Finding a Voice Festival 2026 and the Contemporary Music Centre Artist Development Opportunity for Emerging/Early Career Women Composers

19 December 2025 11:45 - 9 January 2026 12:00

Call for Expressions of Interest 

Finding a Voice Festival and the Contemporary Music Centre are delighted to continue their ongoing professional development partnership offering a workshop and mentorship opportunity for emerging / early - career women composers.

Opportunity Details

Emerging / early - career women composers are invited to submit an expression of interest for an initial workshop with Irish clarinettist Paul Roe and an established composer mentor, hosted at the Contemporary Music Centre, Dublin on the afternoon of Friday 23 January 2026.  Depending on the number of applications, a shortlisting process may take place for this initial workshop, a maximum of 10 places is available for this workshop. 

Following the first workshop at CMC, composers will develop their ideas into more detailed composition sketches for clarinet/bass clarinet. During this process, the composers will each receive an additional mentorship session from the composer mentor. 

A maximum of six sketches will be shortlisted by the composer mentor for further refining and a public performance at a Public Workshop & Performance Read-through with celebrated clarinettist Paul Roe at Finding a Voice Festival on Saturday 7 March 2026, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. 

The six composers selected to participate in the Public Workshop & Performance Read-through will receive a stipend of €75 and a Saturday Day Festival Pass provided by Finding a Voice Festival.

What we ask of applicants:

  • Be an emerging / early career woman or gender-minority composer
  • Be born on or currently resident on the island of Ireland
  • Be available to attend the initial CMC workshop in January and if selected, the Public Workshop & Performance Read-through in Clonmel in March. 

Submission Process:

To register for this opportunity artists are asked to provide:

  • One piece that is reflective of your work which will be used for the application process. Send your score as a PDF, with an MP3 or electronic mock-up if you have one
  • A short statement (max. 200 words) outlining your ideas for a composition for clarinet/bass clarinet for Finding a Voice 2026 and explaining how you would benefit artistically from the process. Please note that the proposed work should be for clarinet / bass clarinet only, and may not include an electronic part. 
  • Your name, contact details and an up-to-date CV

All expressions of interest will receive equal opportunity irrespective of civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, ethnicity or indigenous status.

Submissions should be email sent to: director@findingavoice.ie

Closing date for submissions : Friday 9 January 2026 12 noon (IST) 

Finding a Voice 2026 will take place from Thursday 5th to Sunday 8th March 2026 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, and will feature performances by Chamber Choir Ireland, Voice Trio, the Banbha Quartet, pianists Mary Dullea, Isabelle O’Connell and Máire Carroll, and many more.  

See www.findingavoice.ie and sign up to the mailing list to get full programme details.