Finding a Voice – Final Call for Emerging Women Composer Opportunity

As Finding a Voice prepares to return to Clonmel, Co. Tipperary from Thursday 5th – Sunday 8th March 2026, the festival, in partnership with the Contemporary Music Centre (CMC), announces a final call for expressions of interest for its much-anticipated Emerging / Early Career Women Composers Artist Development Opportunity. The deadline for applications is Friday 9th January 2026 at 12 noon.

Marking Nollaig na mBan / Women’s Christmas this January, this professional development initiative continues Finding a Voice’s commitment to amplifying women’s creative voices and supporting the next generation of composers. The programme offers emerging and early-career women and gender-minority composers a valuable opportunity to develop new work through workshops, mentorship, and public performance within the context of a major national festival.

Selected composers will be invited to participate in an initial workshop at the Contemporary Music Centre in Dublin on Friday 23rd January 2026, working closely with acclaimed Irish clarinetist Paul Roe and an established composer mentor. Depending on the number of applications, a shortlisting process may take place for this initial workshop, with a maximum of 10 places available.

Following the workshop, participants will develop composition sketches for clarinet or bass clarinet, supported by an additional mentorship session. From these, up to six sketches will be selected for further refinement and presented in a Public Workshop & Performance Read-through with Paul Roe at Finding a Voice Festival on Saturday 7th March 2026 in Clonmel. Each selected composer will receive a €75 stipend and a Saturday Day Festival Pass.

This opportunity it open to:

Emerging / early career women or gender-minority composers
Those born on or currently resident on the island of Ireland
Those available to attend the initial CMC workshop in January and, if selected, the Public Workshop & Performance Read-through in Clonmel in March.
Previous applicants and past winners of the Emerging Composer Competition are also welcome to apply.

To register for this opportunity artists are asked to provide:

One piece that is reflective of your work which will be used for the adjudication process. Send your score as a PDF, with an MP3 or electronic mock-up if you have one
A short statement (max. 200 words) outlining your ideas for a composition for clarinet/bass clarinet for Finding a Voice 2026 and explaining how you would benefit artistically from the process. Please note that the proposed work should be for clarinet / bass clarinet only, and may not include an electronic part.
Your name, contact details and an up-to-date CV

Submissions should be sent to: director@findingavoice.ie

Deadline for submission is Friday 9th January 12 noon (GMT).

Interested composers are encouraged to apply promptly and to sign up to the festival mailing list at findingavoice.ie for full programme announcements.

Finding a Voice 2026 will once again present an ambitious programme celebrating the brilliance and diversity of women’s music-making, with performances by Chamber Choir Ireland, Voice Trio, Banbha Quartet, pianists Mary Dullea, Isabelle O’Connell and Máire Carroll, alongside jazz, improvised music, and community-focused collaborations.

Finding a Voice Festival 2026 and Contemporary Music Centre Announce Final Call for Emerging Women Composer Opportunity

Deadline Friday 9th January, 12pm

www.findingavoice.ie

Photo credit – press photo