Briggs Chamber Music Competition

Hosted by the Department of Chamber Music, the Briggs Competition was created to encourage the excellence of chamber music performance at SMTD and to provide performance opportunities for small ensembles.

The 2026 Competition was held on April 4 at Britton Recital Hall.

The Briggs Competition is made possible by support from the Dale & Nancy Briggs Chamber Music Endowed Enrichment Fund and is named in honor of its benefactors. The fund was established in 2004 and endowed in 2006, to support program and/or scholarship needs in chamber music.

The annual competition was launched in 2014, with guest judges selecting winners from groups representing the breadth of SMTD’s chamber music offerings.

Six people pose together standing at SMTD

Dale and Nancy Briggs pose with student performers at a past competition.

Cerus Quartet: 2023 First Prize Winners

Prizes

First Prize: $5,000
Second Prize: $3,000
Third Prize: $2,000
Honorable Mention(s): $500
Michigan Composition Prize: $2,000 for best performance of a piece written by a University of Michigan composer (either a current student or a graduate from the classes of 2019-2023)

Eligibility

Open to any instrumentation/voice types in unconducted groups of 3-10 members. Every member of an entering group must be enrolled at the University of Michigan in winter semester 2024.

Repertoire

As part of their application, groups must submit a repertoire list with at least 40 minutes of music and at least two complete works. The remainder of the list may be individual movements or other shorter works. Every repertoire list will be evaluated for rigor before applications are accepted, and programming choices will factor into adjudication. The makeup of the ensemble should remain consistent throughout your selections.

2026 Competition