Former winners of the Emerging Black Composers Prize, from top: Trevor Weston, Jonathan Bingham, Sumi Tonooka, Shawn Okpebholo, Jens Ibsen, Xavier Muzik.
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, in partnership with the San Francisco Symphony, is now accepting applications for the fourth annual Emerging Black Composers Project, its Michael Morgan Prize, and the Cabrillo Emerging Black Composers Prize. The competition aims to identify and promote inventive Black musicians, of any music genre, under age 35. Submission deadline is February 1, 2024. The winner of the 2024 Michael Morgan Prize will receive a $15,000 award and have a new work commissioned to receive its world premiere with the San Francisco Symphony, led by Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. The winner will also receive mentorship from Salonen, SFCM Music Director Edwin Outwater, and Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, the resident conductor of engagement and education at San Francisco Symphony and chair of the Emerging Black Composers selection committee. The winner will also receive career support from SFCM faculty and musicians. Th Michael Morgan award is named for Michael Morgan, the late conductor and educator who served as the first chair and co-founder of the EBCP. The Emerging Black Composers Project was launched in 2020. For further information or to apply, visit https://sfcm.edu/emerging-black-composers-project.
