Created in 2014 by Sharon Azrieli CQ, DMus for the Azrieli Foundation, the Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) offer opportunities for the discovery, creation, performance and celebration of excellence in music composition.
Applications open on February 7, 2025.

The Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music of $50,000 CAD is awarded biennially through a competitive process to a composer who has written the best undiscovered work of Jewish music*.

*Please see below the Foundation’s statement on what constitutes Jewish music to ensure that the nominated work complies with its definitions.

Focus: Works for Choir, Symphony Orchestra and optional soloist(s) 

Open to the international music community, works can be nominated by individuals and institutions from all nationalities, faiths, backgrounds and communities and submitted through this open call for scores. Nominated works may have been premiered within seventy-five (75) years of the award date, but must not have a significant performance history, and must not have been commercially recorded.

The musical work will be:

  • premiered at the AMP Gala Concert during the 2026/2027 season;
  • given two subsequent international premieres; and
  • professionally recorded for a future commercial release.

The winning composer is expected to attend the rehearsals, performances and recordings of their prize-winning work, and will be publicly honoured at the AMP Gala Concert in Montreal.

Altogether, the total prize package for the Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music is valued at over $200,000 CAD.

Guidelines

Eligibility

  • Nominations will be accepted for individual works by living composers and from composer estates that hold copyright of the nominated work. Multiple nominations of works by the same composer will not be accepted.
  • Works written and/or premiered after January 1, 1951 are eligible for nomination.
  • Nominated works may have already received a premiere performance but must not have been commercially recorded (such works are ineligible).
  • Nominations may be submitted by individuals and institutions of all nationalities, faiths, backgrounds and communities.
  • Composers of nominated works may be of any nationality, faith, age, gender, background and level of experience.
  • Any nominator (individual or institution) may submit a maximum of two (2) nomination packages, each of which must be for a different composer and their work.
  • Eligible works must be shown to be relevant to the field of Jewish music (a written explanatory note must be provided). Please see below the Foundation’s definition of ‘What is Jewish Music’ to ensure that the nominated work complies. Works that do not comply with this definition will be disqualified.

The Nomination Package

Please note: all documents and supporting media must be submitted electronically via the AMP online application portal between February 7 and May 2, 2025. Applications received after May 2 at 11:59 PM EST (GMT +5) will be disqualified.

All Nomination Packages must include:

  • a completed nomination form;
  • a completed work description form;
  • a biographical note on the composer of the nominated work (not to exceed 500 words), including pertinent information as to the composer’s engagement with Jewish music;
  • a full score for the nominated work in PDF format;*
  • a live audio recording of the nominated work (if possible) in MP3 format or a MIDI simulation where a live recording is not available;
  • proof of permission for any cultural content not original to the composer (e.g. text, music, audio recordings, etc.), where a nominated work contains such content;
  • a written explanatory note (not to exceed 1,000 words) describing those aspects of the nominated work that are relevant to Jewish music.

*It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure clarity and legibility of the score.

Guidelines for Nominated Works

All nominated works must demonstrate their relevance to the Prize theme – a celebration of excellence in new Jewish music – and meet the following guidelines to be given consideration by the Jury. Any nominated work that does not meet these guidelines will be disqualified.

  • Nominated works must be scored for choir and symphony orchestra (see Appendix 1 for exact instrumentation).
  • In addition, works can optionally include:
    • up to a total of four (4) additional soloists (vocal and/or instrumental); and
    • pre-recorded digital media (see Appendix 1).
  • All genres will be considered, including, but not limited to, concert work, choral symphony, oratorio, cantata, requiem, opera scene and opera-in-concert.
  • Nominated works must be a minimum of twelve (12) minutes and a maximum of eighteen (18) minutes in duration when performed.
  • Nominations for a section of a larger work (e.g. an act, scene, or excerpt) are permitted, provided the proposed section is musically and thematically coherent as a standalone piece. In other words, the Prize Package only includes the performance & recording of the 12–18-minute excerpt proposed.
  • Nominations should be for works that are in the concert format (i.e. unstaged).
  • Extra-musical elements that are common in the concert format, including video projections or simple lighting, may be proposed and will be discussed for feasibility with the composer, if the proposal is successful.
  • Extra-musical elements including, but not limited to, stage direction, choreography, costume, makeup, adornments, set, props, dancers, actors and additional artistic personnel such as directors, dramaturgs and designers will not be considered. Nominations including such elements will be disqualified.
  • If using a text (or libretto), applicants should use a portion of their application to describe the text on which the work is based. If the text is not in the public domain in Canada, applicants must provide proof that they have the rights to use the text (if applicable).

