Composition Contests

NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest

Sponsored by J.W. Pepper

The William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest has awarded prizes since 1977. It is named after Dr. William Revelli, who served as Director of Bands at the University of Michigan for 36 years, and served as NBA President from 1976-78. It is the desire of the National Band Association that the winning compositions from this contest reflect its mission in helping further the cause of quality literature for bands in America. Additionally, works chosen as winners should be those not only of significant structural, analytical, and technical quality, but also of such nature that will allow bands to program them as part of their standard repertoire. As a result, a glance through our list of past winners will reveal some very familiar names.

Each year the contest receives approximately 50-80 entries from all over the world. Entries range in scope and quality and are from new to well established veteran composers.  During the evaluation process, entries are narrowed down to a select number of finalists, which are brought to Chicago each December during the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. There, a panel of leading public school, university, and military band directors meets to determine a winner.

2024 Revelli Composition Contest Flyer and Guidelines

2023 Contest Winner: Viet Cuong

Each year, the NBA William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest Committee gathers at the Midwest Conference to select the piece they believe best reflects the mission to help further the cause of quality literature for bands in America.  The 2023 winner is Viet Cuong with his winning work titled Deciduous.

Contest Selection Committee

• Chair: Matthew McCutchen, University of South Florida
• Terry Austin, Virginia Commonwealth University (retired)
• Marcellus Brown, Boise State University (ID) (retired)
• Catharine Sinon Bushman, St. Cloud State University (MN)
• Arris Golden, Michigan State University
• Jennifer Hamilton, Red Mountain High School (AZ)
• Chadwick Kamei, Pearl City High School (HI)
• Tremon Kizer, University of Central Florida
• Diane Koutsulis, Retired (NV)
• Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, Penn State University
• Jason Nam, Indiana University
• Sue Samuels, Furman University (SC)
• Colonel Don Schofield, United States Air Force Band
• Shanti Simon, University of Oklahoma
• John Thomson, Roosevelt University (IL)

Previous Winners of the NBA/William D. Revelli Composition Contest

NBA/Merrill Jones Memorial Young Band Composition Contest

The NBA/Merrill Jones Memorial Young Band Composition Contest was established in 1991 as a memorial to Merrill Jones, co-owner of Wingert-Jones Music Company, by his widow, Priscilla Jones. Mr. Jones  was concerned always with helping the young composer. NBA past president Robert (Bob) Foster suggested a young composer contest, which would promote works for young bands. The result was a contest for composers under 40 years of age to be held every other year, now in the even numbered years, and which would produce works for concert band in the Grade 3-4 category.

Works must not exceed eight (8) minutes in length, must be the original work of the composer, and not be under contract to any publisher. Deadline for submission is November 1st. The contest is held every two years unless no winner is chosen. Wingert-Jones reserves the right of first refusal for publication. The current prize to the winner is $2000. The winner is announced at the NBA General Membership Meeting at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago following a meeting of the contest committee. The contest committed is chaired by NBA member Matt Smith.

2024 Merrill Jones Composition Contest Application

2022 Contest Winner: Isabella Morrill

Every two years, the NBA Merrill Jones  Memorial Young Band Composition Contest Committee gathers at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago to select a work which best reflects the ideals of this committee.  The 2022 winner is Isabella Morrill with her winning work titled Voyage of the Northern Lights.

Isabella Morrill, born & raised on the stormy coast of Oregon, is a composer and arranger specializing in wind ensemble and concert band music, film, and orchestral scores. Her music is most often dramatic & solemn, and her goal is to bring rich tangibility those who listen to her compositions. She is a dual citizen of the USA and Finland, and one of her great joys is to tie her Scandinavian heritage closely into her music.

​In the fall of 2019, Isabella was titled co-champion of the Oregon Music Education Association’s Composition Contest with her orchestral piece Hymn to the Rain. This piece went on to be performed by the Columbia River Symphony in Astoria, Oregon & led to her gaining a commission through the Newport Youth Composer Symposium. This symposium led her to work with Dr. Dana Reason and Michael Dalton in her composition training. She is a recipient of the Oregon Music Hall of Fame scholarship as well as the Finlandia Foundation Scholarship as a composer.​

Isabella attends Western Oregon University on scholarship as a composition major in her junior year, studying under Dr. Kevin Walczyk. She works there as the Resident Composer, writing and arranging for the Western Oregon Wind Ensemble. During both her freshman and sophomore years, she was named outstanding under-graduate composer in Walczyk’s studio. She also was commissioned by the Portland Youth Philharmonic through the Youth Orchestra Commissioning Initiative in 2021. Her commissioned piece, Bartokian Brass, was performed in June of the same year by the brass ensemble of the PYP. Through this, she has gained statewide recognition as an up-and-coming composer in the concert band world.

