Watermark Composition Prize 2027: A$2,500 for Young Australian Composers, Violin and Piano
AUSTRALIA-ELIGIBLE PROFESSIONAL COMPOSITION PRIZE. The Kendall National Violin Competition has announced its 2027 Watermark Composition Prize, a juried A$2,500 award for an original score for violin alone or violin and piano. The winning piece is scheduled for performance by all four finalists of the Kendall violin competition in March 2027. This is a cash-prize composition competition, not a volunteer orchestra audition or a vacancy offering a guaranteed salary.
Who can enter: Australian citizenship or residence, age 25 or under
Eligible entrants are Australian citizens OR residents and must be no older than 25 on 1 January 2027. The organizer specifies these as alternatives, not a requirement that every citizen also lives in Australia. A composer who has neither Australian citizenship nor Australian residence is not eligible. The organizer requests documentary evidence of age and residential status; if you are uncertain about visa-based residence, ask the artistic director before submitting.
Required work: violin solo or violin and piano, seven minutes maximum
Prepare a wholly original, previously unperformed composition for solo violin OR for violin with piano, with a maximum duration of seven minutes. The work should be suited to the final round of a violin competition: it must allow excellent young violinists to show both artistic communication and technical command, and be feasible for each finalist to prepare. A large orchestral score, string quartet or electronic-only piece will not satisfy the specified instrumentation.
Cash prize and performance opportunities
One Watermark Composition Prize of A$2,500 will be awarded after blind review by a panel of expert judges. The chosen work becomes the compulsory new Australian piece for the violin competition final in March 2027, where all four finalists will play it. The award is a winner's cash prize, not a fee paid to all entrants. Earlier winning scores and composers, including editions from 2017, 2020 and 2023, are identified on the organizer's official website.
Deadline and submission materials: 11 January 2027
The organizer must receive applications by 11 January 2027; the award decision is scheduled for 18 January 2027. Email the completed musical score as a PDF attachment to artistic director Goetz Richter at goetz.richter@sydney.edu.au. Use the subject line '2027 Watermark Composition Prize Entry'. Remove names and anything identifying the composer from the musical score, because the jury reviews pieces anonymously.
Identity proof, copyright and confidentiality
The accompanying email must provide the composer's name and contact details. A separate supporting attachment must include a scan of a passport or birth certificate to establish age and residence, as requested by the organizer. Do not place these private documents inside the anonymized score. Applicants should review the organizer's submission instructions and consider privacy and secure handling before transmitting identity documents. Entry authorizes the announced performance of the winning work by the finalists; further licensing and recording questions should be clarified directly.
Application fee and final checks
The published Watermark contest page does not clearly state an entry fee, so do not assume either that it is free or that a charge is required. Check the current conditions with the organizer if a payment request is made. The original-score rule, Australian-eligibility criteria and final email deadline take precedence over general information about the associated violin performance contest.
Official organizer announcement and submission contact
Kendall National Violin Competition, Watermark Composition Prize 2027: https://www.kendallviolin.org.au/watermark-composition
Checked on 30 October 2026. Independent edited notice of an external judged contest; the organizer's official rules, age/residence verification, rights conditions and updated deadlines remain authoritative.