VMEA Student Composition Festival
2025 Festival
Information
Festival Chairs
2025 Composition Festival
Student Composers
The VMEA Student Composition Festival is accepting submissions for the 2025 Edition, to be held as part of the VMEA Professional Development Conference on Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 6:00pm-8:00pm at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia.
The Student Composition Festival is open to music students from Kindergarten through collegiate level, with the sponsorship of a current VMEA member.
The Festival will feature an engaging and interactive program including:
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Select Student Performances
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Composers’ Colloquium and Masterclass
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Composition Displays
Accepted student composers, along with their families and educators, are responsible for their own transportation and lodging in order to participate in the Festival.
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SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 11:59 PM, October 31, 2025
Rules & Regulations
Compositions
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Submitted compositions will be evaluated based on compositional technique, musicality, and creativity.
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Submitted compositions may be for any combination of instruments or voices, or for pre-recorded electronic performance.
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Works should not exceed 8 minutes in duration; longer or multi-movement works may be shortened or have portions selected for potential performance.
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There is no cost to submit a composition for evaluation.
Applicants
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Any student (K-12 & Collegiate) of a VMEA-member music educator is eligible to submit compositions.​​
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Submissions are not guaranteed for performance or display at the VMEA Professional Development Conference.
Conference Performance
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Students whose work is selected for performance or the master class will be expected to attend the conference in-person and will have the option to provide their own performers or use a provided ensemble made up of music educators
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Travel, housing, and other expenses for students who attend the conference are the responsibility of the student composer or sponsoring school.