Rules
1. This contest is held within the framework of cultural exchanges between Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and France, and aims to promote acousmatic music, also to encourage young composers of this music in Canada, Japan, France, Spain, and Taiwan.
During the 2025-2026 season, the musical compositions of the Final prizewinners will be included in the programs of several concerts in Canada, Japan, France, Spain, and Taiwan, among others.
2. The Concours de Composition en Musique Acousmatique petites formes 2026 is organised by Tout Pour la Musique Contemporaine (France), Nagoya City University (Japan), Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal - Festival Akousma (Canada), FESTIVAL CONTEMPORANEUS de REUS (Espagne), and the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (Taiwan).
3. The Concours de Composition en Musique Acousmatique petites formes 2026 is open to composers of French, Taiwanese, Canadian, and Japanese nationality, born after 31 December 1985.
Composers from countries other than Taiwan, Japan, Canada, and France can apply, under the same conditions of age, if:
- they have a legal residence permit (one year minimum) at the date of their registration,
- if they are following a superior course in music in one of the 5 countries.
4. The works must be of the genre: electronic music or electroacoustic acousmatic music.
5. A new category of musical work is open since the 5th edition in 2022 as “very short pieces“ (très petites formes), whose duration is less than 3 minutes.
Each composer can submit two works in each category:
- Category A - Work between 5 - 12 minutes (petites formes)
- Category B - Work of less than 3 minutes (très petites formes)
6. In case of selection of 2 works from the same artist, the jury will have to choose only one for the final selection.
7. We ask for a 20 € fee for each registration of category A and a 10 € fee for each registration of category B. The fee has to be paid for each composition to validate the registration.
These fees will be used to encourage and help composers to organize and co-organize concerts to make their music better known and more widely distributed in each of the 5 countries.
8. The technical presentation standard for the acousmatic pieces is exclusively the format: .wav or .aif – 48 KHz 24 bits – stereo
9. Each candidate must complete a Registration Form with the following documents:
1. photocopy of proof of identity (labelled with the composer’s NAME, first name - in .pdf, .jpeg) or legal residence permit for composers coming from other countries up to date school certificate for students coming from other countries (labelled with the composer’s NAME, first name)
2. a biography in English (labelled with the composer’s NAME, first name - max 1000 signs, in .doc, or .pdf)
3. a program note in English (labelled ONLY with the title of work - max 1000 signs, format .doc or .pdf)
4. the sound file (labelled ONLY with the title of work in .wav or .aif – 48 KHz 24 bits - stereo)
5. proof of payment - reference number (Paypal)
IMPORTANT: If you wish to take part in both categories or 2 works in same category, please send 2 individual files with composer’s name 1 or 2. Registration will be null and void if any of these documents is missing. Postal deliveries will not be considered by the organizers of the competition.
10. The Registration Form must be sent by 31 December 2025 at the latest. For any questions, please contact the following gmail address: petitesformes2026@gmail.com
11. The work submitted must have been composed in the three years preceding the deadline for submission of entries. Works having been played at concerts are permitted, but they must not have been published on CD, nor have been awarded a prize or any audience award at the deadline for entries.
12. Composers already having been finalists in the last petites formes competition (2024) are not permitted to enter.
13. Pre-selection: The organisers from each country will constitute a panel of a minimum of 4 judges including 3 members from among the local specialists plus a prizewinner of the petites formes competition of a previous session (to be chosen by the organiser); in the absence of a former winner, a specialist from outside will replace him or her. Each panel will nominate its panel chairperson who will have the casting vote. Every jury from the 5 countries will select 3 pieces in each of the 2 categories for the Final.
14. Selection for the Final: The 15 works of Category A and the 15 works of Category B resulting from the pre-selection will become the programme of a public concert in Paris during the spring of 2026.
The judges of the Final will choose the winners in each category of the Concours de Composition Acousmatique petites formes 2026, one piece from each country must be included in the Final Selection.
15. An Audience Prize will be awarded by a vote of the audience to one of the 15 finalists in each category of the Concours de Composition Acousmatique petites formes 2026.
The vote will take place during the deliberations of the panel; a representative from the audience and a representative of the panel will count the votes.
Prizewinners will not be allowed to vote for the audience prize.
16. The panel for the Final will be made up of 6 judges of international renown. The panel will nominate a Chairperson who will have the casting vote in the resolutions. The final selection of the 6 prizewinners in each category will be announced publicly at the end of the concert by Christian Zanési – the Chairman of the Concours de Composition Acousmatique petites formes 2026; the same will apply to the announcement of the Audience Prizes.
The decisions of the panel will not be justified or commented upon and there will be no right of appeal.
The results will be communicated within the following week to those competitors who were not able to attend the concert.
17. The prizewinners undertake to enter: Prizewinner of the Concours de Composition Acousmatique petites formes 2026 in programmes or publications that include their work played at concerts.
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Concours de Composition Acousmatique petites formes 2026 is presented by:
Christian Eloy, Honorable President of Concours de Composition Acousmatique petites formes
Christian Zanési, President of Concours de Composition Acousmatique petites formes
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Louis Dufort, Chair for Section in Canada (Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal - Akousma, Montreal)
Lin-Ni Liao, Chair for Section in France (Tout Pour la Musique Contemporaine - IReMus, Paris)
André Serre-Milan, Co-chair for Section in France (Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Reims)
Mikako Mizuno, Chair for Section in Japan (Nagoya College of Music, Nagoya)
Yoshihisa Suzuki, Co-chair for Section in Japan (Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, Nagoya)
Masatsune Yoshio (Showa University of Music) - Ayako Sato (Shizuoka University of Art and Culture) - Asako
Miyaki (Shobi University) - Keita Matsumiya (Nagoya City University)
Joan Bagés i Rubí, Chair for Spain Section (FESTIVAL CONTEMPORANEUS, REUS)
Yu-Chung Tseng, Chair for Section in Taiwan (National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu)
Chia-Hui Chen, Co-chair for Section in Taiwan (Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei)
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Information. https://www.tpmc-paris.com/competitions-2026/
Email Contact. petitesformes2026@gmail.com
