Finnish Composers (Suomen Säveltäjät) – Sibelius Fund (application period 1–31 Oct 2026)

The Sibelius Fund, run by the Society of Finnish Composers since 1945, pays for new Finnish art music to be written. Four grant types share one October application round. Working grants buy a composer time to write concert or other contemporary art music, and can secondarily support composition study — they will not cover recording, instruments or equipment. Commissioning grants pay a commissioning fee and are applied for by the other side: a musician, ensemble, choir, festival or working group hiring a composer, including for pedagogical pieces meant to be played by students rather than teachers. Pegasus grants support setting Finnish poetry and libretti to music, and can go to the poet or librettist as well as the composer. Church music grants cover writing or commissioning church music, and the application has to explain the church connection.

The Fund does not publish grant amounts. Working, Pegasus and church-music grants are tax-free up to the annual ceiling set by the Finnish tax authority; commissioning grants are taxable for the composer. Commissioning grants favour applicants who do not already receive regular public funding, and cannot cover work already started, paid for or performed.

Applications go through Klaavi during the window, one form per grant type, with a separate project plan attachment, a detailed budget covering the whole project and any other funding, CVs, an audio example reachable without a login, and a note of where and when the premiere will happen. Commissioned composers must confirm the application by email link before the deadline, and may confirm only one per round. You cannot edit a submitted application. A moratorium blocks any composer from winning in consecutive years, or while an earlier funded project is unfinished or unreported.