The Abu Dhabi Festival, through the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), has launched the first-ever Abu Dhabi International Competition for Composition (ADICC), a new global platform set to elevate emerging and established composers from around the world.
Submissions are now open for the competition, which welcomes composers aged 50 and under to submit original, unpublished, and unperformed pieces. With a deadline of September 15, 2025, the contest offers a unique opportunity to have works performed at a major international festival and professionally recorded.
Finalists will be revealed on December 15, 2025. The grand prize winner will receive AED 130,000, alongside a professional recording and a premiere with leading orchestras during the 23rd Abu Dhabi Festival in April 2026. Second and third place winners will be awarded AED 50,000 and AED 25,000 respectively, with both receiving mentorship and global exposure.
The competition features two categories: orchestral works of up to 10 minutes, and solo piano compositions up to 5 minutes, with the piano being the highlighted instrument for this inaugural edition. Submissions will be judged anonymously by an esteemed panel of international composers and conductors, evaluating pieces based on creativity, technical skill, emotional resonance, and cultural integration.
Winning entries will also be included in the Abu Dhabi Festival Composers’ Platform, an initiative that has supported more than 36 original works and 80 co-commissions over the past 15 years.
For details and application guidelines, visit https://admaf.org/activities/adicc/.
