2024 Barlow Prize

The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University proudly announces the Barlow Prize recipient for 2024.

After reviewing 384 submissions from 47 countries, the judging panel awarded Karim Al-Zand the $15,000 Barlow Prize to compose a major new work for organ, to be premiered by a consortium of performers which will include Chelsea Chen, Don Cook, Janette Fishell, and Bradley Hunter Welch.

Known for his “strong and startlingly lovely” music (Boston Globe), Canadian-American composer Karim Al-Zand’s compositions span a wide range of influences and inspirations. His diverse portfolio includes solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral works that draw from a rich tapestry of sources such as graphic art, myths, world folk music, and his Middle Eastern heritage. With accolades including the ArtSong Prize and the Arts and Letters Award in Music, Al-Zand’s innovative compositions continue to leave a significant mark internationally. A founding member of Musiqa, Houston’s premier contemporary music group, Al-Zand is a Professor of Composition and Theory at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.