2026 Composition Prize

Jury of the Composition Prize André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud

Michaël Levinas
Composer – pianist President of the jury

Michaël Levinas studied instruments, piano accompaniment, conducting and composition at the CNSM (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique) in Paris, where he notably attended Olivier Messiaen’s renowned composition class. He was appointed resident at the Villa Medici in Rome. Inspired by the loggias of the Villa d’Este and his dialogue with the painter Balthus and Scelsi, he conceived and created his first works for piano and amplified device, ‘Concerto pour Piano Espace N°2’ and ‘Étude sur un piano-espace’. In 1973, he participated in the creation of the Itinéraire ensemble, founder of the spectral movement. Michaël Levinas is a pioneer in the renewal of instrumental writing and the expansion of the sound palette through his profound knowledge of acoustics and technological environments. His works have been premiered and performed by the most prestigious ensembles, festivals and institutions in France and abroad: Darmstadt, Festival de Donaueschingen, IRCAM, Cité de la Musique, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum, Le Balcon, Radio France, Musica, La Philharmonie de Paris, the Venice Biennale, etc. Known for his dramatic writing, Michaël Levinas has established himself as an opera composer and has received commissions from major European venues, including La Conférence des oiseaux (1985), Go-gol (1996) and La Métamorphose (2010). Michaël Levinas was an honorary professor of advanced analysis at the Paris Conservatoire. As a concert pianist, he has recorded (and performed in concert) Beethoven’s complete 32 sonatas, J.S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Scriabin’s complete études, and Ligeti’s études. He has premiered numerous contemporary works. He is a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France.

Musheng Chen
Composer 

Musheng Chen is a composer, professor and Vice Director of the Composition and Conducting Department at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Awarded with the First Grand Prize of the Concours Dutilleux (France, 2004), the Grand Prize at the Tarragona International Composition Competition (Spain, 2007)and the First Prize of the Dimitri Mitropoulos International Competition (Greece, 2009), his prestigious career places him among the most preeminent Chinese composers of his generation. Cultivated through the confluence of Eastern and Western cultures, his work has been performed around the world : his symphonic poem A Dream in the Peony Garden premiered in 2007 at the Berlin Concert Hall, performed by the SinoGerman Youth Symphony Orchestra, and has since been interpreted by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, and Shanghai Philharmonic across Europe and China.

Anne Montaron
Producer at Radio France 

Anne Montaron is a Germanist and musicologist who has been a producer at Radio France (France Musique) since 1992. After collaborating with German radio stations for about fifteen years, she launched a weekly program dedicated to musical improvisation in 2000: À l’Improviste. Since 2010, Anne Montaron has also been hosting and curating the program Alla Breve – Création Mondiale, which features new works commissioned from composers active in France. She is one of the voices on Carrefour de la Création on France Musique on Sunday evenings. She is also a member of the artistic committee of Impuls Neue Musik.

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Like all other awards, the Composition Prize will be announced and given to the laureate at the official ceremony following the Final of the Competition, on October 31, 2026, in Orléans (France).

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Composition Prize André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud

€5,000 & Commission of a work from Radio France for broadcast on France Musique.

As part of the André Chevillion–Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize, pianist-candidates had to submit an unpublished work for solo piano, lasting 6 to 8 minutes, without any electroacoustic or video elements.
This piece, inspired by Diego Velázquez’s painting Saint Thomas (Orléans Museum of Fine Arts), was performed during the first round of the 17th Competition in Chicago (March 28–29, 2026), Frankfurt (April 11–12, 2026), and Shanghai (May 16–17, 2026).
An explanatory video about the work and an exhibition brochure are available. The compositions have been performed by the candidates themselves, a composer of their choice, or a composer selected by the Competition.
The winner of the Prize will be announced after the Final round during the Award ceremony and will receive a commission from Radio France, with their new work broadcast on Anne Montaron’s program Création Mondiale on France Musique.

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France Musique Commission

France Musique supports the music scene and promotes artistic creation in all its forms.
It will spotlight the winner of the Composition Prize by broadcasting a brand-new work on its channel. Commissioned by Radio France, this piece will be recorded and featured in Anne Montaron’s program Création Mondiale, available as a podcast on the Radio France website and app.

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Discover the Call for applications for composers

André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize – €5,000
Offered by the Foundation André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud under the aegis of the Fondation de France. 

This year’s Chevillion Bonnaud Composition Prize has a theme. We are asking composers to take their inspiration from Diego Velazquez’s painting ‘Saint Thomas’, which is in the Musée des Beaux Arts in Orléans. A video explaining the work and an exhibition presentation file dedicated to it can be found on the competition website. 

The work should last between 6 and 8 minutes and should be composed for solo piano, without electroacoustic or video equipment.

• Composers (including pianist candidates for the Competition and composers already chosen by a  candidate) wishing to apply for this Prize must send a complete file by e-mail (info@oci-piano.fr) including:- three scores of their composition, at least one of which must be for piano (and recordings if possible)
  – a biography and CV in English (+ in French if mother tongue)
  – a copy of their identity document
  – a short note of intent on the work they would like to compose for the Competition

• Application fee for the candidates to the Composition Prize: 40€ — payable online, until November 26, 2025, on: https://www.helloasso.com/associations/orleans-concours-international/paiements/frais-d-inscription-prix-de-composition-registration-fee-composition-prize

• The registration deadline for composers is November 26, 2025 inclusive.

Only complete applications will be processed.

• The names of the composers selected by the Artistic Direction will be announced from December 16, 2025.

• The files of the selected composers will be made available to the candidate pianists admitted to the Competition, from December 17, 2025.

Candidate pianists will contact the composers of their choice directly and will be required to inform the Competition of the name of the composer chosen at a later date.

• Only one piece per composer is allowed: each composer may compose for only one candidate pianist.

• This call for applications is open to composers, regardless of gender or nationality. The age limit is 36 on 1 January 2026 (composers born on or after 1 January 1990).

• Each composer is entitled to apply for the André Chevillion – Yvonne Bonnaud Composition Prize a maximum of three times (i.e. in three editions of the competition).

• If the pianist presenting the composer’s piece should withdraw, the piece cannot be evaluated by the Jury.
• The name of the chosen composer must be sent to the Competition by the candidate (pianist) no later than January 12, 2026.
  The title of the piece must be sent to the Competition by the candidate (pianist) no later than February 25, 2026.
  The score in pdf format must be sent to the Competition by March 12, 2026.

Click here for full details on the Composition Prize

Like all other awards, the Composition Prize will be announced and given to the laureate at the official ceremony following the Final of the Competition, on October 31, 2026, in Orléans (France).