Europasinfonie has launched an international composition competition — at the heart of a project that will, in June 2027, connect twelve European orchestras and choirs into a single ensemble performing live and in real time.

The call invites composers to engage artistically with the unique conditions of a distributed real-time performance, in which a large string orchestra performs live in the concert hall whilst all other sections are present virtually. An international jury will award three composition commissions — two for orchestral works and one for an orchestral work with choir — each with a fee of €14,000. Composers from the 27 EU member states and other eligible countries may enter, and Europasinfonie particularly encourages composers under the age of 35: at least one commission will go to a representative of this age group.

Markus Rindt, Artistic Director of the Dresdner Sinfoniker:
“I look forward to receiving submissions from across Europe and am very keen to see what ideas the composers develop to deal creatively with the network-related delays. Whilst we will be able to significantly reduce the latency, the laws of physics — particularly the speed of light — do impose certain limits on us. Through Europasinfonie, musicians and composers will be able to explore entirely new paths of pan-European collaboration in the future.”

The jury will meet in Dresden in late September 2026, with the winning composers announced shortly after.