Franco Composition Contest

The submission window for the 2025 contest has closed.

By writing for carillon, composers introduce new ideas to the carillon repertoire and broadcast them to eager listening ears and chance passerby alike. The repertoire of carillon compositions is constantly growing, but not fast enough! Are you ready to contribute?

The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America invites you to broaden the carillon repertoire by entering the Franco Composition Contest. Held every 2 years, it is named in honor of Johan Franco (1908–1988). He was an accomplished composer and a respected member of the GCNA whose compositions for carillon numbered in the hundreds, many of exceptional quality.

What we're looking for

What's a carillon?
It's a concert instrument made of bronze bells that are played with the hands and feet from a keyboard. We recommend composers newer to the carillon enter the Franco Proposal Contest.

Type: Entries must be an original composition for a solo performer.

Length: Entries of any length are allowed.

Range: Entries must be playable on a 4-octave carillon (C–D–chromatic–C4; low C♯ omitted), with a 2-octave pedalboard (C–D–chromatic–C2). Notating outside of this range is permitted provided that substitutions are given in the 48-bell range. Contestants may wish to limit their pedalboard range to 1.5 octaves (C–D–chromatic–G1) as many carillons (particularly European standard) have that reduced range. Arrangements for 2-octave carillon are welcome (again with low C♯ omitted).

Prior history: Entries that have already been published, that have already been performed, or that have already won a prize are ineligible. Public performance of any winning composition prior to the 2025 GCNA Congress is grounds for disqualification.

Open to: Everyone, except members of the Franco Committee and the winners of the 2024 Franco Proposal Contest. We encourage composers newer to the carillon to enter that contest.

Quantity: Only 1 entry is allowed.

Submission deadline: November 1, 2024.

No entry fee.

Prizes

One 1st prize and one 2nd prize will be awarded. At the Franco Committee's discretion, a number of performance awards may be awarded. All winners are entitled to have their entries premiered at the 2025 GCNA Congress and have them promoted on the GCNA website. The 1st and 2nd prizewinning pieces will be published by the GCNA; all other prizewinners have the option for publication (see Publication and copyright).

• 1st prize: US$2,000, world premiere at the 2025 GCNA congress, promotion and publication by the GCNA
• 2nd prize: US$1,000, world premiere at the 2025 GCNA congress, promotion and publication by the GCNA
• Performance award: US$150, world premiere at the 2025 GCNA congress, promotion and optional publication by the GCNA

How to enter

To enter the competition:

1. Anonymize your score by removing your name and any identifying information.
2. Email your contact information and anonymized score to franco@gcna.org.

That's it! Questions? Email franco@gcna.org.

What to expect after you enter

The jury consists of the following members on the Franco Committee: Linda Dzuris, Deborah Hennig, Alex Johnson, Abby Pan, Scott Orr, Tiffany Ng, and Charles Zettek. They will evaluate entries based on their usefulness to the carillon community, namely their effectiveness on the carillon, playability, originality, and general musical interest.

To preserve anonymity, we ask that you not contact any members of the jury, directly or indirectly. Send your questions to the Franco Committee chair, Joey Brink, at franco@gcna.org.

Results will be announced on March 1, 2025.

Publication and copyright

By entering the contest, you agree to the following requirements regarding publication and copyright:

• All contestants must warrant to the GCNA that their composition does not violate any existing copyright in whole or in part, and that they have the lawful right to authorize its publication.
• The 1st and 2nd prizewinners agree to grant full copyright and licensing rights to the GCNA. All other prizewinners will be given the option for publication.
• If the contestant has any arrangement with any performing rights organizations (e.g. ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SOCAN), the composer must instruct the affiliated organization not to collect performance fees solely on the basis of this composition. In some cases, this may entail waiving rights to performance royalties.
• Compositions that do not win a prize will remain the sole property of the contestant. The jury's copies of the entries will be destroyed following the contest.

2023 contest results

Thank you to everyone who participated—there were 34 entires in total. The Franco Committee's work was a huge challenge, and we're thankful for their effort. We are excited to announce the winning pieces; they will contribute greatly to the carillon repertoire! We will be working with each prizewinner on the publication of their compositions, and we look forward to hearing them in Cohasset!

• 1st prize: Four Reflections, by Joseph Fong
• 2nd prize: Moonlight in Bok Tower Gardens, by Stefano Colletti
• Performance award: Breezes by the Shore, by Jose Antonio C. Buencamino
• Performance award: Equilibrium, by Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra
• Performance award: Birthday Fanfare, by Yanchen Ye
• Performance award: Toccata, by Zachary Zaroogian

Past prizewinners

Purchase prizewinners published by the GCNA at our music store.