Biennale Anna Maria Strano – Call for Scores for Female Composers 2026-2027

The Niccolo Piccinni Conservatory in Bari is looking for concertos — pieces for orchestra and one solo instrument — by women composers, to perform with its symphony orchestra and its best student soloists. This is the second edition of a biennial cycle: 2026 is the selection year, 2027 the performance year. The project is named after Anna Maria Strano, a pianist and teacher at the conservatory who died in 2003.

Open to women composers of any nationality and any age. One piece each. It must be scored for solo instrument plus an orchestra no larger than 2.2.2.2 / 2.2.2.0, timpani, percussion, harp and strings 10.8.6.4.3, and run between 8 and 15 minutes. The work must be unpublished, though it may already have been performed.

There is no fee and no cash prize. What you get is a live performance at the Auditorium Nino Rota in Bari during the orchestra's 2027 season, with the soloist chosen by internal audition, and an invitation to attend a rehearsal beforehand with food and accommodation covered by the conservatory.

Entry is by email to the conservatory's protocol office with your details, a copy of your ID, a short CV or biography, the full score as a PDF, an mp3 — a MIDI mock-up is acceptable — and a signed release permitting audio and video recording. Paperwork may be in Italian or English. A panel of five, chaired by conductor Giovanni Pelliccia and including three composers and the project coordinator, picks one or more works; the criteria themselves are not published. The Italian text of the rules is the binding one.