Your sound. Your story. Your city.
An open invitation to compose for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
For 120 years, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has helped shape the sound of the city – and the many communities, places and people within it.
In 2026, we open the score.
Open Score is a community composition project created as part of the MSO’s 120th anniversary, inviting the people of Melbourne, Victoria and beyond to contribute their own musical response to a shared theme: Sense of Place.
It’s shaped by where we come from, where we live, and what we carry with us.
Open Score is open to anyone, of any age or background. No formal musical training is required. If you have an idea, a sound, or a story you want to express through music, this is your invitation.
Selected works will be recorded by MSO musicians and shared across our digital platforms – giving everyday composers the opportunity to hear their music brought to life by a world-class orchestra.
About The Project
Open Score reflects what the MSO stands for today: music as something lived, shared and created together.
As part of our 120th anniversary year, Open Score invites the public to submit an original composition of up to two minutes, responding to the 2026 theme Sense of Place.
You might consider:
- What does home sound like to you?
- How does where you live shape who you are?
- What memories, landscapes or communities live inside your music?
Submissions may be notated scores, MIDI files or graphic scores, written for standard orchestral instruments. Smaller ensembles are encouraged.
This anniversary edition of Open Score runs for one year only, marking a moment in time – a collective musical snapshot of who we are, and where we are, right now.
Who Can Apply
Open Score is open to everyone.
- Any age
- No formal musical training required
- One original work per composer
- Music must be unperformed and not AI-generated
- View all terms and conditions
This is not about perfection. It’s about expression, imagination and connection.
What Happens Next
Submissions will be reviewed throughout the year by the MSO’s Artistic and Learning & Engagement teams.
Selected works may be:
- Recorded by MSO musicians
- Shared across MSO digital and social platforms
- In rare cases, workshopped or performed live
Selected composers will receive a recording of their work as part of the project.
Open to Everyone
Open Score is part of the MSO’s commitment to openness, access and shared cultural ownership.
It celebrates creativity in all its forms, removes barriers to participation, and reflects the belief that orchestral music belongs not just on the stage – but in the lives, places and imaginations of people everywhere.
