2026 Composition Competition Winner and Finalists
%20Hou%20Headshot_JPG.jpg)
Winner: Rain (Yurui) Hou
Manhattan Suite for flute and piano
Composer Rain (Yurui) Hou writes with interiority: which begins at the cellular, and the barely visible. Her sound explores and sometimes dismantles the human body through a micro-organismal lens, tracing back to its barest and most fragile state through its interaction with nature and the physical world. Raised in Shanghai and always in transit between her hometown and the United States, she is particularly drawn to the clashing landscapes and the distance in between. In response, her works often carry that tension of nostalgia, felt in ephemeral soundscapes like the vivid pattering of Shanghai rainstorms, the kaleidoscopic hum of Manhattan jazz clubs, and the sound of foreign vowels drifting across languages.
Rain’s music finds its fullest expression in collaboration. Chosen as one of the Sounds Promising composers for the world-class chamber ensemble Salastina, her works have also been recognized by the ASCAP Foundation, Arizona Flute Society, CreArtBox Chamber Music Ensemble, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, the International Alliance for Women in Music, among others. She has also worked closely with members of the Tak Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, and the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto. While she’s soaking up the intense learning at Columbia University, her go-to activity is spending Saturday nights at Village Vanguard listening to jazz.
Learn more about Rain (Yurui) Hou
Instagram
Finalist: Madeline Barrett
Hummingbird for flute and piano
Madeline Barrett is a Los Angeles-based composer of concert music whose work intertwines nature, emotion, and diverse musical influences. Raised in Phoenix, AZ, she draws inspiration from the world around her, whether it be the oceans of the North American coast, the deserts of Arizona, or the softly bustling streets of Boston.
Madeline’s works have received diverse awards and have been performed around the world by artists such as the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Orchestra Senzaspine, Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Salastina, Carpe Diem String Quartet, Quatuor Diotima, Fivemind Reed Quintet, Boston New Music Initiative, and PHACE ensemble, as well as soloists Hila Plitmann, Stefano Greco, SUUVI, Lisa Pegher, and Michelle Rice. She is a recent winner of the 7th Annual Boston New Music Initiative Young Composer Competition for her work The Flowers That Close at Night.
Madeline has a Bachelor of Music in Composition from Chapman University and a Master of Arts from UCLA. She recently received her PhD in Composition from UCLA under the tutelage of Richard Danielpour and Ian Krouse.
Learn more about Madeline Barrett
Instagram
Finalist: Eddie Jowels
commodit for solo flute
Eddie believes in the power of imagination, and through creative mediums, he pursues the rejuvenation of this innate human characteristic, in order to inform, connect, and heal. Currently, Eddie teaches privately and performs throughout upstate NY and the greater Tri-State area. He is the creator of the fluid improvisation ensemble, Pigbutchering. Recently, Eddie was a festival composer at the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY and premiered a new work with the American Modern Ensemble.
Eddie’s music ranges from experimental improvisation to classical performance. He produces and performs original music ranging from orchestral and chamber works, to avant-garde rock, hip-hop, R&B, and aleatoric works. He has been a live performance and session drummer, keyboardist, singer, bassist, producer, arranger, and composer for over twenty years.
Eddie is a regular contributor to the Cooper’s Cave Composer’s Consortium, an SJAC artist, a member of the DSA Albany chapter, and regularly volunteers at the St. Francis Mission Soup Kitchen in Albany, NY.
Learn more about Eddie Jowels
Finalist: Christian Glascock
...if you do for flute and electronics
Christian Glascock is an award-winning flutist and composer from Michigan. He holds a degree in Flute Performance from Grand Valley State University, where he studied flute with Professor Chris Kantner and Dr. Abigail Walsh, and composition with Dr. Bill Ryan. As an avid performer and advocate of new music, he is dedicated to exploring and championing contemporary repertoire, with his music performed by musicians around the world. His compositions have received national recognition, including first prizes in the Flute New Music Consortium (FNMC) Composition Competition in 2024 and twice in 2025.
In 2024, he co-authored Plugged In: Practice and Performance Method for Flutists with Dr. Abigail Walsh, a collection featuring ten original etudes for flute and delay. The book received the Newly Published Methods Award from the National Flute Association in 2024. The method has been reviewed and praised by prominent figures in the flute community, including John Wion, electric flute virtuoso Mellissa Keeling, and past president of the National Flute Association Rebecca Johnson.
He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Composition at Bowling Green State University, where he studies with Marilyn Shrude.
Learn More About Christian Glascock