COMPOSITION COMPETITION

within the project “20 Quartets for the 20th Anniversary of NeoQuartet”

The NeoArte Association and NeoQuartet announce an international composition competition for string quartet and electronics (with an optional video component). Composers may write for either amplified acoustic string instrumentsor the electric string instrument setup available to NeoQuartet.
The submission deadline is 15 November 2026.
The competition is part of the project „20 String Quartets for NeoQuartet’s 20th Anniversary.” Between September and December 2026, NeoQuartet will present four concerts in Gdańsk featuring twenty new string quartets written for the ensemble during 2026 by composers from around the world.
The winners’ compositions will receive their world premieres on 16 December 2026 at Kolonia Artystów in Gdańsk. The selected works will form part of the event „20 String Quartets for NeoQuartet’s 20th Anniversary – Act 3.” They will be performed live, professionally recorded in both audio and video formats, and published on the online platforms of NeoQuartet and the NeoArte Association.
The competition is open to composers of all nationalities born after 1 September 1991. Submitted works must have a duration of 5–8 minutes.
In addition to having their works premiered as part of the project, the laureates will receive cash prizes, and their compositions will become part of NeoQuartet’s concert repertoire.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

1. COMPETITION
• The competition is open to young composers of all nationalities, born after September 1, 1991.
• Only one score per composer is permitted.
• Works that have not been published or performed in public will be allowed to participate in the competition.
• The competition is organized by the NeoArte Association with its seat in Gdansk, Politechniczna 17/7.

2. SUBJECT
• The subject of the Competition is a composition for a string quartet with an electronic layer (video layer is allowed).
• Electronics / video:
The organizer can provide the following equipment. All hardware and software that cannot be replaced by those listed below must be provided by the composer if a piece is selected with up to three of the highest rated compositions.

– Software: Reaper, Ableton Live, Max/MSP
– Hardware: mixing console (up to 16 channels), audio interface, laptop, microphones, loudspeaker system (stereo and quadraphonic), video projector
– Electronic equipment available to NeoQuartet performers (can be used with both acoustic and electric string instruments):
Violin I – TC Electronic Nova System, Boss GT-1000CORE, Boss RC-300 Loop Station
Violin II – Boss GT-1000CORE, Strymon NightSky, Boss RC-300 Loop Station
Viola – Boss SY-1000, Singular Sound Aeros Loop Studio
Cello – Boss MS-3
Video tutorials for the above devices are available at the following link:
NeoQuartet LAB
• Duration of the composition: 5 – 8 minutes

3. AWARDS
1st prize – 2000 PLN
2nd prize – 1500 PLN
3rd prize – 1000 PLN

The world premieres of the winning compositions will be performed by NeoQuartet during the third concert of the project „20 String Quartets for NeoQuartet’s 20th Anniversary” – ACT 3, to be held at Kolonia Artystów in Gdańsk on 16 December 2026.

4. JURY
• NeoQuartet (Karolina Piątkowska – Nowicka, Paweł Kapica, Michał Markiewcz, Antoni Majewski), the secretary of the competition – Anna Wodzyńska.
• The jury may decide to divide the prizes differently.
• The jury may decide not to award the prizes.
• The jury’s decisions are final.

5. APPLICATIONS
• Competition entries should be made by sending an email to: management.neoquartet@gmail.com
• Applications should include:
– the score in an electronic version (in PDF format, maximum file size 40 MB). The file should be named according to the formula: symbol_score.pdf
– technical requirements for the performance of the piece
– a document containing personal data of a competition participant (name, address, email, telephone number, short bio artistic – max 100 characters)
– electronic files should be sent via non-expiring links (Dropbox, Google drive, etc.)
• Placing information on the competition composition that may reveal the participant’s identity disqualifies the submitted work.
• The Application Form and personal data will only be visible to the Competition Secretary, who does not pass these data on to the members of the Jury.
• The deadline for submitting applications is November 15, 2026, at 23:59 (CET).
• Information about the competition can be found at https://neoarte.pl/en/other-projects/composition-competition
• Until the Final Concert, which will take place as part of the „15 Quartets for the 15th Anniversary of NeoQuartet” project during the concert in Artists’ Colony in Gdansk on 16/12/2026, the submitted works may not be published or publicly performed

6. COMPETITION RESULTS, WINNERS CONCERT
• The list of Laureates will be announced by November 30, 2026.
• The Laureates Concert will be held on December 16, 2026 in the Artists’ Colony in Gdansk.
• The announcement of the results of the Competition will take place during the Laureates’ concert.
• The winners of the competition will be invited to the Final Concert.
• Musical materials (voices) of the awarded works, necessary to be performed during the Laureates’ concert, Composers are obliged to prepare at their own expense and send by 5 December 2026 to the e-mail address provided by the Organizer.
• The composer declares that the work sent by him is original and has all rights to it.

7. WORK RIGHTS
• The organizer does not acquire the proprietary copyrights to the works submitted to the Competition.
• The Organizer reserves the right to use all or parts of the works awarded and distinguished in the Competition for the purpose of promoting the Organiser’s activities for the development of musical creativity, including placing all or parts of the works on the Organiser’s website or via live streaming media.
• The Organizer processes the personal data of the Competition participants for the purposes of its implementation, in accordance with the information contained in the Application Form.

8. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA
Pursuant to Art. 13 sec. 1-2 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46 / EC (general regulation on data protection) (hereinafter referred to as „GDPR”), we would like to inform you that:
a) The administrator of the provided personal data is the NeoArte Association, Politechniczna 17/7, 80-288 Gdansk.
The data of the Competition participants will be processed only for the purpose and scope necessary to conduct the Competition, i.e. to identify the Competition Participant, determine the winners and possibly publicly disclose the name and surname of the Competition Laureates, also on the Organizer’s websites.
c) The Organizer will store personal data in a manner consistent with applicable regulations, including in particular protecting them against disclosure to unauthorized persons, removal by an unauthorized person, processing in violation of the Act, as well as change, loss, damage or destruction.
d) The recipients of the personal data provided by you are suppliers of goods and services necessary for the implementation of the above-mentioned purposes and entities authorized under the law, including state authorities.
e) The participant’s personal data will be kept until the participant withdraws his consent.
f) The participant has the right to access their personal data and to correct them and has the right to submit a written task to stop processing the data. All correspondence regarding the processing of personal data should be sent to the Organizer to the following address: „Personal Data Administrator, NeoArte Association, Politechniczna 17/7, 80-288 Gdansk.”.
g) Providing data is voluntary, but failure to do so will make it impossible to submit an application for participation in the Competition.
The legal basis for the processing of personal data is Art. 6 sec. 1 lit. a) GDPR.

9. FINAL PROVISIONS
• By entering the competition, you accept these Regulations.
• These Regulations are the only document defining the rules of the Competition.
• Compositions that do not meet the requirements of the Regulations will not be admitted to the Competition.
• The Organizer ensures that the information about the unawarded works and their authors will not be made public, and the submitted works will not be used in any way by the Organizer.
• For important reasons, the Competition may be canceled by the Organizer.
• The organizer reserves the right to make a binding interpretation of the provisions of the Regulations.
• In matters relating to the Competition, not provided for in these Regulations, the decisive vote belongs to the Organizer.
• The Organizer is not responsible for problems related to the inability to contact the Competition Laureates.
• These Regulations are available on the website of the Competition Organizer https://neoarte.pl/composition-competition/

The competition is co-financed by the City of Gdansk and the Pomeranian Voivodeship