The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) has announced the judging panel for HMD Harmony, its competition for young composers.
Open to UK-based musicians aged 18 to 25, the competition asks entrants to create an original piece inspired by the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2027, No Place for Prejudice.
The winning composition will be performed at the flagship ceremony on January 27, with the winner also receiving £500 to support the next stage of their musical journey.
The line-up includes broadcaster and Jewish Music Institute chair Rob Rinder, principal and CEO of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Josette Bushell-Mingo and pianist and educator Matthew Schellhorn.
They will be joined by Alex Sobel MP, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Music, Olivia Marks-Woldman, CEO of HMDT and HMDT trustee and musician Dr Linda Asquith, and
Rinder, who has previously written in the JC about his love of Jewish music, said: “Music has a unique power to reach us emotionally and to connect us with life stories and experiences that might otherwise feel distant. My own family history has taught me how important it is that the lessons from the Holocaust are remembered and passed on.
“But remembrance must also make us think about the choices we make today – about how we respond when we see prejudice, hatred or people being excluded…I am sure the entries will move us and challenge us, but above all, I hope they remind us of the part we can all play in creating a kinder and more understanding society.
For Marks-Woldman, the competition is a way of giving young people a role in Holocaust remembrance.
“We want to encourage a new generation to engage with Holocaust Memorial Day in new and creative ways,” she said.
Rather than prescribing a particular style, HMD Harmony gives young musicians the freedom to respond to the theme in whatever musical language felt appropriate, Marks-Woldman said.
“We know how creative young people can be. We want to leave it open and inspire them to use what they want. You can put feelings into music that words can't say.”
That freedom has been welcomed Bushell-Mingo OBE, who said the competition would give a platform to emerging composers. “There are loads of artists who don’t have opportunities and HMD Harmony can bring light to their work.”
The breadth of musical styles was important too, she said. “Different genres can attract a range of people, and different forms of music can attract different feelings and moments. HMD is about remembering, hope, and those two ideas can be represented in so many ways.”
Bushell- Mingo said the value of the competition extended beyond winning the prize. “I hope participants will learn about collaboration and understand the idea of working with others, while exploring their own responses to the subject. What do you respond to – why and how?”
Schellhorn said it was “both a privilege and a responsibility” to be on the judging panel, adding: “Music has a unique ability to foster remembrance and understanding across generations, and I greatly admire the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s commitment to encouraging young musicians to create new work that reflects hope, empathy and our shared humanity.”
Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates the six million Jewish men, women and children killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust, and the millions more from other communities who were murdered. It was also founded to support education and remembrance of other genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
HMD Harmony is open to UK-based musicians and composers aged 18 to 25 and invites entrants to create an original piece inspired by the Holocaust Memorial Day 2027 theme, No Place for Prejudice. Entries can be in any musical style or genre.
Entries close on November 9
Information at: hmd.org.uk/news/new-music-competition/ or click here
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