BAMA Calls

Call for Submissions for Programming of the 2026-2027 Season

The Birmingham Art Music Alliance Programming Committee announces the annual call for score proposals for next season. Works do not have to be completed at the time of submission. No scores or recordings are required at this time.

Members may submit up to a maximum of THREE proposals drawn from the following categories:

  1. Violin, cello, piano trio (only subset: violin and piano);
  2. Clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion, piano quintet (no solos; perc.: no marimba, timpani, tubular bells)
  3. Alto flute and piano (accepting works for solo alto flute, solo flute, and flute and piano
  4. Baritone and piano (accepting solos for baritone and works for baritone and multimedia).

A list of accepted proposals will be announced after the next Programming Committee review meeting (mid-March, 2026).

Please note that a proposal submission does not guarantee the work will be selected for performance.

Upon acceptance of a work, the member may be asked to take part in the publicity and production of the concert for which their piece has been selected.  

Failure to undertake these responsibilities may result in a selected piece not being included on a program.

Members may submit up to two works for consideration. All submissions must be submitted using this form.  PLEASE COMPLETE A SEPARATE FORM FOR EACH WORK SUBMITTED.  After completing the form(s), please save the form with your last name followed by the ensemble submission number (1, 2, 3, or 4) as the title of the document – for example, Price1. Click here to download the submission form (DOCX).

The saved forms should then be sent as email attachments to William Price at pricewm@uab.edu.

The DEADLINE for submissions is February 16, 2026.

Please direct any questions or inquiries you may have about this call to William Price (pricewm@uab.edu) and/or Holland Hopson (holland@hollandhopson.com).

Call for Submissions: 30th Anniversary BYO/DIY Performances

Concert Date(s): TBD
First Submission Deadline:  July 1, 2025 (for October 2025-September 2026)
Second Submission Deadline: December 1, 2025 (for January-September 2026)
Instrumentation: Any

During the 2025-2026 season, the Birmingham Art Music Alliance will 
program a number of Bring-Your-Own and Do-It-Yourself pieces, either on 
dedicated concerts or in tandem with other projects. BAMA will secure 
venues and promote/produce/document concerts, but not provide 
compensation for performers.

Submissions are not limited to but might include fixed media, 
performances by the composer, performances funded or facilitated by the 
composer, spontaneous compositions (solo or group), and performer member 
proposals.

Current BAMA members may submit any number of qualifying works, listed 
in order of preference. There are no restrictions regarding duration. 
However, longer pieces may not be feasible, so consider including at 
least one contingency proposal if your first choice is more than 12 minutes.

How to Submit:
By July 1, 2025 for consideration throughout the season, or by December 1 for 
consideration between January-September, email calls@artmusic.org with 
the subject “BYO/DIY” and the following info (repeated in the same 
message for multiple submissions):

  • Working Title
  • Composer
  • Duration
  • Names of performer(s) and instrument(s), if known
  • Requirements

Call for Scores: Solo Cello Works 2025

Concert date(s): TBD during the 2025-2026 season
Submission deadline: August 1, 2025
Venue(s): TBD

Craig Hultgren invites current BAMA members to submit forward-looking solo pieces no more than 12 minutes in duration. The pieces may be for acoustic cello or the ecello. They may have electronics.

For insight into the submission, please contact Craig at chultgre@gmail.com

How to Submit:
By August 1, 2025, email calls@artmusic.org with the subject “Cello” and the following info:

  • Score in PDF format
  • Other materials required for performance (media, files, etc.)
  • Composer
  • Title
  • Duration
  • Optional recording or demo

Call for Scores: Jacob Elkin, trombone

Concert dates: TBD between February 15-24, 2025
Submission deadline: EXTENDED TO MAY 18, 2024
Venue(s): TBD
Instrumentation: Tenor or bass trombone, with or without electronics.

Trombonist Jacob Elkin has offered to present a concert featuring BAMA member composers in February of 2025. He is particularly interested in electronics, improvisation, and microtonality but will consider all submissions. Works for solo tenor or bass trombone (acoustic or electronic) are more likely to have repeat performances. Collaborative improvisations and pieces to be performed with local musicians are possible, provided the composer manages rehearsals and covers additional performer fees.

How to Submit:
By May 18, 2024, email calls@artmusic.org with the subject “Elkin” and the following info:

  • Composer/collaborator
  • Working title
  • Duration
  • Instrumentation
  • Technical requirements
  • Optional recording or demo


If the work to be submitted is complete, attach the score in PDF format. Otherwise, include a proposal with a brief description of the composition/collaboration. A due date for proposed compositions will be announced later.

