Young people from all over the world submitted their works to the 2021 / 2022 Commonwealth International Composition Award. There were many wonderful entries, and it was difficult to choose a shortlist of ten pieces.

These will be performed in the Grand Final on Friday 4th March at the Princess Alexandra Hall, Royal Over-Seas League.

We warmly invite you all to select your favourite piece, to help us choose the winner of The Audience Prize Listen to each of the compositions below and vote here on this page!

We are so excited to announce the shortlist for The Commonwealth International Composition Award 2022! We are really proud of all the young composers this year and were amazed by the high standard of all the entries.

Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted!

Shortlisted composers

• Aiden Bryson aged 16, UK: “The Inhabitants”
• Anson Chan aged 15, Hong Kong: “Walking by the River (Yuan Xi Xing)”
• Christopher Churcher aged 17, UK: “Wanderer, kommst du nach Spa…”
• Dana el Tajer aged 18, Bahrain: “Journey”
• Devon Packer aged 15, Canada: “Banish Air from Air”
• Emil Droga aged 18, Australia: “Spring Snow”
• Felix Penna aged 17, France: “Khazer”
• Grace Hall aged 18, UK: “Es liegt der heiße Sommer”
• Jacob Abela aged 16, Malta: “Run”
• Thomas Shorthouse aged 17 UK: “Lullaby for the Things That Don’t Sleep”

Highly Commended

• Anna Conroy aged 18, UK: “Revelations”
• Eng Jia Ler aged 11, Singapore: “The Mystery Quest”
• Gavin Kennedy aged 16, Ireland: “Puffins”
• Lewis Dixon-Szul aged 18, UK: “Last Moments”

Starters

(This is our special category for young people who have just started composing)

Winners from the ‘Starters’ category

• Lihlumile Nyengane aged 13 – South Africa – “Happy Memories”
• Sesethu Mtshelu aged 18 – South Africa – “Ubuhle Bendalo” (The Beauty of Nature)