10/23/2026
We are pleased to announce the results of our sixth annual "Call for Scores" composition competition!
WINNER of the Second "Zimmerman Prize in Composition" and a $1000 cash prize: "An American Celebration" for Brass Ensemble by Jacob Evarts
Jacob Evarts (b. 2003) is an award-winning composer of concert works and music for media. His music has been performed all around the world, and by esteemed ensembles such as the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, the US Naval Academy Band, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He has been writing music since he was 10 years old. He entered and won the Georgia Music Educators Composition Competition for small ensembles for 5 straight years, from 2016 to 2020. In January 2020, he was awarded first runner-up in the Lowell Mason House music advocacy competition. He was chosen as one of the 2022 National Young Composers Challenge winners with his work for full orchestra, Wonder of the World. In 2025, Jacob was awarded first place in the International Horn Society Composition Contest for his Concerto for Horn and Orchestra. He received 2nd place in the 2025 American Prize for Composition in the wind band collegiate division with his piece An Opening Fanfare for 4 horns and wind ensemble.
He has also written music for media, having scored several short films as well as promotional materials for the University of Georgia. He studied at UGA under Jean Martin-Williams and James Naigus for horn, and with Tom Hiel and Peter Van Zandt Lane for composition. He graduated in 2025 from the University of Georgia with a B.M. in Composition, as well as a certificate in Film and Media Scoring. While at UGA, Jacob played horn in the wind ensemble and orchestra, as well as four years marching mellophone in the UGA Redcoat Marching Band. Currently, Jacob resides in the North Georgia mountains with his family, where he enjoys the peace and quiet to write!
Congratulations, Mr. Evarts! Our Brass Ensemble will be programming An American Celebration as the centerpiece of an upcoming concert at Maryland Hall in Annapolis, MD on November 11 at 7:00 p.m.
HONORABLE MENTION: "Celebrating Liberty” for Wind Ensemble by Benjamin Miles
Benjamin Miles is a Los Angeles-based composer, orchestrator, and arranger whose work spans film, television, and concert music. His film credits include additional music for more than 20 feature films, as well as production music for shows on Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Discovery Channel, and others.
Beyond his work in film and television, Benjamin’s concert music has been performed internationally. His concert commissions include arrangements for the Tallahassee Symphony, Kassia Ensemble, Sereph Brass Quintet, Dash Duo, and other chamber ensembles. His music has also been featured at the National Trumpet Competition and International Trumpet Guild. His arrangement of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor for trumpet ensemble, in which he also performed, won the small ensemble division of the National Trumpet Competition. More recently, his fanfare Wings of Victory was selected as a winner of the 2024 Dallas Winds Fanfare Competition and premiered at the ensemble’s season-opening concert.
Benjamin holds a degree in Trumpet Performance from Oklahoma State University and a Master’s in Film Music Composition from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Stay tuned – Call for Scores 2027 is just around the corner!
