The Heartland Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is pleased to announce La Preda by TJ Huggins of Columbia, South Carolina, as the winning work of its 2026 Call for Scores Composer Contest. HSO will give the world premiere of Huggins’ composition during the Spring 2026 concert series, American Travels, with performances on March 28 in Little Falls and March 29 in Brainerd.
This year’s Call for Scores drew over 180 applications from composers representing 10 countries worldwide. The judging panel praised the exceptional breadth and quality of submissions, as well as the creativity and craftsmanship displayed in the compositions.
TJ Huggins is a composer and educator whose work spans a wide range of ensembles. Recent highlights include a first-place award in the 2025 Reno Pops Orchestra Composition Contest as well as the premiere of Behind the Mask by the Palmetto Chamber Orchestra. Huggins holds degrees from Coastal Carolina University and currently serves as Principal Oboe/ English Horn with the Palmetto Chamber Orchestra and the Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra. Now in his 15th year as an educator, he is the band director, music teacher, and arts department chair at Kelly Miller Elementary School in Winnsboro, South Carolina.
The committee also selected Steve Danyew’s In the Still Early Light as the runner-up. Danyew is an internationally recognized composer whose music has been praised for its craftsmanship, clarity, and expressive depth, with performances at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Sydney Opera House, and the U.S. Capitol. His honors include the 2019 Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize and a BMI Composer Award. In addition to his work as a composer, Danyew is a dedicated educator, teaching through his private studio and at the Eastman School of Music’s Institute for Music Leadership. He holds degrees from the Frost School of Music and the Eastman School of Music and self-publishes much of his catalog. Danyew’s piece will be performed at a concert during the 2026-2027 season.
This activity is made possible, in part, by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Five Wings Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. In Little Falls, additional support is provided by the Laura Jane Musser Fund.
The Heartland Symphony Orchestra welcomes audience members of all ages to its performances free of charge. No ticket is required, though donations are gratefully accepted at the door or online. For more information about the Heartland Symphony Orchestra and its upcoming concerts, please visit www.heartlandsymphony.com.