Composer Agreement

The composer (or composer’s estate) that wins the Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music agrees to:

  • ensure that all copyrighted materials used in the nominated work have been disclosed to the Specialist, Azrieli Music Prizes, and that all rights have been granted in writing (if applicable);
  • work with a copyist or editor in preparing the final performance set (score and parts) for delivery, if their work is unpublised (as applicable);
  • have their nominated work premiered (or performed) as part of the AMP Gala Concert; premiered (or performed) as part of two additional international concerts; audiovisually captured, livestreamed and distributed via one or more digital platforms; and professionally audio recorded, mixed and mastered for future commercial release;
  • be available in person (either physically or virtually, as conditions dictate) for the rehearsals and performances of their Prize-winning work (at AMP’s expense);
  • provide any information required by AMP representatives relating to their score, its performance and its recording or other information which might be useful from a marketing, public relations and/or social media perspective in a timely manner; and
  • participate in outreach events (workshops, press conferences, media interviews and other such promotion and education activities) as they relate to the Azrieli Music Prizes and its objective to educate the general public about the enduring appeal and artistic importance of the works that result from engaging with the topic of Jewish music.

Some Considerations for Successful Submission

In addition to the guidelines and requirements stated above, the AMP Juries have provided the following considerations to help shape a more successful submission:

  • Don’t worry about how ‘Jewish’ you are (or are not) before you consider making a submission to this prize. People from all nationalities, faiths, backgrounds and communities are equally welcome to apply their artistry, creativity and musicality in response to the Prize theme. In fact, one of the Foundation’s hopes for AMP is to generate productive intercultural understandings through a rich consideration of what Jewish music is and can be.
  • Carefully consider the written reflection below in addressing your response to what constitutes Jewish music. A successful submission will suggest an interesting, appropriate yet compelling response in the shape of a musical work. We are calling on composers to display their creativity, curiosity and thoughtfulness in seeking out this potential response. We are also calling for a deeper, more purposeful and conscious consideration of Jewish values and experiences that extend beyond simple representations of Jewish people or subjects, or simple incorporations of Jewish secular, sacred and/or traditional musical materials. We are seeking submissions that are authentic, original, honest and convincing.
  • A submission package must be conceptually and musically balanced. Strong musical examples accompanied by an insubstantial and/or ill-researched written statement will not advance within the competition. The inverse is also true: a strong statement will not compensate for weak musical examples. The two must go hand-in-hand.
  • Please note that the quality of submitted scores and recordings greatly affects the Jury’s ability to evaluate your application. Please be sure that submitted scores are easily legible and that recordings are as clear and undistorted as possible. If the quality of the score or sound is so poor that it’s difficult to ascertain the artistic product, this will negatively impact the adjudication.
  • The winning works will be rehearsed and performed as in the orchestral tradition (i.e. several days of music rehearsals followed by a performance). While nominations for opera-in-concert, oratorio and other narrative-driven works are welcomed, applicants should keep in mind that workshopping, designers, dramaturgs and directors will not be available.
  • A successful submission will offer a technically, artistically and musically coherent work. It need not be the most ambitious in scale or length. The feasibility of the performance of the nominated work is taken into consideration.

For questions regarding the substance of the application, please contact music@azrielifoundation.org. For technical assistance, please log in and visit Muvac’s support page, or email support@muvac.com.

Review Process and Criteria

Once received, submissions are first registered and screened by AMP staff for eligibility and completeness. Submissions are then pre-screened by a small team of staff and Jury members to evaluate their fit and relevancy to the Prize theme. Those submissions that clear the pre-screening process are then delivered as qualified submissions to the AMP Jewish Music Jury for their evaluation.

The Jury reviews and grades the qualified submissions using the following criteria: Artistic Merit, Technical Merit and Thematic Fit. These criteria are separately weighted to arrive at a score out of 100.

Artistic Merit (60 points)

This is the most important criteria the Jury applies in evaluating each submission. It is directly tied to the composer’s proven ability to write original music for choir and orchestra of high artistic merit.

The Jury will determine:

  • the level of creativity displayed in the conceptual, formal/structural and musical ideas of each qualified submission;
  • the ability of the submitted musical examples to sustain a listener’s attention over their entire length;
  • the level of authenticity and distinctiveness displayed in the composer’s artistic voice;
  • the composer’s ability to work successfully within the complex format of choir and orchestra; and
  • the composer’s capacity to generate high quality, original and professional musical material based on the 2026 AMP guidelines for instrumentation and duration.

