Announcing the 2012 Singing City Prize for Young Composers Winner

Singing City is pleased to announce that this year's prize goes to J. Casey Rule for his composition Hay un Tiempo Para Todo (There is a Time For Everything).

Rule is a fifth year student at Lehigh University studying music composition and computer science.  He is part of the first class of students to earn an Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts, and Sciences, (IDEAS) through Lehigh's new interdisciplinary honors program.  At Lehigh, Casey sings with the University Choir, manages the University Glee Club, and is in his fourth year directing the Melismatics, Lehigh's oldest student- run A Cappella group.  Last year, Casey's Lilja, an orchestral piece based on two Icelandic folk tunes, was recorded and published in the Icelandic volume of the Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise's annual journal, Perspectives on Business & Economics.

The winning piece will have its premiere at Singing City's Winter Concert - From Darkness to Light - on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 17th & Sansom Street, Philadelphia.

The Singing City Prize for Young Composers is a national choral music competition for talented young musicians between the ages of 15 and 30. The overall goal is to maximize the involvement of students in the creative process and to be a valuable music education resource for the entire community. This competition may be the impetus and encouragement that a young composer would need to continue on his or her creative journey. The Singing City community of singers and listeners is also enriched by a yearly infusion of fresh, diverse choral music. 

Singing City invites young musicians to submit original choral compositions arranged for SATB, 3-5 minutes in length. Submitted works undergo a rigorous jury process, after which winners and runners up are chosen in each of two categories:
Ages 15-18 (High School)
Ages 19-30

Cash prizes are awarded for a winner and a runner up in each age group. The First Prize compositions will be performed by Singing City Choir at a concert event where the young composers are honored and presented with cash awards. For more information, call (215) 569-9067.

2011 Winner

B. Edward Eiffes (Brian) (b. 1990) won the 2011 prize for his composition Presence of Angels. Brian is a brass player/vocal baritone from suburban Mount Prospect, Illinois. He is currently studying music education, composition, brass, and voice at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa. At Clarke, he performs with the Brass Ensemble, the Collegiate Choir, and the Jazz Ensemble. Eiffes has been composing since before high school, and has had his compositions and arrangements performed by wind band, brass quintet, choir, a cappella groups, and other small ensembles. He had his piece “Final Farewell” (for cello and piano) performed at the 2010 Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference in South Carolina. He has had the honor and privilege of meeting and working with such inspiring musicians as composer/professor Amy Dunker, conductor Stanley DeRusha, director/composer Renè Clausen, jazz trombonist Steve Turre, and composer Eric Whitacre.

Presence of Angels was performed at Singing City's Winter Concert on February 26, 2011. See the video!

Two-time Singing City Prize for Young Composers winner Teddy Poll, a senior at Columbia University, joined Singing City at a recent rehearsal to conduct the choir in Brahms' Nanie. Teddy is considering a career in conducting/composition. It was a joy to have him conduct and talk a little about his plans for the future.