To all composers, whether accordionists or non-accordionists:

The American Accordionists’ Association (AAA) cordially invites your participation in the 2024 Elsie M. Bennett Accordion Composition Competition. Contribute to the growth of contemporary concert works for solo accordion or for the accordion being featured with other instruments.

Full information including the entry form at: 2024Bennett.pdf

Elsie Bennett established the AAA Composers’ Commissioning Committee (CCC) in 1954. As its permanent chair, she succeeded over the remainder of the century up to a short time before her death in 2005, in commissioning 55 works from 33 composers, many of whom were world famous. Shortly after her retirement from the CCC she appointed Robert Young McMahan to be her successor at which time she was unanimously appointed CCC Chair Emeritus by the AAA Governing Board through their deep respect and affection for her and her amazing accomplishments over the past half century. See the memorial tribute to Elsie M. Bennett by Faithe Deffner.

For further information, and the AAA list of commissioned works, visit http://www.ameraccord.com/aaacommissions.php
where you will also be able to hear many of the AAA commissioned works by noted composers performed by acclaimed accordionists. In addition, you may read about the history and analyses of these works in the articles about them by Robert Young McMahan at http://www.ameraccord.com/aaacommissions2.php

Past Bennett Composition Competition winners and their works may be seen and, in some cases, heard at http://www.ameraccord.com/bennett.php

Entries are welcome from all countries. The entry closing date is April 12, 2024. Winners will be notified by email after July 01, 2024.

For non-accordionist contestants unfamiliar with the accordion, study the manual “Composers Guide to the Piano Accordion” by Robert Young McMahan at
http://www.ameraccord.com/commissions/ComposersGuide.pdf
for assistance.