Young Composer Competition
The Chippewa Valley Symphony Young Composer Competition
The Chippewa Valley Symphony Young Composer Competition is part of CVSO’s ongoing partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC). Eligible composers are current or recently graduated composition students from UWEC. The competition is facilitated by Dr. Chia-Yu Hsu, Associate Professor of Music Composition at UWEC, and judged by CVSO’s Artistic Advisory Committee.
Important dates for the 2026-27 Young Artist Competition
April 10, 2026: Applications Due
January 1, 2027: Score and Parts Due
Spring semester 2027: Winner’s premiere with CVSO | Pablo Center at the Confluence
Meet 2025-26 Winner Luke Tackett
Luke Tackett is a recent graduate of UW-Eau Claire who studied music composition under Dr. Chia-Yu Hsu and Dr. Aaron Hedenstrom. He began considering composition as a career path during high school, where he composed and rehearsed an original piece for his school's band. Since then, Luke has composed numerous other works for soloists and small ensembles including solo piano, brass quintets, woodwind quintets, saxophone quartets, string quartets, percussion ensembles, vocal ensembles, jazz combos, and various mixed groups, as well as several electronic compositions. He has also composed several large ensemble pieces, including an orchestra piece for the UW-Eau Claire Symphony Orchestra after winning the 2024 UWEC Concerto Competition and a multi-movement piece for UWEC’s Wind Symphony which premiered in March of 2025. Recently, he composed the soundtrack to UWEC’s production of Eurydice, premiering in February of 2026.
Luke’s compositional style aims for vibrant melodies and unique orchestration while also being enjoyable for both performers and listeners. He takes much of his inspiration from video game soundtracks, movies, jazz, and 19th century to present day classical music, notably late romanticism and impressionism. Outside of music, Luke enjoys hiking, biking, playing video games, creating art, and cooking.