Three Composers Named Finalists in Finale National Composition Contest

Three Composers Named Finalists in Finale National Composition Contest

The American Composers Forum has announced the three finalists in the Finale National Composition Contest, a partnership with MakeMusic, Inc. and eighth blackbird. They are: Andy Akiho; Eric Lindsay; and Kurt Rohde.

Written By

NewMusicBox Staff

The American Composers Forum has announced the three finalists in the Finale National Composition Contest, a partnership with MakeMusic, Inc. and eighth blackbird. They are:

  • Andy Akiho (New Haven, CT)
  • Eric Lindsay (Bloomington, IN)
  • Kurt Rohde (San Francisco, CA)

They will each receive a cash prize and be asked to write a piece for eighth blackbird, which will be workshopped and performed in the ensemble’s Chicago studio. One of the pieces will be chosen to receive the final prize, which includes an additional cash award and a future public performance by eighth blackbird.

Due to the volume and quality of submissions (a pool of 504 entries), the contest judges also recognize twelve additional applicants as deserving of honorable mention. They are:

  • Alex Freeman (Northfield, MN)
  • Sean Friar (Princeton, NJ)
  • J.M. Gerraughty (Nashua, NH)
  • Aaron Gervais (San Francisco, CA)
  • Yotam Haber (Brooklyn, NY)
  • Derek Johnson (Carmel, IN)
  • Amy Kirsten (New Haven, CT)
  • Zibuokle Martinaityte (New York, NY)
  • Douglas Pew (Erlanger, KY)
  • Jeremy Podgursky (Bloomington, IN)
  • Mike Solomon (Gainesville, FL)
  • Daniel Wohl (New Haven, CT)