We are pleased to announce the winners of the O Blissful Loss of Self call for scores and competition. It has been such an honor and an amazing experience to have the opportunity to get to know these amazing composers and their work! It was extremely difficult to choose among the works submitted. All of the semifinalists and finalists are deserving of praise, bringing forth works of art by women with such creativity and voices that lead and shape the direction of concert music.

The two top prizes go to Elyse Hart for her work titled “Five Poems of Mirabai for Flute and Soprano” and to Melissa Tosh for her work “Blissful Loss of Self.”

Hart’s “Five Poems” are set to poems by Mirabai, who was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Lord Krishna.

Tosh’s “Blissful Loss of Self” is a cycle of four songs for Flute and Voice based on poems by Chinese Buddhist Nuns.

We are also very pleased to announce three runners-up:

They are Evgeniya (Jane) Kozhevnikova, Anna Vriend, and Negin Zomorodi.

We can’t wait to perform these selected works in the upcoming seasons at UNCG and UNCSA. Congratulations to you all!