See jacobelkin.com for more information about the performer.
Email mjg@monroegolden.com for clarification about the call.

Call for Scores: Iron Giant Collaboration

Concert Date(s): TBD Fall 2024

Submission Deadlines:

  • Notification of participation: November 1, 2023
  • Submission of score: May 15, 2024

How to Submit: email calls@artmusic.org with subject “Iron Giant Collaboration”

Concert Locations: TBD community venues

Instrumentation: Undefined (Read the “What” section below)

Duration: No specific duration.

Who: Iron Giant (Sam Herman, Brett Huffman, Seth Noble, and Justin Wallace)

What: A concert series of scalable compositions to be performed in several different community spaces in Birmingham — such as parks, galleries, and libraries. Scores should be adaptable to completely different settings and instrumentation. Iron Giant primarily function as a quartet but may expand the ensemble for some programs. Some approaches to composition include:

  • indeterminate instrumentation, duration, number of performers, and/or octave displacement
  • graphic or recipe notation (see Feldman and Oliveros)
  • an existing piece that is conducive to adaptation by Iron Giant

Examples of compositions follow. Most of the links are performances with a score displayed. There are multiple performances of many of these works on YouTube.

Iron Giant are willing to present a workshop and/or participate in a Zoom call for informal Q&A. They will be available for composers to contact as questions arise.

Before November 1, notify calls@artmusic.org if planning to compose for this project. Please also indicate if you would like to participate in a workshop or call with Iron Giant, both, or neither. 

When: 

  • Concerts to be in Fall of 2024
  • BAMA request for participation to end November 1, 2023
  • BAMA call for scores to end May 15, 2024
  • Workshop/Zoom call TBD, if enough interest

2023 Summer Concert

Concert: 2023 Summer Concert
Submission Deadline: April 30, 2023
Performance Date: May 23, 24, or 25 (Exact date TBD)
Venue: TBD

Instrumentation: String Trio (Viola, Violin, Cello) + Piano – May submit for any combination except solo piano.

How to submit: Send the information below to calls@artmusic.org by April 30, 2023

Composer Name:
Title:
Approximate Length (no longer than 10 minutes):
PDF Copies of Score

Call for Scores: Iron Giant Collaboration

Concert Date: August (Exact Date TBD)

Submission Deadlines:

· Notification of general interest: March 25, 2022

· Submission of score: May 31, 2022

Submission: calls@artmusic.org with title “Iron Giant Collaboration”

Concert Location: Railroad Park and 2 more parks TBD

Instrumentation: Undefined (Read the “What” section below)

Duration: No specific duration, though the program will be for a total of 60 minutes of music.

Who:

BAMA collaboration with Iron Giant Percussion.  Iron Giant Percussion is a contemporary music ensemble based in Birmingham, Alabama.

What:

A concert series of pieces of indeterminate style/instrumentation to be performed at different parks in Birmingham. Each composer would write a piece of 2-4 parts for undetermined instruments. The parts can have descriptors on the type of sound such as “metallic”, “melodic”, etc. but it would not be for a specific instrument. Iron Giant would then choose the instrumentation to go along with the piece. The instruments won’t necessarily be your standard instruments (they’ve created xylophones from bottles for example).

Examples of compositions“In C” – Terry Riley.

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpYBhX0UH04

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX96z7AuICs

· A workshop will also be provided by Iron Giant on writing for percussion/in an indeterminate style as well to assist the composers. Iron Giant will be available for composers to contact as they write their pieces after the workshop.

  • Before March 25, notify calls@artmusic.org if you’re interested in composing a piece for the concert or attending the workshop. Those interested in composing for the concert are highly encouraged to attend the workshop.

When: 

· Concert to be in the August timeframe

· BAMA request for general interest to end March 25

· BAMA call for scores to end May 31

· Workshop in late March (exact date TBD)

Where:

· 3 parks in total. 1 at Railroad Park, the other 2 TBD.

Other Notes:

· Each concert may have the same pieces (depending on the number of submissions), but it could be an entirely new experience based on the instruments used.

· Iron Giant has mentioned they have pieces from BAMA composers but often can’t perform them because of the instrumentation. This style of writing would allow them to continue to perform the pieces regardless of instrumentation at hand which can lead to continual promotion for our composers.

Please contact Eric Mobley ejmobl19@gmail.com with questions.