Courtesy of a generous gift from Louisa Sarofim, the composition department awards annual composition prizes for the best undergraduate and graduate student works. A panel of professional composers outside the school of music is selected each year to adjudicate the competition. Winners receive a cash prize and are commissioned to compose a new work for
AURA.

Graduate Student Award Winners & Commissioned Work

• 2009 — Jack Benson, Fringe (violin & viola)
  Fringe (excerpt)
• 2008 — Joel Love, Real Fiction (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)
  Real Fiction (excerpt)
• 2007 — Tyler Ruberg – Shock Wave; Hugh Lobel – Through the Electric Naught
• 2006 — Brad Sayles – The Penny Arcade; Devin Collins – El Devorador de Eternidad

Undergraduate Student Award Winners & Commissioned Work

• 2010 — Phillip Elder, New Work
• 2009 — Hong-Da Chin, Lost Sound (violin & marimba)
  Lost Sound (excerpt)
• 2008 — Paul Wadle, Exertion/Distortion (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)
  Exertion/Distortion (excerpt)
• 2007 — Hugh Lobel, Through the Electric Naught (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)
• 2006 — Devin Collins, El Devorador de Eternidad (fl, cl, vn, vc, pf, perc)