Twisted Pearl is proud to introduce a new opportunity to musicians of any background by hosting its first annual online international competition for historically informed composition (ICHIC), which is connected to our finale concert, Terminus Montréal (23 and 24 October, 2026). For this competition, singular in the world, the most outstanding instrumental piece will be selected from a pool of anonymous submissions by a panel of three judges who are experts in relevant fields within early music and composition.
The winner will be entitled to a cash prize of $1000* (Canadian dollars), two performances of their submission in Twisted Pearl’s Terminus Montréal program, and a professional recording of one of the live performances, as well as a special interview and feature on Twisted Pearl’s social media and website. All submissions will be considered for future Twisted Pearl programs.
JUDGES – 2026
Laura Andriani ┃ violinist (Italy)
Nicola Canzano ┃ harpsichordist, composer (United States)
Elinor Frey ┃ cellist, composer (Canada)
This competition is open to people of any nationality or gender, ages 18-35. There is a $25 application fee to be collected with every application, submitted online through the competition page. Because we’re committed to giving opportunities to composers from diverse backgrounds, all submissions will remain strictly anonymous to the judges.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of our competition is to empower composers who write music in historically informed styles and to demonstrate the legitimacy of this discipline within the broader composition community. Rather than encouraging strict “style copies,” we want composers to explore and synthesize historical musical styles in a way that demonstrates fluency in them while creating a space for the composer to express their originality through their unique perspective on historical music.
APPLICATIONS: 15 JUNE — 15 AUGUST, 2026
(We will announce the winner at the end of September, 2026)
For more information or to apply, visit the ICHIC page.
