Australian guitarist Matt Withers has announced that the 2020 iteration of his Australian Music Composition Competition will be bigger than ever, with more money on offer, and the winning works performed by Withers and pianist Sally Whitwell.

Matt WithersMatt Withers

“Generous sponsors have come on board to grow the Australian Music Composition Competition dramatically in 2020, to possibly the largest of its kind, offering well over $10,000 in cash and prizes,” Withers told Limelight. “Winning composers will share in almost $5,000 in cash plus have their works toured, workshopped and recorded for commercial release on a new ABC Classic album by Sally Whitwell and myself.”

The winning composers will also be flown to the Australian National University’s School of Music for a public workshop where they can hear their music performed ahead of the recording.

The Competition, which Withers launched in 2014, has gone from strength to strength, with 2018’s prize-winners – Wade Gregory, Rick Alexander and Nava Ryan – having their works toured by the guitarist and the Acacia Quartet, and recorded on ABC Classic.

This year composers are invited to submit works for classical guitar and piano. “Guitar is a notoriously...