CCM grad Charles Peck wins Summermusik’s composition competition

CCM alumnus Charles Peck (MM Composition, 2012) was recently named the winner of the 2026 Kreitler Commission Competition. The competition, which is open to composers of any nationality and age, is organized by Summermusik with resident ensemble Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra in partnership with Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle in North Carolina and Reno Chamber Orchestra. Launched in 2024, the competition supports the creation of new works for chamber orchestra and it has already attracted international attention. Matt Browne won the inaugural competition, followed by Simon Rivet last year.

As first reported by Movers & Makers, Peck was selected from a field of 288 applicants hailing from 30 countries. Peck will receive a cash prize of $10,000 and his winning work will receive four performances during the 2027-28 performance season: Summermusik will premiere Peck's piece during its 2027 festival, and its partner ensembles in Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Reno will then perform the work at later dates in the concert season.

The competition honors the legacy of John Henry Kreitler, a 10-time Emmy Award-winning composer and Summermusik board member who helped launch the program before his death in January 2024. Kreitler was passionate about providing opportunities for emerging composers, and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra premiered his Symphony No. 2 during the 2024 Summermusik Festival.

"We’re thrilled to be bringing Charles’ unique compositional voice back to Cincinnati," said Summermusik Executive Director and fellow CCM alumnus Evan Gidley (MM Saxophone Performance, ‘18). "His work stood out among nearly 300 submissions from many talented composers, which is a testament to his unique compositional ability."

During his graduate studies at CCM, Peck was the winner of the college's Composition Competition and he was awarded the Scott Huston Award for composition. His music, spanning a range of chamber and large ensembles, has been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, the Albany and Columbus Symphonies, the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the JACK Quartet, Sandbox Percussion and Contemporaneous. Recently awarded fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Peck has also received commissions from the Fromm Music Foundation, the Barlow Endowment, the McKnight Foundation, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Alarm Will Sound, the Bergamot Quartet and Ji Hye Jung. He has previously been named a winner of composition competitions with the New York Youth Symphony, ASCAP, the Lake George Music Festival, Frame Dance, the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Symphony in C, the Tribeca New Music Festival, the Boston New Music Initiative and the Foundation for Modern Music, among others.

“I cannot wait to get started and look forward to connecting with ensembles and audiences alike in the coming months,” said Peck.

Featured image at the top: Composer and CCM alumnus Charles Peck. Photo/provided