The Seán Ó Riada Competition, part of the Cork International Choral Festival, invites submissions of new compositions by Irish composers.

The winning work will be selected by a panel of composers and choral musicians and will become a featured work at the Seminar for New Choral Music at the Festival in April 2011. The premiere performance will take place during a Gala Concert given by the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, conducted by Paul Hillier (pictured), on 4 May. The winning composer will win a cash prize, attend the Cork International Choral Festival as a guest and will also play an active part in the Seminar.

While the winning composition will be performed by the National Chamber Choir, a chamber choir of 16 voices, it should have the potential to be performed by a wider range of high standard amateur Irish choirs. It should be an original work for a capella choir and should last up to five minutes.

Previous winners of the competition include Rhona Clarke, Séamas de Barra, Michael Holohan, Marian Ingoldsby, Simon MacHale, Michael McGlynn, Kevin O’Connell, and last year’s winner, Patrick Connolly. The Seán Ó Riada Trophy will be presented to the winning composer.

The closing date for entries is Friday, 13 January 2012. See corkchoral.ie/sean-o-riada-competition.html for more information.

Or contact (0)21 4215125 / info [at] corkchoral.ie

Furthermore, in a special tribute to the legacy of Seán Ó Riada, the RTÉ Vanbrugh Quartet will take the stage at Triskel Christchurch on 9 December 2011 to perform recent compositions by Peadar Ó Riada, Niall Vallely and Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin. Mel Mercier will perform interpretations of music from Ó Riada’s repertoire, and Iarla Ó Lionáird will perform songs from his native Cuil Aodha.

Friday, 9 December 2011, 8pm, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork. Tickets €16/14 from triskelartscentre.ie and (021)4272022