OMEA Young Composers Initiative (OMEAYCI) 2026-27 Call for Submissions

The OMEA Young Composers Initiative was created in 2019 to encourage, foster, and promote musical creativity across Ohio’s young music students. Each year, we invite young composers in grades 7-12 to submit compositions for a featured ensemble. The submissions are judged by the YCI board, a group of professional composers and teachers from around the state of Ohio.

The OMEAYCI invites submissions for its seventh annual Young Composers Initiative Composition Competition Concert at the OMEA PDC in Columbus on Saturday, January 30, 2027. The concert will feature three young composers presenting their original compositions for clarinet and piano duo. Students will receive valuable comments, feedback, and suggestions from the performers as well as from OMEA YCI board members on their scores. Prior to the event, winning composers will have the opportunity to receive virtual lessons on their scores from YCI board members. The OMEA YCI board is Dr. Jennifer Merkowitz, chair (Otterbein University), Dr. Cara Haxo (The Walden School), Dr. Matthew Kennedy (Heidelberg University), Dr. Robert McClure (Ohio University), and Dr. Marilyn Shrude (Bowling Green State University).

This coming year, we are pleased to continue our partnership with the Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts. Their generous sponsorship will support the participation of our featured performers from BGSU, clarinetist Haley Harrison and pianist Niayesh Javaheri.

To see the details of the call for submissions, please visit https://www.omea-ohio.org/young_composers_initiative.php. Applications must be submitted by an OMEA member sponsor through the OMEA portal by October 16, 2026. Any questions can be directed to Dr. Jennifer Merkowitz (jmerkowitz@otterbein.edu).

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