Technical Merit (20 points)

The Jury will evaluate each qualified submission with the aim of identifying how well thought-out it is regarding its use of form, rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, texture, dynamics, articulation and orchestration. They will evaluate these elements especially in regard to how well they express or positively reinforce the composer’s purpose and intention for the nominated work.

Thematic Fit (20 points)

The Jury will evaluate whether the qualified submission offers a topical and original fit to the objectives of the Azrieli Music Prizes based on the Guidelines for what constitutes Jewish music.

All decisions made by the AMP Juries are final and non-negotiable. There is no appeal process.

 

What is Jewish Music?

For the purpose of the Azrieli Music Prizes, the Azrieli Foundation defines ‘Jewish music’ as broadly as possible, taking into account the rich and diverse history of Jewish musical traditions, as well as music by Jews and non-Jews, which may be said to incorporate a Jewish thematic or Jewish musical influence.

Jewish themes may vary broadly, and can include biblical, historical, liturgical, secular and/or folk elements.

Fundamentally, the Foundation encourages an understanding of Jewish music as deeply rooted in history and tradition, yet forward-moving and dynamic. As such, it encourages themes and content drawn from contemporary Jewish life and experience.

Jewish music can*:

  • be based purposefully and consciously on musical materials traditionally perceived as belonging to a specifically “Jewish melos” – sacred or secular;
  • incorporate actual liturgical melodies or secular folk tunes from any one of numerous distinct geographic or cultural Jewish traditions;
  • be based on Jewish historical or biblical subjects, events, or characters, or Jewish legends or literary themes;
  • include or be founded upon Jewish texts or Jewish literature (prose, poetry, or drama);
  • incorporate specifically Jewish languages such as Hebrew, Yiddish, or Ladino;
  • depict in musical terms, with or without sung or spoken text, visual images of Jewish connection (landscapes in the land of Israel, for example) or scenes of Jewish religious or folk life (a Hassidic gathering, a Yemenite Jewish wedding, or daily life of Jews in an eastern European market town, or shtetl, to cite three examples);
  • express moods of Jewish life-cycle events or holy days;
  • give voice to Judaic ideas or concepts; and/or
  • have been composed expressly for a Jewish commemoration, celebration, ceremony, or other occasion—conceived in some way to represent the nature of that occasion.

*Excerpted from Dr. Neil W. Levin, The Milken Archive of Jewish Music

The 2024 Azrieli Music Prizes Laureates
Learn about our esteemed artists.
Learn More
The AMP Jewish Music Jury
Ofer Ben-Amots
Gisèle Ben-Dor
Avner Dorman
Dr. Neil W. Levin

Neil W. Levin is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of Jewish-related music, having authored hundreds of publications on the subject. He has served on the faculty of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America since 1982 and has been the Anne E. Leibowitz Visiting Professor in Residence in Music at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research since 2016. Dr. Levin is the Artistic Director and Editor in Chief of the Milken Archive of Jewish Music, which documents, preserves and disseminates music of the Jewish experience including the ground-breaking 51-CD series released by Naxos. He devised, scripted and supervised the Archive’s theatrical-concert, One People – Many Voices, premiered in 2006 by the L.A. Philharmonic under the baton of Gerard Schwarz. Dr. Levin is also an accomplished pianist and choral conductor. He founded the Schola Hebraeica and has directed numerous concerts at Lincoln Center, the Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican Centre.

Steven Mercurio

Maestro Steven Mercurio is an internationally acclaimed conductor and composer whose musical versatility encompasses the symphonic and operatic worlds. Currently the Music Director of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, he has previously led the London Philharmonic, Prague Philharmonia, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has also served as the Music Director of the Spoleto Festival and as Principal Conductor of the Philadelphia Opera. Maestro Mercurio has conducted numerous historic telecasts, including the “Christmas in Vienna” series with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra for Sony Classical, highlighted by the 1999 concert featuring “The Three Tenors;” and the PBS special “American Dream – Andrea Bocelli’s Statue of Liberty Concert” with the New Jersey Symphony. Mercurio also led the worldwide tour of Sting, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and culminating in the DVD “Live in Berlin.” Also a composer, Mercurio’s For Lost Loved Ones was premiered by Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic.

Na’ama Zisser
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