This competition recognizes the accomplishments of IAWM member composers and fosters IAWM’s goal of increasing awareness of the musical contributions of women. IAWM hopes that performers around the world will see this music as a resource for their own concert programming. There were 120 submissions from 11 countries around the world.

 

Winners in the various categories are:

2019 Ruth Anderson Commission Prize ($1,000)

sponsored by Ruth Anderson, for a new sound installation with electro-acoustic music.

Winner: Lauren Spavelko for her Electronic Music Installation “Black Box 2.0”

 

---

 

2019 Christine Clark/Theodore Front Prize ($500),

sponsored by Christine Clark of Theodore Front Musical Literature, Inc., for a large chamber work (for 9+ instruments) and/or orchestral works; may include works featuring soloist (vocal or instrumental).

Winner: Yi-Ning Lo for her composition “Woven Veins”

 

---

 

2019 Miriam Gideon Prize ($500),

sponsored by Lucille Field Goodman, to a composer at least 50 years of age for a work for solo voice & 1-5 instruments.

Winner: Ellen Ruth Harrison for her composition “All One Can Imagine”

 

---

 

2019 Libby Larsen Prize ($300),

sponsored by Libby Larsen, to a composer who is currently enrolled in school for a work in any medium.

Winner: Cara Haxo for her composition “Three Erasures”

 

---

 

2019 Pauline Oliveros New Genre Prize ($300),

sponsored by Claire Chase, for works incorporating innovative form or style, such as improvisation, multimedia, use of non-traditional notation, open instrumentation, or new performance practices.

Winner: Lisa Mezzacappa for her composition “Organelle”

 

---

 

2019 PatsyLu Prize ($500),

sponsored by Patsy Rogers and Lucille Field Goodman, for classical art nmusic in any form by black women and/or lesbians.

Winner: Chiayu Hsu for her composition “Taiwan Miniatures”

 

---

 

2019 Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble Prize ($300)

for Jazz compositions of any duration for small ensemble to big band (4-17 instruments)

Winner: Sam Spear for her composition “Survivor’s Suite”

 

---

 

2019 Alex Shapiro Prize ($500 and mentorship/consultation from Alex Shapiro),

sponsored by Alex Shapiro, for a work of any duration for large ensemble wind band requiring a conductor, with or without soloist, acoustic or electroacoustic, published or as yet unpublished.

Winner: Ruby Fulton for her composition “1 in 10,000”

 

---

 

2019 Judith Lang Zaimont Prize ($400)

sponsored by Judith Lang Zaimont, for an extended instrumental composition—large solo or chamber works—by a composer at least 30 years old whose music has not yet been recorded or published.

Winner: Seunghee Chrissy Lee for her composition “Bon II”

 

---

 

The adjudicators were Jennifer Bellor, Sara Graef, Migiwa Miyajima, Jane Rigler, Sakari Dixon

Vanderveer and Nina Young. Ingrid Stölzel served as chair of the competition.