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A competition by Sonarloft – Supported by Stiftung am Grunewald starts its third edition.
Your music. Your ideas. Your future.
The 3rd Berlin Composition Prize 2026 (Duo) is looking for bold voices, fresh sounds, and new musical ideas. We want to hear music that crosses boundaries – stylistically, culturally, emotionally. If you compose because you have to – this is for you.
Berlin invites you. No boxes. No limitations. Just your art.
Main prize: 5,000 EUR
world premiere at the SONARLOFT concert at Kühlhaus Berlin
Two development prizes: 1,000 EUR each
Certificate and personal support
Access to the SONARLOFT network – a creative community
You are 35 or younger (cut-off date: September 15, 2026)
You compose – classical, experimental, electroacoustic, jazz, or genre-free
You’ve written a piece for duo formations (violin, viola, cello, piano) that has not been performed or published
You want your music to be professionally premiered in Berlin
The FULL SCORE (as PDF) of your work (10–12 min.)
Individual parts of violin, viola, violoncello and/or piano of your work
(as a joined PDF)A Short Bio (max. 1 page)
- A Portrait Photo
Application Fee: 50 EUR
Deadline: September 15, 2026
Jury-Deliberation: September/October 2026
Winner Announcement: October 05, 2026
Live-Concert & Award Ceremony: October 28, 2026 at Kühlhaus Berlin
An international jury of composers, musicians and artists will listen, read and discuss openly and attentively. The jury includes the artistic directors Konstantin Manaev (violoncello), Wojciech Garbowski (violin), Philipp Scheucher (piano). This edition will once again feature a renowned composer as an honorary member of the jury. They will evaluate:
Instrumental writing
Originality and boldness of concept
Form, sound, dramaturgy
Your biography is not part of the evaluation. The evaluation will be anonymous.
SONARLOFT GbR
📍 Luckenwalder Str. 3, DE-10963 Berlin
📞 +49 (0)176 721 65 198
📧 bkp@sonarloft.de
🌐 www.sonarloft.de