Séan Ó Riada Composition Competition invites Irish composers to write choral premiere for Cork International Choral Festival

The 2027 Seán Ó Riada Composition Competition is inviting Irish composers to create a new choral work for the Cork International Choral Festival.

The winning piece will receive its premiere performance by the Chamber Choir Ireland at the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne in Cork on April 30, 2027.

Open to composers born or resident in Ireland, entries close on January 8, 2027. The winner will receive a cash prize donated by the Ó Riada family, a trophy and an invitation to attend the festival as a guest.

Compositions are submitted under a pseudonym, keeping the composer's identity anonymous while a panel of composers and choral experts assesses each work.

The competition has attracted 295 original compositions since its current format was introduced in 2010. Several winning works have gone on to be published by international choral publishing houses.

Past winners include Solfa Carlile, Eoghan Desmond, Amanda Feery and 2026 winner Timothy Doyle, with composition 'Points and Lines'.

"My piece 'Points and Lines' sets a poem of the same name by Aldous Huxley to music and is dedicated to my newborn nephew, Matteo," Doyle said after receiving the news of his win.

"It is a real privilege to join the list of outstanding composers who have received this award and to be part of the Cork International Choral Festival's vibrant musical tradition."

Established in 1972 in recognition of the life and work of Seán Ó Riada, the competition has evolved over five decades.

Ó Riada was a Cork-born composer, musician and educator who founded traditional instrumental ensemble Ceoltóirí Chualann, and inspired the formation of groups like The Chieftains. He also composed several orchestral scores for Irish documentaries and dramas like Mise Éire in 1959 and Saoirse? in 1960.

More information and the application form are available here.