The Young Composers Project will take place between July 28-August 3, 2026, as part of One Harp World in Toronto, Canada. The program is open to harpists aged 25 and under who are national members of the American Harp Society or members of the World Harp Congress. Check out the 2023 Featured Young Composers, and their experiences as we plan the 2026 programming. Check back soon for more details!
The Young Composers Project offers an opportunity for young harpist/composers to work with professional mentors to experience, explore, and develop a deep connection to the harp through composition. All applicants will receive written feedback from professional harpists/composers and a certificate of participation. Applicants chosen to be Featured Composers will work in master classes and individually with guest composers, and perform their works in a concert setting.
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The selected Featured Composers will be categorized by their age as of August 1, 2026:
Junior - Age 12 and Under
Teen I - Age 13-15
Teen II - Age 16-18
Young Adult - Age 19-25
Applicants chosen as Featured Composers will receive:
Deeply discounted registration fee of $125 Canadian (approximately $92 USD) for the six-day 2026 One Harp World international event in Toronto, Canada (travel and housing are the Featured Composers' expenses; dormitory rooms are expected to be available.) A registration discount code will be provided to Featured Composers.
A performance of their original solo harp composition in a concert setting
Personalized feedback opportunities with leading professional composers, including master classes, individual coaching sessions, and Q&A opportunities
A feature article in the Winter 2027 issue of The American Harp Journal
Application Criteria
Submit an originally composed score of up to eight (8’) minutes in length. Arrangements or transcriptions are not allowed. Entries must not be plagiarized or violate copyright laws. Each applicant may submit only one composition for consideration.
The harp solo may be of any genre (pop, classical, folk, jazz, spiritual, etc.) and composed for any make of harp (pedal, lever, electric, cross-strung, etc).
Make a video or audio recording of you performing your composition (check this page for further instructions shortly).
Complete and submit the Young Composers Project Application form, along with your audio recording (Audio mp3 format or similar, up to 30MB) and PDF written copy (up to 10MB) of your original score (may be legibly hand-written or from a computer program such as Sibelius or Finale). Entries will not be judged on the quality of the audio recordings.
Applications deadline is 11:59 pm US CDT (-5 GMT), September 30, 2025.
Young Composers Project Application fee: $35 USD
Selection Process for Featured Composers
All project application submissions will be reviewed by the Young Composers Project Committee, made up of AHS professional harpists/composers.
All applicants will receive written feedback about their original composition.
Featured Composers will be notified by October 15, 2025.
Applicants selected as Featured Composers must confirm their participation in the program in writing, by November 15, 2025. If a Featured Composer is unable to participate in the classes scheduled in Toronto, another applicant will be selected to fill their space.
All decisions of the review committee are final.
