The Black Pencil Prize 2026 is now open for submissions! This international open call invites composers of all ages and nationalities to create a short new work (1-2 minutes) for the Black Pencil Ensemble inspired by Almere.

The 2026 edition is held in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Almere, the youngest city in the Netherlands, also known as “Ally.” Composers are invited to draw inspiration from one of four sub-themes:
Ally Nature
Ally Architecture
Ally Stories
Ally Next

Requirements:
Age limit: none
Application fee: none
Nationality requirements: none
Duration: 1 to 2 minutes
Instrumentation: Preferably for the full ensemble: recorder, panflute, viola, accordion, and percussion. Submissions are also welcome for solo works or any combination of these instruments.

Applications close on June 15th, 2026.

The selected finalists will be announced and their works performed by the Black Pencil Ensemble at Kunstlinie on 18th October 2026.