Call for Scores 2026
As part of Music Around the Corner's ongoing mission to highlight Toronto's exceptional musicians and showcase Canadian music, we are pleased to announce a Call for Scores for emerging Canadian composers! This initiative is part of our broader effort to spotlight Canada's outstanding musical artists, while providing a meaningful platform for fresh and diverse voices from across the country.
We are seeking original chamber compositions for any subset of a string quartet (ie. duos, trios, and quartets for two violins, one viola, and one cello). Please do not submit any solo pieces. Works must be under 10 minutes in length and have been written within the last three years. Up to two selected compositions will be performed and professionally recorded as part of our August 2026 concert series. There will be an opportunity to participate in a rehearsal of your piece, and composers will be invited to present their works at the concerts.
We will accept compositions from Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Thanks to generous support from the Ontario Arts Council, we will be able to offer a small monetary prize of 300 CAD.
You may submit more than one piece, or individual movements of a larger work. Please note in your application if the piece involves electronics.
Works that are not selected for August 2026 will be kept in consideration for future programming.
Applications are now OPEN until June 1, 2026.
Schedule
Deadline
Application due on June 1st, 2026, 11:59pm ET, through submission on Google Forms
Announcement
Applicants will be notified of results by June 15th, 2026
Public announcement will be on June 20th, 2026
Record & Perform
Recordings and performances will be from August 4-13th, 2026 (exact schedule TBD)
Announcements
Call for Scores – 2025 Recordings
Recorded at Revolution Recordings, mixed by Drew Schlegel
Emma Meinrenken, violin
Diane Kim, violin
Lynn Sue-A-Quan, viola
Matthew Christakos, cello
Call for Scores – 2025 Selected Composers Announcement
Music Around the Corner is thrilled to announce the results of our 2025 Call for Scores for emerging Canadian composers!
This initiative is part of our continued commitment to celebrating Canadian artistry and amplifying fresh, diverse voices in contemporary classical music. We received a range of outstanding submissions from across the country, and after careful review, we are pleased to share the selected works that will be featured in our August 2025 concert series:
Selected Works:
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Gravity and Ghosts by Pari Bahrami
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Vignettes for String Quartet by Kalen Smith
These pieces will be performed live and professionally recorded at Revolution Recording Studio as part of our August 2025 concert series. Audiences will have the opportunity to hear these exciting new works in intimate performances at two unique Toronto venues:
Concert Dates & Venues:
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Saturday, August 9 at 5:00 PM
Glad Day Bookshop — 32 Lisgar St, Toronto, ON
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Sunday, August 10 at 7:30 PM
Youthful Vengeance — 1110 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON
The composers will also have the opportunity to work directly with the musicians during rehearsals and present their pieces in person/virtually at the performances.
About the Composers:
Pari Bahrami is a Canadian composer originally from Iran. Her music reflects a rich cultural background and a deep emotional connection to sound, shaped by early training in piano and advanced studies in composition at the University of Toronto. Pari’s music has been performed by ensembles around the world, and her works stand out for their emotional depth and artistic clarity, bridging diverse musical traditions and contemporary forms.
Kalen Smith is an award-winning Canadian composer and harpist currently pursuing his Master’s in Composition at McGill University. His eclectic musical language draws from his experience as a harpist, tonal and contemporary techniques, and influences from electronic music. Kalen’s work has been recognized nationally and internationally, with recent awards including the SOCAN Foundation's Choir and Electroacoustic categories, a commission from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and first place in the 2024 USA International 8th Ruth Inglefield Composition Contest for Harp.
We congratulate both composers and thank all applicants for sharing their work with us. Stay tuned for more details—and mark your calendars!
Update (April 6, 2026): Two other 2025 Call for Scores submissions have been selected for performances on our series.
Aliayta Foon-Dancoes: 12th and Fraser (February 21, 2026)
Francis Malka: Quatuor 1 (December Series, 2025)