Awards and Prizes
Marion Brown Prize
Composer, improviser, saxophonist/clarinetist, visual artist, and writer Marion Brown (1931–2010) was a Bowdoin graduate and served as an Assistant Professor of Music at Bowdoin from 1971 to 1974. His compositional language interwove avant-garde jazz techniques, folk-rooted melodies and rhythms, European modernist color, and a deep sense of cultural and personal history—creating a body of work that was both experimental and profoundly human.
Bowdoin College’s Marion Brown Prize seeks to continue this legacy by supporting an annual residency for composers at an early stage in their careers whose work shares this ethos of cultural and personal history, broadens the landscape of contemporary composition, and fosters a welcoming, varied musical community.
The 2027 Marion Brown Prize will be the commissioning of a 10- to 12-minute work for large wind ensemble and percussion. Applications will be accepted from October 1 to November 30, 2026.
Please address any questions to Delmar Small.
2027 Marion Brown Prize Application
Time Line
| 2026-10-01 | Application period opens |
| 2026-11-30 | Application period closes |
| 2027-01-15 | Finalists chosen |
| 2027-01-30 | Winner chosen |
| 2027-02-15 | Winner receives 50% of award |
| 2027-09-15 | Completed full score and part due |
| Balance of award paid upon receipt of scores | |
| 2028 Early March | Composer on campus for residency |
| 2028 Mid-April | Composer on campus for residency and performance |
Scoring Details
| Length | 10 to 12 minutes |
| Commission Fee | $5,000.00 |
| Difficulty | Grade 4 |
| Scoring | Large wind ensemble with percussion (see instrument list below) |
| Theme | To be determined by the composer and the premiere conductor |
Performance Information
The commissioned work will be premiered by the Bowdoin College Concert Band, John P. Morneau, conductor. It will be offered to other institutions who can participate in a consortium of premieres. After the last of these, the work will be available for performance at the discretion of the composer. Bowdoin's right to perform the piece will last in perpetuity.