Pellicciotti Opera Composition Prize: international call for a 2030 premiere
The organizer and the project
The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, USA, seeks a new opera for a spring 2030 premiere. Gary C. Jaquay established the Pellicciotti Prize to honor his partner. Previous recipients include Tom Cipullo and the team of Timothy Takach and Caitlin Vincent.
Eligibility and award
International composer–librettist teams may propose a work still at the initial planning stage; a single author may write both. The 60–80-minute opera should explore intercultural understanding, shared experience or connections across communities. It must suit undergraduate performers, use a mainly English libretto and allow flexible small-ensemble and reduced scoring. Each person may join only one application. Direct SUNY Potsdam/Crane affiliates and previous winners are ineligible.
The commission is $25,000 for the winning team to divide. Finalists receive $2,000 per team for a 15–20-minute vocal/piano excerpt to be workshopped in autumn 2027. Applications are free and close on 15 January 2027; the page specifies no time or time zone.
Application materials
Submit the concept, scenes, cast and instrumentation; three composition samples totalling at most 30 minutes with scores and recordings; three libretto extracts; biographies of up to 500 words each; and rights documentation. Generative AI is prohibited in the project description, libretto and score. Applicants must check responsibilities for engraving, parts, licensing, visas and travel outside the continental US.
This article provides a summary. To avoid misunderstandings, please be sure to check the official page for full details.
Information checked: 2 November 2026