2026/2027 International Call for Works
International Call for Works Guidelines
OSSIA welcomes submissions from composers worldwide! Each year, we receive hundreds of applications, and selected pieces will be performed in our upcoming concerts with full support from OSSIA for their premiere.
Composers age 30 and under, as of August 1st, 2026, OR composers currently enrolled in a degree-granting program in composition (bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, PhD/DMA candidates are welcome), of all nationalities, are eligible to apply.
There is no entry fee, and works may have been previously performed. Current Eastman students and alumni of Eastman’s Composition Program are ineligible to apply.
A panel consisting of members of OSSIA New Music will evaluate the pieces and choose the winning entry. All applications must be completed and received by August 1st (Sat), 2026 (11:59 pm ET).
N.B. The eligibility and requirements have been changed from previous editions of OSSIA International Call for Works.
Submission link:
Works should be between 5–15 minutes in duration.
Works should involve 2 to 12 players.
The use of electronics (i.e. audio playback or live processing) with instruments is acceptable. If submitting a work with electronics, please provide a tech rider that includes a list of required equipment, software requirements, routing instructions, instructions for operating the patch (if applicable), and any other pertinent information.
Works of any style, aesthetic, and notation will be considered. However, works for mixed ensembles are preferred.
Composers may submit up to two (2) works using one Google form entry. It is recommended that the works are of contrasting instrumentation and/or media.
Submissions may have been performed previously.
Previous winners of the OSSIA Call for Scores are ineligible.
Works need not be submitted anonymously.
Composers should provide a 2-page CV or résumé. This will only be reviewed by the final selection committee after preliminary screening.
Scores, recordings, and other materials should be uploaded to a cloud sharing service such as Dropbox or Google Drive, and links should be provided on the entry form.
It is recommended that your work falls under any subset of the instruments listed below; however, we will consider works of any instrumentation.
Flute (Piccolo, C, Alto, Bass)
Oboe/English horn
Clarinet [E-flat, B-flat, A, Bass]
Saxophone [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone]
Bassoon/Contrabassoon
Horn
Trumpet
Tenor/Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion; please see below for available instruments
Harp
Guitar
Piano
Keyboard synthesizer/Harpsichord/Celesta
Voice [Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass]
Violin
Viola
Cello
Contrabass
Percussion instruments available: Vibraphone, Marimba (5.0, 4.3), Glockenspiel, Timpani (32, 29, 26, 23), Snare drum, Bass drum, Cymbals, Wood blocks, Triangle, Bongos, Congas, Tambourine, Xylophone, Almglocken, Shakers, Claves, Maracas, Guiro, Rain stick, Ratchet, Anvil, Glass bottles, Crotales (2 octaves), Cowbell, Chimes, Tam-tam, Thai gongs
Percussion instrumentation that veers outside this list will be subject to consideration by the OSSIA New Music Board.