Photo by Stephen Poff

JACK Quartet electrifies audiences worldwide with “explosive virtuosity” (Boston Globe) and “viscerally exciting performances” (The New York Times). Focused on the commissioning and performance of new works, JACK has worked closely with composers Helmut Lachenmann, György Kurtág, Matthias Pintscher, Georg Friedrich Haas, James Dillon, Toshio Hosokawa, Wolfgang Rihm, Elliott Sharp, Beat Furrer, Caleb Burhans, and Aaron Cassidy.

Would you like to add your name to the impressive list of composers above? You’re in luck. JACK Quartet, the American Composers Forum, and MakeMusic announce the 2012 Finale National Composition Contest.

The competition’s goal is to encourage creativity by student composers who are currently enrolled in graduate and undergraduate institutions in the United States. Three students from the total applicant pool will be chosen as finalists. They will receive a cash prize and be asked to write a string quartet for JACK Quartet, which will be workshopped and performed by the ensemble in New York. One of the pieces will be chosen to receive the final prize, which includes an additional cash award and future public performances by JACK Quartet.

Interested? Check out the application details on the American Composers’ Forum contest site. You can also view the latest information on the 2011 Finale National Composition Contest on the Finale Blog.

Are you working on a contest submission or something else? Let us know what you’re up to by clicking on “Comments” below.