Claussen Simon Composition Prize The composition prize of the Claussen-Simon Foundation is endowed with € 15,000. The commissioned work will be premiered at the Elbphilharmonie.

Claussen Simon Composition Prize

The Claussen Simon Foundation awards, for the third time, a composition prize to a young composer in cooperation with the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. The composition prize is awarded in the form of a commissioned work for orchestra. The orchestral piece will be premiered in the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall as part of the »Elbphilharmonie Visions« festival in February 2027, with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra performing under the direction of Alan Gilbert.

The objective of the composition prize is to allow a young composer to have a work for full orchestra performed in a high-profile setting, while also providing creative and organisational support over the course of the composition process. Through the collaboration between the three renowned institutions, the successful composer will secure extensive funding, gain valuable experience and receive active support as they seek to establish themselves as a professional composer. A core element of the composition process is direct exchange with key figures from the orchestra, concert hall and foundation.

The composition award comes with a financial prize of €15,000.

Terms

  • Upper age limit: 35 (born in 1989)
  • By 20 March 2025, applicants must submit a concept sketch of an orchestral score in musical notation (min. 3 minutes) as well as a description in words of the work they intend to create as part of the composition prize.
  • Compositions that have already been published or (partially) performed are not allowed to be submitted.
  • In order to ensure that personal information does not influence the selection of the finalists, applications will be anonymised before they are passed on to the jury.
  • In the initial preselection round, candidates will be chosen to take part in a reading session with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and Alan Gilbert in autumn 2025. Upon request, the candidate must be able to provide all the individual instrumental parts of the sketch submitted in the application before the reading session.
  • Selected candidates must be present at the reading session in autumn 2025.
  • The jury will select the award winner following the reading session.
  • The award winner will receive a commission for a 15-minute orchestral work. This commissioned piece is to be composed as a purely orchestral work without soloists, without singing voices and without electronics.
  • The submission deadline for the score and parts of the commissioned work is autumn 2026. The work will be premiered in the Elbphilharmonie Grand Hall in February 2027 as part of the »Elbphilharmonie Visions« festival.
  • The premiere rights for the work that is to be composed is held by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, while all other rights remain with the composer.

Maximum Orchestration

  • 4 Flutes (incl. Picc and alt)
  • 4 Oboes (incl. Cor anglais und Oboe d’amore)
  • 4 Clarinets (incl. Es und Bass – Please no Contrabass clarinet)
  • 4 Bassoon (incl. Contrabassoon)
  • 4 French horns
  • 4 Trumpets (incl. Cornette)
  • 4 Trombones
  • 1 Tuba
  • 1 Timpani
  • 3 Percussionists (huge inventory of instruments, a list is too long – must be playable for 3 percussionists)
  • 1 Harp
  • Possible instruments: Piano, Celesta, Keyboard
  • Strings: 14-12-10-8-6

Prize money and benefits

  • The prize money is €15,000.
  • During the composition process, the prize winner will have the opportunity to attend orchestra rehearsals and to discuss the progress of the composition periodically with the chief conductor of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Alan Gilbert. Members of the orchestra, the Elbphilharmonie and the foundation will be available to answer questions and to provide advice.
  • Travel and accommodation costs as well as other expenses (e.g. for producing the sheet music and the parts) incurred as part of the composition process can, after prior agreement, be reimbursed.
  • The prize winner agrees to take part in interviews within the framework of panel discussions and press work.

Application documents for submission

  • Concept sketch of an orchestral score (min. 3 minutes) as well as a description in words of the work that will be created within the framework of the composition prize. The concept sketch must not include any indication of the composer’s name or background. The work is not allowed to be already published or (partially) performed.
  • A document/file outlining the composer’s artistic résumé, including name, date of birth, address, contact details and nationality.

Legal action is excluded.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Vincent Dahm
kompositionspreis@elbphilharmonie.de
HamburgMusik gGmbH
Platz der Deutschen Einheit 4
20457 Hamburg

Please submit your application by email to the following address by 20 March 2025:
Vincent Dahm, kompositionspreis@elbphilharmonie.de