Holiday Carol Commission Competition
The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s Holiday Carol Commission Competition is an important part of our commitment to the future of choral music. The winner’s selected composition will be performed by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir at its annual Festival of Carols performances in Indianapolis, and the winner will also be awarded a cash prize of $2,500 for the world premiere in December 2025. There is no fee to enter.
Winners of the Commission Competition have been published by these and other publishers: EC Schirmer, Shawnee Press, Beckenhorst Press.
Listen to Heart of God by 2020 competition winner Francisco Carbonell.
2025 Holiday Carol Commission Competition
Eligibility
Composers 35 years of age or younger (as of December 1, 2025) who are United States citizens or legal residents will be eligible to submit one composition via email (PDF) to the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir through May 31, 2025. No consideration will be given to entries received after the deadline.
Submitted works must adhere to the following requirements:
- The submission must be original, unpublished, and not yet publicly performed
- Between 3 and 5 minutes long
- Written for SATB, mixed adult choir
- May be a cappella or utilize keyboard accompaniment
- Text and language are at the discretion of the composer, with the following requirements: the text should be suitable for a Christmas or Holiday (secular texts are permitted) performance, and the text should be from a non-liturgical tradition (for example, contemporary poetry or verse (secular or sacred), hymn texts and the like are permitted, while texts such as “Ave Maria,” “Gloria” or “Hodie Christus Natus Est” are discouraged.
How to Apply
The 2025 Holiday Carol Commission Competition Submission Form and composition must be in PDF format and emailed to commission@indychoir.org. Submitted materials will not be returned.
Questions may be e-mailed to commission@indychoir.org.
Our 2024 Winner
“The Incarnation” - Tyler Johnson
We are absolutely thrilled to announce our 15th Annual Holiday Carol Commission Competition winner, Indiana’s own Tyler Johnson, who will see his new piece “The Incarnation” premiered and performed live at our Festival of Carols performances December 20th through the 23rd, 2024!
The ISC’s Commission Competition is an important part of our commitment to the future of choral music, and many of our previous winners have now been published by EC Schirmer, Shawnee Press, Beckenhorst Press, and more!
This year’s winner, Tyler Johnson, grew up in a musical family in the town of Richmond, Indiana, and he began his music journey at a young age with guitar lessons and later developed a love for classical music during high school. He soon began taking piano lessons and then went on to study music theory and composition at Indiana University East.
After school, he spent time volunteering and moved to several different cities across the United States before finally landing in Nashville, Tennessee. In Nashville, he became an apprentice to a piano technician where he learned to tune and repair pianos.
He now resides in Richmond, Indiana with his wife and two-year-old son, where he has started his own piano service business and composes in his spare time.
Previous Commission Winners
“THE INCARNATION” 2024
Tyler Johnson
“GOOD NEWS!” 2023
Daniel Watson
“O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM” 2022
Andrew Huish
“GATHER ROUND THE HOLY MANGER” 2021
Joyce Vickery
“HEART OF GOD” 2020
Francisco Carbonell
“THE CHRIST CHILD” 2019
Jonathan Reid
“RISE ANON” 2018
Sean Kisch
“SUSANNI (A Little Child There is Ybore)” 2017
Saunder Choi
“CHRISTMAS HOSANNA” 2016
Rob Swenson
“ALL MY HEART THIS NIGHT REJOICES” 2013
Brian Buda
“STILL, STILL, STILL” 2012
Joey Hoelscher
“A CHILD OF THE SNOWS” 2011
Christina Whitten Thomas
“QUEM PASTORES LAUDAVERE” 2010
Daniel J. Knaggs
“LULLABY CAROL” 2009
Molly Ijames
“GLORIA” 2008
Michael K. Runyan and Pamela G. Runyan