In 2021, Isabella was chosen to be a part of a Dave Metzger Masterclass and present a film score she had written. Metzger, a well-renowned composer & orchestrator who works closely with Disney studios, has had close ties with Walczyk, leading Isabella to this opportunity. ​

Her sophomore year led to a commissioned band work from Washington High School in Tacoma, as well as a commissioned work from Chief Umtuch Middle School in Battleground. Since then, Isabella has been focusing on writing for band and wind ensemble.

For more information on this composer and her music, visit her website.

Contest Selection Committee

• Chair: Matt Smith, University of Kansas
• Lt. Cmdr. Kelly Cartwright, United States Navy Band
• Chris Chapman, Central Michigan University
• Armand Hall, Eastman School of Music / Gateways Music Festivals
• Brooke Johnson, University of Delaware
• Nan Moore, Retired (KY)
• Kelli Pence, Broken Arrow High School (OK)
• Scott Pierson, 133rd Army Band (WA)
• Brian Walden, Virginia Wind Symphony
• Gregory Whitmore, California State University – Fullerton

Previous Winners of the NBA/Merrill Jones Composition Contest

NBA/Alfred Publishing Young Band Composition Contest

Sponsored by Alfred Publishing

The NBA/Alfred Publishing Young Band Composition Contest is sponsored by Alfred Publishing.  Special thanks to composer and music educator Robert Sheldon for his support and guidance in establishing this special partnership with the National Band Association.  This young band contest seeks to find composers writing for grades 1-3.  There is a cash prize for the winner, plus the possibility of the winning work being published in Alfred’s Young Band catalog.  For information, email the contest chair, Audrey Murphy.

2024 NBA/Alfred Publishing Young Band Composition Contest Application Information

2022 Contest Winner: Steven J. Pyter

NBA Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest

Sponsored by University of Florida Bands

The next contest will take place in 2025.  Application information will be posted at the beginning of 2025.

Application deadline – July 15, 2025

Have a question?  Nee more Information?
Email Contest Chair, Richard Stichler

2022 Contest Winner: Clint Bleil

Clint Bleil’s original composition, It Matters, won the 2022 NBA Young Composers Jazz Composition Contest. The work was performed at the 2022 Midwest Clinic by the United States Air Force Airmen of Note on Tuesday, December 20th at McCormick Place.

Clint Bleil is a composer and saxophonist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Clint has degrees in Music Education and Saxophone Performance from Slippery Rock University, where he studied under Jason Kush.  Clint recently received his master’s degree in Studio Jazz Writing from the University of Miami, where he studied composition under Gary Lindsay, John Daversa, and Carlos Rafael Rivera.

Clint has received numerous awards in composition and arranging.  He has received a Jazz Education Network Young Composer Showcase Award (2022), an ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award (2021), and an International Jazz Composers SONIC Award (2019).  His music has been performed throughout the country at the Midwest Clinic, the JEN Convention, the ISJAC Conference, and more.  Clint has composed, arranged, and transcribed for multiple different groups and ensembles, including the Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti, Bob Reynolds, Project TRIO, and the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra.

Clint is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Washington & Jefferson College, where he teaches multiple lessons and classes as well as leads the Jazz and Wind Ensemble.  He also offers private woodwind lessons throughout the Pittsburgh area.  Clint also is a member of the Pittsburgh pop/rock group, “No Bad Juju.”  He regularly performs in the Pittsburgh area with his quartet that focuses on modern jazz arrangements and compositions, as well as a funk/fusion group that he co-leads with his brother.

Learn more about this composer and his music here.

Previous Winners
2021: No winner
2020: No contest
2019: Jorge Machain – Por Ahora
2018: Matt Horanzy – Init 1
2017: No prize awarded
2016:  Cassio Vianna – April Song
2015: Jessika Smith – Cyan Thread
2014: Sean Nelson – Every Possible History of the Universe
2013: David von Kampen – Hodie Christus Natus Est
2012: Brendon McMullin – Sal y Pimienta
2011: Susumu Watanabe – Duodecim