Jan Royce Prize for Orchestral Composition

About

The Jan Royce Foundation is pleased to offer a cash prize of R10,000 to the winner of the South African College of Music competition for Orchestral Composition.

2025 Competition details

CLOSING DATE: Please submit electronic copies of both score and MIDI realisation via email to fiona.grayer@uct.ac.za by 12:00 on Friday 27 February 2026.

The winner will be announced by 12:00 on Friday 20 March 2026.

Parts to be ready by 12:00 on Friday 8 May 2026.

The winning work will be performed by UCT Symphony Orchestra at their Symphony Concert on Tuesday 13 October 2026, 7pm, Baxter Concert Hall.

Entrance requirements 

The South African College of Music hereby invites applications for the 2025 Jan Royce Prize for Orchestral Composition . This competition is open to:

The work should be:

1. In the Western Classical idiom (elements of other styles may be incorporated);
2. 4-5 minutes in duration;
3. Playable by a student orchestra.

SCORING (optional instruments in italics):

2 flutes (2nd also piccolo)

2 oboes

2 clarinets in B-flat (2nd also bass clarinet in B-flat)

2 bassoons (2nd also contrabassoon)

2 trumpets in B-flat

2 horns in F

2 trombones

tuba

4 timpani

2 percussionists

Strings

Competition closing dates

Submit electronic copies of both score and MIDI realisation via email to fiona.grayer@uct.ac.za by 12:00 on Friday 27 February 2026.

The winner will be announced by 12:00 on Friday 20 March 2026.

Parts to be ready by 12:00 on Friday 8 May 2026.