Earplay sponsors the annual Earplay Donald Aird Composers Competition,
open to composers of any nationality and any age.
Earplay performs the prizewinning piece
and presents a cash prize of $1,000 to the winning composer.
The competition honors the late composer/conductor/Earplay board member Donald Aird,
an ardent supporter of the creation and performance of new music.
Application information for this year's competition is here.
Competition winners:
Finalists and honorable mentions (partial list, alphabetical by composer):
| Year | Composer | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Patricia Alessandrini | Hommage à Purcell |
| 2017 | Patricia Alessandrini | Hommage à Purcell |
| 2007 | Patricia Alessandrini | Trio (d'après Schoenberg) |
| 2010 | Allen Anderson | Held in the Weave |
| 2021 | Chris Arrell | Breathless |
| 2007 | Christopher Bailey | Balladei |
| 2016 | Kevin Baldwin | the armless clock understands time |
| 2007 | Allesandra Bellino | Vortici |
| 2006 | Stefano Bonilauri | Musica Osservata |
| 2009 | Janet Jieru Chen | Life Without Stars |
| 2005 | Nicholas Csicsko | Unhomed |
| 2005 | Justin Dello Joio | Music for Piano Trio |
| 2007 | Christopher Dietz | Trio: Fantasy in 5 Parts |
| 2013 | Anthony Donofio | IV |
| 2016 | Gabriel Dufour-Laperrière | Clinamen II |
| 2019 | Ty Alan Emerson | Caliban |
| 2015 | Hakki Cengiz Eren | Fernweh |
| 2006 | Burkhard Friedrich | views into the mirrorcity |
| 2019 | Pedro Garcia-Velasquez | Clarinet and Cello Duet |
| 2005 | Ralf Gawlick | Mysterium doloris quintai (Tropen-Kreuz) |
| 2009 | Anthony Green | Scintilation II |
| 2009 | Alastair Greig | Dream Echo |
| 2009 | Jorge Grossman | De Profundis |
| 2013 | Aaron Helgeson | A place toward other places |
| 2016 | Jack Hughes | Ripple |
| 2007 | José-Luis Hurtado | Agitato Intenso |
| 2006 | José-Luis Hurtado | De relieve doble |
| 2007 | Vera Ivanova | Aftertouch |
| 2014 | Claire Jordan | Feel |
| 2013 | Maria Cristina Kasem | Niebla y Luz |
| 2021 | Hyeokjae Kim | Same New Shit |
| 2016 | Haris Kittos | Dancechase |
| 2017 | Haris Kittos | Dancechase |
| 2017 | Haris Kittos | Dyades |
| 2009 | Michael Klingbeil | Subterrain |
| 2014 | Panayiotis Kokoras | Cycling |
| 2009 | Massimo Lauricella | In un gorgo d'azzurro |
| 2009 | Paul Yeon Lee | Three Images |
| 2005 | Davide Liuni | Ghëddo |
| 2019 | Paul Lombardi | Holocene |
| 2015 | Andrew V. Ly | Equine Portraits |
| 2013 | Angel Carla Magnan | Margini uno |
| 2008 | Clara Maïda | Holes and Bones |
| 2018 | Andrea Mattevi | Rifrazioni oltre il limite metafisico |
| 2019 | Giordano Bruno do Nascimento | Passaggio |
| 2009 | Vassos Nicolaou | Reflections |
| 2016 | Hisataka Nishimori | Ruika |
| 2015 | João Pedro Oliveira | Timshel |
| 2010 | Nicholas Omiccioli | Invisible Worlds |
| 2009 | Riccardo Panfili | Faces |
| 2015 | Adrian Partout | The Elements for Violin |
| 2019 | Lucca Ricci | Breccia nel suono |
| 2013 | Allie Robertson | The Lewisman in Exile |
| 2017 | Demian Rudel Rey | Tajimamori |
| 2013 | Andrew Sigler | Imaginary Choreography |
| 2016 | Aliser Sijaric | Dah (Breath) |
| 2014 | Tomasz Skweres | Wasser |
| 2010 | Suzanne Sorkin | String Trio |
| 2006 | Tazul Izan Tajuddin | Mediasi Ukiran V — Tenunan XII |
| 2009 | Hainu Tan | Dancing Wind |
| 2018 | Januibe Tejera | Jardin Vertical |
| 2015 | Ken Walicki | Refuge |
| 2008 | Tolga Yayalar | Consecution Temporum |