BBC CHRISTMAS CAROL COMMISSION COMPETITION

Back Bay Chorale is thrilled to launch our Carol Commission Competition — an annual celebration of creativity,
community, and the enduring magic of the Christmas carol


About the Competition


Each year, the Back Bay Chorale  will commission a brand-new carol that embodies the spirit of the season and premieres at our beloved A Boston Christmas concerts at Old South Church. The winning composer will receive a $2,500 prize and the opportunity to hear their work brought to life by our 100-voice ensemble.  Applications are reviewed by a panel of internationally recognized artists and should include a proposal and a portfolio of existing work. The selected composer will be commissioned in time to complete the carol for this holiday season.

 

We are delighted to announce Evan Williams as the winner of our 2026 Carol Commission Competition.

 

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Drawing from inspirations as diverse as Medieval chant to contemporary pop, the music of composer and conductor Evan Williams (b. 1988) explores the thin lines between beauty and disquieting, joy and sorrow, and simple and complex, while often tackling important social and political issues. Williams’
catalogue contains a broad range of work, from vocal and operatic offerings to instrumental works, along with electronic music.
 
His music been performed and commissioned by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the International Contemporary Ensemble, Quince Ensemble, American Brass Quintet, and by the Cincinnati, Toledo, Detroit, Seattle, and National Symphonies. He has received performances at festivals such as MATA,
RED NOTE, the New Music Gathering, Strange Beautiful Music, SEAMUS, and the New York City Electronic Music Festival.
 
Williams has received awards and recognition from the American Prize, the National Federation of Music Clubs, ASCAP, Fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and served as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural Classical Roots Composer-in-Residence in 2018. From 2022 to 2025, he served as Composer-in-Residence for the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Williams holds a DMA in Composition with a cognate in Orchestral Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, where he served as a teaching assistant in electronic music. He also holds degrees from Bowling Green State University and Lawrence University.
Originally from the Chicagoland area, Williams resides in Boston, MA and serves as Associate Professor of Composition at the Berklee College of Music, where he teaches composition, conducting, music technology, harmony, and counterpoint.

If you have any questions , please send a note to carols(at)bbcboston.org


PAST WINNERS

 

2025: Michael Cheng

More >>>


Premiere: December 2025 at BBC’s  Boston Christmas concerts. 

 

 

OUR COMPETITION JUDGES

Submissions are evaluated by an esteemed panel of choral leaders and composers, including Back Bay Chorale Music DirectorSteve Spinelli, Donald Nally (The Crossing), Michael Gilbertson (Pulitzer Prize finalist, Boston Conservatory at Berklee), and GRAMMY-winning soprano Rebecca Myers (Variant 6).
Through this competition, we honor the carol’s rich tradition while nurturing bold new artistic voices — enriching our audience’s experience and adding a new gem to the choral canon each year.

ss.jpgStephen Spinelli - Music Director, Back Bay Chorale. Full Bio

dn.jpgDonald Nallyis a Grammy-winning conductor and visionary collaborator who has commissioned over 200 works and produced 37 recordings with his ensemble The Crossing, earning four Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance. His work spans major orchestras, opera houses, and art institutions worldwide, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A champion of socially engaged music, he is Director of Choral Studies at Westminster Choir College and John W. Beattie Chair of Music Emeritus at Northwestern University.

mg.jpgMichael Gilbertson is an associate professor of composition at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and a 2018 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in music. He is also the longtime artistic director of ChamberFest Dubuque and has held residencies with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and Copland House. His music—praised by The New York Times, Washington Post, and Philadelphia Inquirer—has been performed by major orchestras, choirs, and dance companies around the world.

rm.jpgPhiladelphia-based soprano Rebecca Myers is a versatile soloist and recording artist celebrated for her “timbral clarity and flawless pitch.” She is the Artistic Director and founding soprano of Variant 6, where she curates adventurous vocal programs spanning centuries. A three-time Grammy Award winner, she has performed with The Crossing, Seraphic Fire, Apollo’s Fire, and made recent debuts with the New World Symphony and Verità Baroque. 

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We are proud to participate in  Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program  in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health's WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of cultural organizations across Massachusetts by expanding cultural access for low-income and working families.

EBT cardholders receive $5 admission to concerts for up to four people per card. Please leave your name and phone number at 617-648-3885 to reserve. See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT discounts.

COVID-19 Policy:  At this time, there is no vaccine checking or masking requirement at Back Bay Chorale events.