Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition

ALCM Awards

Raabe Prize for Excellence in Sacred Composition

Faithful Servant Award

Norma Aamodt-Nelson Student Scholar Award

Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition

The Center for Church Music at Concordia University Chicago, in partnership with the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, wishes to honor the legacy of distinguished professor of music Dr. Richard Hillert (1923-2010). He is best known for his composition “This Is the Feast,” published in Setting One of Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982). This canticle is now widely published in more than 20 recent worship books of many denominations, including Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), Lutheran Service Book (2006), and Christian Worship (2021).

Dr. Hillert’s legacy includes not only his many liturgical pieces and musical works, but also his many gifts for teaching composition. The Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition is awarded every other year to a current student at a Lutheran university or seminary. (Recent graduates may also apply.)

  • The submitted piece must be a church music composition (3-5 minutes in length) — suitable for a liturgical service.
  • Compositions to be considered by the panel of judges are invited from all geographic areas, and from all genres.

The cash prize of $1000 will be awarded at the ALCM biennial conference, which may also include a performance of the work as a part of its program. The Center will also donate $500 toward the winning composer’s travel to the conference.