Composition Prize "ad libitum" – Winfried Böhler Culture Foundation

The Winfried Böhler Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with the New Music Network Baden-Württemberg, annually awards the composition prize "ad libitum." The aim is the targeted promotion of contemporary music in Baden-Württemberg through two alternating funding formats: In the "ad libitum Music School," a composition commission is created in partnership with a regional music school, while in the "ad libitum Tandem," tandems of professional and amateur ensembles compete for a tailor-made commission. The award is aimed at composers, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations committed to new music. The initiative not only strengthens the artistic work of the participants but also fosters innovative exchange between professional musicians and music-interested amateurs, thereby providing sustainable impulses for the region’s musical landscape.

Funding is provided for composition commissions that focus on new sounds, forms, and approaches to mediation. The foundation supports both individual composers and tandem projects, thereby promoting networking between professional ensembles and music schools. The award is granted as a cash prize or commission to enable the realization of exceptional works in the field of new music. Applicants must participate either as a composer in cooperation with a music school or as a tandem of professional and amateur ensembles. The call is directed at creatives interested in innovative sound projects who wish to sustainably invigorate the contemporary music scene in Baden-Württemberg.