Registration deadline is Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There will be no exceptions.
Celebrate the composers in your private studio or classroom!
Composing allows creative students to take ownership of their music making. They can create
something to truly call their own; something that requires patience, skill and love. They can get up
close and personal with music and find out what makes it work, what works, and what defines
beauty.
Composing is a great opportunity to engage and empower students! MTNA offers an opportunity to submit compositions in a competition for composers in your private studio or classroom. You do not need to be a composition instructor to have students participate. There are competitions for ages 5–29; elementary, junior, senior and young artist levels. They receive encouraging and rewarding comments from highly qualified judges who value the creative new and original compositions. Cash prizes are awarded for national winners.
More specifics below:
The entry deadline for the MTNA Composition Competition is Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 3:00 P.M. Eastern Time.
Due to the anticipated volume of last-minute submissions, MTNA advises you to submit your
registration early. Technical support and staff assistance will be available 8:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. Eastern Time, Monday–Friday. The registration must be COMPLETED by the
3:00 P.M. Eastern Time deadline. Those not completed by that time will not be able to finish their
registration form and therefore not be entered into the competition. Teachers are responsible for
verifying all repertoire on the registrations of their students.
New this year, there will be no restrictions on the ensemble size for compositions. Attendance and
performance at the national conference is optional for composition winners and is not a condition
for accepting the prize money. Teachers must have paid their current MTNA membership dues prior to students registering for the competition. Primary communication regarding the composition competition will be via email.
Please note that all composer contestants must submit a computer-generated PDF score and
YouTube link. No MIDI files will be accepted. Please have a valid credit card ready when you apply
online (American Express, MasterCard, and Visa only).
If you would like to learn more about the composition competition please go to https://www.mtna.org/Composition_Guidelines.html.
For questions contact MTNA at (888) 512-5278 or competitions@mtna.org.
To reach the KMTA Composer Commissioning/Composition Chair, contact:
Dr. Lucy Tan,
Lwtan516@gmail.com