New Jersey Symphony Edward T. Cone Composition Institute Application

New Jersey Symphony Edward T. Cone Composition Institute Application
Application form and letter of recommendation must be received by Sunday, February 22, 2026. The New Jersey Symphony reserves the right to use the finalists' submissions for publicity and/or display.

Note: In order to participate, applicants must have the appropriate US visa or residency status to be present at Princeton University during the Cone Composition Institute dates.
First Name*
Last Name*
Preferred Name (if different)
Preferred Pronouns
Street Address*
City*
State/Province/Region*
Zip/Postal Code*
Country*
Email Address*
Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy)*
Relevant Organizational Affiliation(s), if applicable (current or most recent college/university/conservatory attended, composition organizations, etc.)
Do you have at least 2 and no more than 10 years of experience generating your own original creative work outside of a degree-granting program?*
Are you a New York resident?*

YesNo
How did you learn about this Institute?*
Applicant must submit an original composition that is no more than thirteen (13) minutes in duration.

Composition Requirements:
- Composition must be an orchestral work (no concerto soloists, vocalists or narrators) and instrumentation may not exceed the following: 3‐3‐3‐3 woodwinds (including standard doublings), 4‐ 3‐3‐1 brass, timpani, 3 percussion, harp, keyboard (piano or synthesizer) and strings (maximum: 12/10/8/6/4).
- Composition must have no prior professional performance or publication history. Compositions that have had university or conservatory performances, or readings by professional ensembles are eligible for submission.
- The submitted composition must have a title.
- All measures must be numbered in the score at the beginning of each line.
Application Requirements (incomplete applications will not be evaluated):
- One-page resume
- Full score in PDF format (Handwritten scores will not be accepted. Scores must adhere to Major Orchestra Librarians’ Association [MOLA] Guidelines)
- Program notes or a brief description of the composition
- Audio representation of the work, such as a MIDI mock-up or, if possible, a live orchestra reading
- One letter of recommendation
One-page resume (PDF)*

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Full score (PDF)*

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Program notes or a brief description of the piece (PDF)*

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Link to audio representation of the work, such as a MIDI mock-up or live orchestra reading *
**Letters of recommendation must be submitted here.**
Please list the ensemble name and date for any previous performance(s) or reading(s) of this work. Compositions must have no prior professional performance or publication history. Compositions that have had university or conservatory performances, or readings by professional ensembles are eligible for submission.
Not including the work you're submitting in this application, please list any of your works that have been performed by a professional orchestra (of 30 players or more). Please include title of the work, the orchestra(s), and date(s) of the performance(s). If none, write "none*
Voluntary Demographic Questions
Gender (check all that apply):

FemaleMaleNonbinary/Gender Non-ConformingIntersexTransgenderPrefer not to respondOther
Race/ethnicity (check all that apply):

American Indian/Alaska NativeArab/Middle EasternAsianBlack/African DiasporaHispanic/Latino/a/eIndigenousJewishNative Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderSouth AsianWhite/CaucasianPrefer not to respondOther
I hereby certify that the musical composition submitted is my original work. Furthermore, any copyrighted materials, including texts, have been cleared for use. If selected, I am responsible for providing all performance materials to the New Jersey Symphony by Friday, May 15, 2026, and I understand that the New Jersey Symphony will not pay any rental or purchase fee for the required parts and scores. If selected, I agree that my name and photo may be used for publicity purposes. I agree to the requirements and guidelines of the New Jersey Symphony Edward T. Cone Composition Institute, and I understand that any physical materials submitted to the New Jersey Symphony will not be returned.
Signature*

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The New Jersey Symphony celebrates the cultural vibrancy of our communities and builds meaningful relationships that elevate and strengthen them. We are committed to diversity and equal opportunity in our recruitment of composers. Qualified candidates of all backgrounds are welcome and encouraged to apply for the New Jersey Symphony Edward T. Cone Composition Institute.

The Symphony presents the Institute in collaboration with Princeton University Department of Music.

Major underwriting support for the New Jersey Symphony Edward T. Cone Composition Institute is generously provided by the Edward T. Cone Foundation and Princeton University.
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New Jersey Symphony Edward T. Cone Composition Institute Application

Voluntary Demographic Questions