About the Competition
Entry Deadline: April 1
The purpose of the CFMTA Student Composer Competition is to encourage those students interested in composing for instruments or voice.
Winners in each of the categories of the Provincial level of competition below will then advance to the National level to compete against other provincial winners from across Canada.
Provincial awards are made possible thanks to the generosity of Lynn Ewing.
Awards
8 Years & Under – Preparatory
$50 Ewing Award in Composition for each class
- Class 1 – To write an original composition for solo instrument or any combination of instruments.
- Class 2 – To write an original composition for voice, with or without accompaniment.
11 Years & Under – Category A
$75 Ewing Award in Composition for each class
- Class 1 – To write an original composition for solo instrument or any combination of instruments.
- Class 2 – To write an original composition for voice, with or without accompaniment
15 Years & Under – Category B
$100 Ewing Award in Composition for each class
- Class 1 – To write an original composition for solo instrument or any combination of instruments.
- Class 2 – To write an original composition for voice, with or without accompaniment.
19 Years & Under – Category C
$150 Ewing award in Composition for each class
- Class 1 – To write an original composition for any instrument or any combination of instruments, or voice(s) or combination of voice(s) and instruments with accompaniment when accompaniment is necessary for the performance.
Open – Category D
$175 Ewing Award in composition for each class
- Class 1 – To write an original composition for any instrument or any combination of instruments, or voice(s) or combination of voice(s) and instruments with accompaniment when accompaniment is necessary for the performance.
Please note:
- Winning entries from the SRMTA Student Composer Competition will then advance to the CFMTA Competition for judging at the national level.
- Award winners must mail a hand-written thank-you note to SRMTA, ℅ 50 Hoeschen Crescent, Saskatoon, SK, S7J 2T1, after which time the cheque will be mailed.
Rules & Regulations
- The contestant must be a resident of Saskatchewan and study with a current member in good standing of the Saskatchewan Registered Music Teachers’ Association; exceptions may be made for students residing near the Saskatchewan border.
- A student may enter more than one composition and more than one class but only one prize will be awarded to any individual. The composition must be a new composition, not previously entered in the CFMTA Student Composer Competition
- Each entry is assumed to be the original work of the individual whose name appears on the entry form attached to the manuscript. Any infraction of this regulation could result in the nullification of the offending entry.
- Student names – Please remove the student’s name entirely from the submission. The student’s name should not appear at the top of the score, in a copyright notice, or in the name of the notation or audio file (what the files are saved as). Please note – Entries that contain student names (in full or in part) will be eligible for comments only, and will not be eligible for prizes. Names will not be removed by the CFMTA after submission. It is the responsibility of provincial coordinators to spread awareness of this rule, and for names to be removed completely prior to this level of competition.
- First-place winning compositions will not be returned to the contestant after judging at the national level in the CFMTA Student Composer Competition. Therefore, it is advisable to retain an original copy of your submitted work.
- All rights to his/her original work will be retained by the competitor, but winning compositions may be displayed or employed by SRMTA or CFMTA for publicity purposes after consultation with and agreement with the competitor.
- First-place winning manuscripts, along with the composer’s bio and photo, will be forwarded to the CFMTA
- Student Composer Competition in order to be included in the Canada-wide judging against other provincial winners.
- Manuscripts printed by computers are preferred. If submitting handwritten manuscripts, they should be neat and legibly written in black ink, in regulation manuscript size, including all necessary details of dynamics, editing, and tempo, with every 10th bar numbered. Please retain the original copy of your submitted work.
- Decisions of the Adjudicator are final and not subject to question, review, or appeal.
- Prizes will not be awarded if the adjudicator feels the standard has not been met.
- Late entries will not be accepted.
