2025 Rules

1.The Associazione Emiliano Romagnola Cori (A.E.R.CO.), together with the Fondazione C.G. Andreoli of the ‘Unione dei Comuni dell’Area Nord di Modena’, with financial support of the Ministry of Culture and of the Region Emilia-Romagna and with the patronage of FENIARCO, announces the sixth International Composition Competition for Children’s and Youth Choirs CORINFESTA with the aim of creating new material to be widely disseminated.

2. Participation is open to composers of any nationality.

3. The competition is divided into two sections:

Section A: Towards Polyphony

a. two voices (SS or SA), no divisi;

b. a cappella or with piano accompaniment and possible small and/or body percussion;

c. of a maximum duration of 3 minutes;

d. the text chosen may be sacred or secular, in Italian (also dialectal) or English or Latin, enclosing the Italian translation; if secular, it must be suitable for the age of the singers to whom this Section refers. It will also be possible to choose one of the texts suggested in the paragraph ‘good texts for good music‘ (*).

e. the difficulty and general approach of the piece must take into account the pedagogical context of a children’s choir;

f. it is desirable to use tools for the inclusion of diversities and disabilities (Sign Languages, soundtracks, …). It will be the composer’s responsibility to illustrate the choices made by means of a dotted or synthetic-discursive legend.

Section B: Many voices, a school of life

a. three voices (SSA or SAT or SABr), no divisi;

b. a cappella or with piano accompaniment and possible small and/or body percussion;

c. of a maximum duration of 5 minutes;

d. the text chosen may be sacred or secular, in Italian (also dialectal) or English or Latin, enclosing the Italian translation; if secular, it must be suitable for the age of the singers to whom this Section refers. It will also be possible to choose one of the texts suggested in the paragraph ‘good texts for good music‘ (*).

e. it is desirable to use tools for the inclusion of diversity and disabilities (Sign Languages, soundtracks, …). It will be the composer’s responsibility to illustrate the choices made with a dotted or synthetic-discursive legend.

4. Each candidate may submit a maximum of two entries (one for each section or two for a single section). Submissions shall be made exclusively via the appropriate online form by and no later than midnight on 31/08/2025.

5. The participation fee is 25 euros per entry.

6. Each work must be sent in PDF format. The composer’s name must not appear on the score. The AERCO office shall receive the scores and send them to the members of the jury. The identity of the composers will not be disclosed by the AERCO office until after the evaluation phase has been completed. The online form shall also contain the following information: a. personal details (name, surname, address, telephone number, e-mail address); b. curriculum vitae; c. a declaration that the pieces submitted have never been published and/or awarded; d. source of the literary text, if any; e. permission to use and publish any protected literary texts from the author or publisher or rights holder; f. performance notes, if any; g. mp3 file obtained from the MIDI of the score.

7.The jury will consist of five composer and choral conductor members. These are their names: John Rutter (UK), Tullio Visioli (Italy), Claudio Ferrara (Italy), Roberto Berzero, (Italy), Gyöngyösi Levente (Hungary). The judgment will be final and unappealable.

8. The evaluation criteria will be: a. quality of the textual treatment; b. overall artistic impression; c. performability: compositional attention to vocal and perceptual requirements.

9. The following prizes will be awarded:

First Prize Winners (one per Section)

– cash prize of € 1,500 (one thousand five hundred euros);

– public and multimedia performance, within 8 months of the announcement of the winners, by two choirs of international significance;

– winners will be ‘composer in residence’ for AERCO throughout 2026. AERCO will select 4 choirs (primarily from among its members), who will have the opportunity to commission the winners to write a piece dedicated to their choir. AERCO will pay the winning composers a sum of 500 euros for each commission;

– The winners will be ex officio jury members of the 2027 edition;

– publication, with the permission of the authors, by AERCO;

– diploma.

Runners-up (one per Section)

– cash prize of 600 euros (six hundred euros);

– public and multimedia performance, within 8 months of the announcement of the winners, by an Italian or foreign choir;

– publication, with the permission of the authors, by AERCO;

– diploma.

Third runners-up (one for each Section)

– publication, with the permission of the authors, by AERCO;

– diploma.

For all submitted scores

– All the pieces entered in the competition, except those chosen for publication with a publishing house or with AERCO, if authorised by the composers, will be published on the www.corinfesta.it website for choirs to use as new repertoire; they will also constitute repertoire to be used for the special category of the ‘Concorso Corale Nazionale Città di Riccione’ (www.coroallegrenote.it).

10. The jury reserves the right to indicate other compositions in addition to the winners, as well as the two (one for each Section) with the best treatment of inclusion strategies and the two (*) (one for each Section) with the best use of suggested texts. The composers of the shortlisted pieces will receive a certificate of mention.

11. Participation in the competition implies full acceptance of these rules.

(*) Special Mention: Good Lyrics For Good Music