The 2025 IL-ACDA Composer Award Winner
Benjamin T. Martin
Benjamin T. Martin (b.1998) is a composer, singer, and musical collaborator based in Chicago, IL. While interested in all manner of expressive media, his love of the human voice, the written word, and musical storytelling is often at the center of his compositional orbit.
Martin’s works have been performed by ensembles throughout the country, including the Grossman Ensemble, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago Fellows, NEXUS Chamber Music, TAK Ensemble, Blackbox New Music, Lake Forest College choir and orchestra, and Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra, among others. His work has also been featured at a number of summer festivals, including New Music on the Point, VIVO Music Columbus (as the winner of the 2021 VIVO Innovation Grant), Brevard Summer Music festival, the EAMA Institute in Paris, and the Cortona Sessions for New Music. Recently, Benjamin was the recipient of a 2025 BMI Composer Award for his piece Unfurling Dances.
Benjamin received a BM from Oberlin Conservatory in Composition with a minor in Vocal Performance. While attending, he was the recipient of the 2022 Walter E. Aschaffenburg prize in Composition. He is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Chicago, where he studies with Augusta Read Thomas.
As stated by our judges:
“The composer demonstrated exceptional compositional craft and an ability to express a range of styles and moods. The vocal writing is effective, idiomatic, and sensitive to the text. The works submitted also convey a capacity to compose for diverse levels of ensemble ability.”
“This composer has a strong command for harmony, texture, melody and lyricism. Their instrumental works are colorful and show how strongly adept they are at working with large forces. The compositional voice is interesting, craftful and has an inherent vocal quality. They were able to showcase the voice dramatically and idiomatically in their solo voice works. The choral portion of their large ensemble piece worked symbiotically with their orchestral accompaniment. I can’t wait to see how they translate their ability to orchestrate and use of skillful counterpoint with their new commission for the William Ferris Chorale”
Eligibility
Composers within ACDA’s Midwestern Region (including Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin) with a creative voice and clear compositional ability are invited to enter the annual IL-ACDA Composer Contest. Composers are invited to apply for the IL-ACDA Composition Award, a commission in collaboration with the William Ferris Chorale and MusicSpoke
Submission Information
All applications must include:
- PDF of at least two scores (each as individual documents). At least one must be a composition for voice(s)/
- Name/any identifying information should be removed – only list your name on the submission FORM
- Any additional documentation (text/translation, etc)
- (Optional) audio recording of any/all submitted work
- Live, studio, or midi acceptable (if submitting live recordings, make sure to remove any introduction or portion of the performance that may indicate the composer’s name)
Applicants must be:
- 18 years of age or older
- A resident of a state within the Midwestern Region of ACDA (including Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin)
Contest Timeline
- Submissions open: March 1st
- Submissions due: August 1st
- Winner announced: October 1st
- Finished score due: January 1st (of the next year)
- Premiere: TBF Winter (of the next year)
The winner of The IL-ACDA Composer Award receives a $1,000 prize and has their commissioned new work performed by the William Ferris Chorale in Chicago.
To submit your application, please fill out this online form: Entries for the 2026 IL-ACDA Composer Award are not open yet.
A reminder that all submitted materials (PDFs, MP3s, WAVs, etc) must be free of markings or speaking that identify the composer.
Please send questions to cwindle@williamferrischorale.org
Past Recipients of the IL-ACDA Composition Contest
| 2024 | ~ Ed Frazier Davis | I Will Ride | efdavis.com |
| 2020 | ~ Cole Reyes | Oh Lord, Support Us (SATB) | colereyes.com |
| 2019 | ~ William V. Malpede | Due (SATB) | Hear “Duet” See the score |
| 2018 | ~ Robert Applebaum | Rain Music (SSAA) | bobapplebaum.com |
| 2017 | ~ Andrew Bruhn | Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (SATB) | Parcelete Press 1940M Listen here! |
| 2016 | ~ Deanna Witkowski | Where Shadow Chases Light (SSAA) | See the premiere! |
| 2015 | ~ Richard Rossi | O Sacrum Convivium (SATB) | See and hear the score! |
| 2014 | ~ Philip Spencer | Tune Thy Music to Thy Heart (SSA) | |
| 2013 | ~ Tim Blickhan | Life Has Loveliness to Sell (SATB) | |
| 2012 | ~ | On Wings of Prayer (SSAA, piano) | |
| 2011 | ~ Wayland Rogers | When Daisies Pied (SATB) | |
| 2010 | ~ Donald Frasier | In Moonlight (TTB) | |
| 2009 | ~ Karen Ball | A Light Exists In Spring (SATB, piano) | |
| 2008 | ~ Edwin Childs | Peace (SSA, piano) | |
| 2007 | ~ Paul Carey | Thou Art the Sky (SATB, piano) | Roger Dean 15/2430R |
| 2006 | ~ Christopher Walters | Weary with Toil (SATB, unaccompanied) | Colla Voce 15-96040 |
| 1999 | ~ Anne Heider | Jesous Ahatonnia: A Huron carol (TTBB, piano) | |
| 1998 | ~ Edwin Childs | Three Poems from the Chinese | Mark Foster Music 3066 |
| 1997 | ~ Paul Steg | Vocalise (SATB) | |
| 1996 | ~ Bart Bradfield | To The Thawing Wind (SATB, piano) | |
| 1995 | ~ Clyde Thompson | Three Dickinson Poems (SSA, piano, flute) | |
| 1994 | ~ Joel Ross | Sweet Was the Virgin Song (TTBB, harp) | |
| 1993 | ~ Mark Ray Hollman | Hope is a Thing with Feathers (SAB, piano) | |
| 1990 | ~ Ellen Keating | Ave Maria (SSA) | Mark Foster MF922 |
| 1985 | ~ Lee Kesselman | Two Meditations on Yeats (SATB) | |
| 1984 | ~ Michael Kosch | spring! may… (SATB, divisi) |