Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize

The Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is proud to administer the Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize, a biannual wind ensemble/concert band composition contest. This highly successful and nationally renowned series is funded by the gracious support of the Ithaca College administration, alumni, and generous friends of the institution.

The current Prize is the successor to the original Walter Beeler Memorial Commission Series established in 1975. This Commissioning Series produced 10 compositions for wind band. Subsequently, the Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize was created to further encourage the composition and performance of new, high-quality wind band literature in honor and memory of Ithaca College's renowned Director of Bands. During his thirty-five-year tenure as conductor of the Ithaca College Concert Band, Walter Beeler ("Mr. Band") premiered a number of new compositions for wind band. His method books, arrangements, and transcriptions for wind band number nearly 200. The current iteration of the Prize has honored 15 outstanding works.

1. Entries must be original compositions for wind ensemble/concert band, using standard wind band instrumentation. No transcriptions/arrangements (except those of original music by the composer) will be eligible.
2. There is a limit of two entries per composer. If electing to submit two, fill out the form two individual times.
3. The composition may have already been performed but shall have been written (completed) no more than five years prior to this contest cycle.  [That is, since January 12, 2021.]
4. The composition must not have been entered into this contest before.
5. Compositions must be submitted electronically (collected via an IC form portal). Include a 1) full score PDF (computer typeset is appreciated, but hand-written and scanned is acceptable), 2) a recording in MP3 format. If this is not a world premiere, submit a live performance (live in this sense refers to non-computer-rendered performances). Both truly 'live' as well as edited recordings, as in an album project, are acceptable. If this submission would be a world premiere by Ithaca College, a MIDI rendering is acceptable. Compositions without score and recordings, or with files of an unreadable file type, will not be considered, and composers will not be solicited to correct file submission issues.
6. If selected, the composer grants the opportunity for the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble to perform and/or record the composition at the IC faculty's discretion. The Ithaca College ensemble music library will retain a copy of the winning work (PDF and/or print), although if the work is a rental, repeat performance in later seasons would be subject to that fee as appropriate. All rights to the work, including copyright and publisher negotiation, remain with the composer.
7. The competition is open to all composers except:
   • Past winners of the Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize
   • Any composer who received a commission from the original Walter Beeler Memorial Commission
   • Ithaca College faculty

There will be a cash prize of $5,000. There may also be the opportunity to perform the winning work with the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble in the following academic year with travel and accommodation support of up to $1,000 for the winning composer. Depending on the length of the work, the ICWE may decide to use an abbreviated version of the winning composition at this performance. The Ithaca College Center for Music has the option of withholding the award if no entry is found to be suitable.