Apply Online
SRMTA/CFMTA Student Composer Competition Entry Form
"*" indicates required fields
Past Winners
2022 Winners
- 8 & under
Merryn Pratt
Teacher: Heather MacNab
Composition: Puppies - 11 & under
Connor Breitkreuz
Teacher: Diane Jones
Composition: Tarantula - 15 & under
Gaoyuan (Thomas) Cheng
Teacher: Sarah Konecsni
Composition: Christmas Jazz - 19 & under
Penny Lounsbury
Teacher: Sarah Clark Gregory
Composition: Chasing Happiness
2021 Winners
- 11 & under
Category A, Class 1
Gaoyuan (Thomas) Cheng
Teacher: Rachel Xiao
Composition: Clowns - 15 & under
Category B, Class 1
Markus Bitner
Teacher: Heather Waldner
Composition: Haanon’s Theme - 19 & under
Category C, Class 1
Kolby Zagoruy
Teacher: Peggy L’Hoir
Composition: Elegy
2020 Winners
- 8 & under
Preparatory, Class 1
Junbo Gao
Teacher: Ruoqui Xiao
Composition: Etude in A Minor: Lego Battles - 11 & under
Category A, Class 1
YunEn (Ryan) Gu
Teacher: Kathleen Solose
Composition: Sonatina in D Minor - 15 & under
Category B, Class 1
Markus Bitner
Teacher: Heather Waldner
Composition: The Fortress of Magnama - 19 & under
Category C, Class 1
Tyra Suter
Teacher: Peggy L’hoir
Composition: Never Give Up
2019 Winners
- 8 & under
Alina Poettcker
Teacher: Britney Wendel
Composition: The Malfunctioning Robot - 11 & under
Gaoyuan (Thomas) Cheng
Teacher: Rachel Xiao
Composition: Walking in the Rain - 15 & under
Tami Yang
Teacher: Michelle Aalders
Composition: Halora’s Serenade
2018 Winners
- 8 & under
Thomas Cheng
Teacher: Rachel Xiao
Composition: I Will Miss You - 11 & under
Emily Alexander
Teacher: Lisa Frederick
Composition: Kitten on the Stairs - 15 & under
Kolby Zagoruy
Teacher: Peggy L’Hoir
Composition: Winter Odyssey - 19 & under
Adrianna Dolata
Teacher: Sarah Konecsni
Composition: Serenity
2017 Winners
- 8 & under
Preparatory Category
Elizabeth Poppleton, Yorkton Branch
Teacher: Diane Jones
Composition: Dancing Diamond - 11 & under
Category A
Nicole Milbrandt, Yorkton Branch
Teacher: Laurel Teichroeb
Composition: Grasshopper Dance - 15 & under
Category B, Class 1
Isaac Michayluk, Saskatoon Branch
Teacher: Sandra Read
Composition: Enchanted Bells - 15 & under
Category B, Class 2
Marissa Hart, Yorkton Branch
Teacher: Laureen Kells
Composition: Garbage Can - 19 & under
Category C
Julie Borsa, East Central Branch
Teacher: Sarah Clark-Gregory
Composition: Dreaming of Fairytales
2016 Winners
- 8 & under
Preparatory Category
Shoji Gaboury, Saskatoon Branch
Teacher: Raena Barnes
Composition: Sneakers - 11 & under
Category A
Saige Penner, Yorkton Branch
Teacher: Diane Jones
Composition: The Chickadee - 15 & under
Category B, Class 1
Aurora ter Heide, Saskatoon Branch
Teacher: Sandra Read
Composition: The Ferret and the Fox - 15 & under
Category B, Class 2
Marissa Hart, Yorkton Branch
Teacher: Laureen Kells
Composition: Painting the Sky - 19 & under
Category C
Alexander Tosh, Saskatoon Branch
Teacher: Noreen Wensley
Composition: Bending
2015 Winners
- 8 & under
Preparatory, Class 1
Ava Barber, West Central Branch
Teacher: Peggy L’Hoir
Composition: Valentine’s Day - 11 & under
Category A, Class 1
Marissa Hart, Yorkton Branch
Teacher: Laureen Kells
Composition: In the Clouds - 15 & under
Category B, Class 1
Sarah Walker, Yorkton Branch
Teacher: Laurel Teichroeb
Composition: Grandpa
