account set up. Then follow the same instructions listed above to register students.

Member portal accounts will be allocated to teachers only (not parents).