The annual Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition is a major event in the School Calendar.

Each year, a selection panel chooses works by currently enrolled NZSM students, composed within the previous twelve months, to be performed in a concert by fellow students and alumni.

Substantial cash prizes, made available through the Lilburn Trust, are awarded to both selected composers and student performers.

2020 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize (equal): Nathan Carter for The World of Data (acousmatic work)
• First Prize (equal): Simon Eastwood for Te Aitanga Pepeke (for taonga pūoro, flute, violin, viola, cello and percussion)
• Second Prize: Sonya Ishimnikova for Sounds from the Outside (for synth and electronics)
• Third Prize: Jacob Barrett for Echoes and Cries (for clarinet, cello, electric guitar and crotales)
• Highly Commended: Nikau Wi Neera for Der Flakturm (for string quintet)

Performer Prizes

• Russell Henderson (saxophone) for his performance in his piece ¿You Be It Could?
• Ben van Leuven (clarinet) for his performance in Echoes and Cries
• Samantha McSweeney (flute) for her performance in Micah Thompson's White.
• Frances Thorpe (viola) for her performance in Liam Furey's Shimmer and Nikau Wi Neera's Der Flakturm.

2019 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize (equal): Jack Bewley for Chorale (for massed brass ensemble and percussion)
• First Prize (equal): Peter Liley for Patterns I, II and III (for solo alto saxophone)
• Second Prize: Jack Woodbury for Lines (for 8-channel speaker array)
• Third Prize: Liam Furey for Sonata for solo viola (for solo viola)

Performer Prizes

• Peter Liley (saxophone) for his performance(s) in Chorale, Chris Ramos-Flores' Cor Ple and Patterns I, II and III.
• Samantha McSweeney (flute) for her performance of Micah Thompson's Wash.
• Frances Thorpe (viola) for her performance of Sonata for solo viola.

2018 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Micah Thompson for Whakamaru: Mists (for mixed ensemble)
• Second Prize (equal): Marcus Jackson for ICON (for trombone, lights and projection)
• Second Prize (equal): Elliot Vaughn for Shiny Skeleton (for performing clarinettist)
• Third Prize: Jesse Austin-Stewart for Moving Speakers (kinetic spacial speaker installation)
• Highly Commended: Jack Bewley for Mr Speaker (for oboe, marimba and backing track)

Performer Prizes

• Emma Cronshaw-Hunt (voice) for her performance of Gabriel Khor's Zudora.
• Marcus Jackson (various) for his performance(s) in ICON, Shiny Skeleton and Whakamaru: Mists.

2017 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Jason Long for Broken Mirror (robotic glockenspiel and live electronics)
• Second Prize: Glen Downie for Gorzanis frammenti (solo guitar)
• Third Prize: Jesse Austin for 8x5 (8x5 speaker array)
• Third Prize: Joe Gorman for Fantasia V (solo alto flute).

Performer Prizes

• Jake Church (guitar) for his performance of Glen Downie's Gorzanis frammenti
• Xiaotong Yang (erhu) for her performance of Evangelina Telfar's Synapse.

2013 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Jason Post for Surfaces (piano trio)
• Second Prize: Andrew Cole for Aro Dreamscape (saxophone quartet and electronics)
• Second Prize: Briar Prastiti for Delirious Euphoria (Balinese gamelan ensemble)
• Audience Prize: Flo Wilson for Music for Dance #1 (voice and electronics)
• Special Mention: Timothy Barraclough and Paul Mathews for Immanence (sonic installation).

Special Prize for Composition and Performance

• Reuben Jelleyman for his composition Soliloquy for harp, and his solo percussion performance of Glen Downie's Row of Suspects.

Performer Prizes

The adjudicators wished to commend and award many performers, including:

• The Saxophone Quartet: Debbie Rawson, Reuben Chin, Hayden Sinclair and Sam Jones
• Ingrid Bauer (pedal harp)
• The piano trio that played the winning work: Tabea Squire (violin), Charley Davenport (cello), and Asher Norris (piano)
• and the entire Gamelan Taniwha Jaya.

2012 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

• First Prize: Brad Jenkins for Nocturne No.1 (chamber ensemble)
• Second Prize: Immanuel Dannenbring for Distant (8-channel audio)
• Third Prize: Jason Post for Cataphora (chamber ensemble and electronics)
• Special Mentions: Sean Brennan for The Cheshire Cats (clarinet duo) and Reuben Jelleyman for Soliloquy (solo horn).

Performer Prizes

• Charley Davenport (cello) for his performances in three works
• Alex Morton (french horn) for his performance of Reuben Jelleyman's Soliloquy
• David McGregor and Hannah Sellars (clarinets) for their rendition of Sean Brennan's The Cheshire Cats.

2011 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Tristan Carter for Attacus Atlas (amplified string duo)
• Second Prize: Justin Firefly Clarke for A Glimpse of Matariki
• Second Prize: Tabea Squire for Dumbo and his friends
• Third Prize: Salina Fisher for Ventus
• Special Mention: Briar Prastiti for Pipe Dreamer.

Performer Prizes

• Andrew Filmer (viola)
• Special Mention: Charley Davenport (cello).

2010 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Sarah Hutchins
• First Prize and Performer Prize: Bridget Johnson
• First Prize and Performer Prize: Jason Erskine
• Second Prize: Johannes Contag
• Third Prize: Karlo Margetic.

Performer Prizes

• Andrew Filmer (viola)
• Tabea Squire (violin)
• Arna Shaw (violin)
• Andrzej Nowicki (clarinet).

2009 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Karlo Margetic for Svitac for clarinet and upright piano
• Second Prize: Jonathan Crehan for Utopian Reverie for violin and piano
• Second Prize: Johannes Contag for Flock of Starlings with Crows and Dogs for wind ensemble
• Third Prize: Tabea Squire for Hei Matau for viola and piano
• Third Prize: Justin Clarke for Te Rakau o nga Patupaiarehe.

Performer Prizes

• Helen Bevin (viola) and Rafaella Garlick-Grice (piano) for Tabea Squire's Hei Matau
• Andrzej Nowicki (clarinet) and Richard Robertshawe (live electronics) for their piece Concertino 5b.

2008 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Christine White for Dancing Slow for voice and tape
• First Prize: Karlo Margetic for Zoetrope for string quartet
• Second Prize: Tabea Squire for Bildhauer for clarinet quartet
• Third Prize: Pieta Hextall for Marx or Smith? for piano, viola and bass clarinet.

Performer Prizes

• Sarah Wiig for Spoken Streets
• Christine White for Dancing Slow
• Paula King for The Odious Luggage
• String Quartet (Tabea Squire, Karla Norton, John Roxburgh, and Winnie-May Nichol) for Zoetrope.

2006 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Alexandra Hay for White Rain for flute and tape
• Second Prize: Karlo Margetic for Saccades for two clarinets
• Third Prize: Urs Signer for Louise Nicholas: We Believe You for voice and piano.

Performer Prizes

• Frances Moore (soprano) and Michael Pansters (piano).

2005 Lilburn Trust NZSM Composers Competition

Composer Prizes

• First Prize: Rachael Morgan for "…and yet, not"
• Second Prize: Simon Eastwood for Tempest.