Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA), in cooperation with the Latvian Radio Big Band (LRBB), announces the Baltic and Nordic Young Composers’ Big Band Composition Competition for 2026.
The aim of the competition is to promote new original music for big band and support the professional development of young composers in an international environment.
Composers aged 18 to 30 who live or study in the Baltic or Nordic countries are invited to participate. Participants must submit one original composition for big band and solo instrument (trombone or tenor saxophone), with a maximum duration of 7 minutes.
The works will be evaluated by an international jury including Massimo Morganti (Italy), Krists Auznieks (Latvia), and other experts.
Competition prize fund:
- 1st place – EUR 900
- 2nd place – EUR 700
- 3rd place – EUR 500
The application deadline is 31 August 2026. The semifinalist works will be performed on 30 October at the Ziedonis Hall of the National Library of Latvia, while the final will take place on 3 December at the Spīķeri Concert Hall, where the winning compositions will be performed by the Latvian Radio Big Band.
Participation in the competition is free of charge; however, the organizers do not cover participants’ travel or accommodation expenses. Submitted works may be published and stored in the JVLMA archive to ensure broader visibility.
Applications should be submitted electronically to jazz-competition(abols)jvlma.lv. Complete Rules and Regulations of the Contest as well as the Application Form you can find here.