He made the announcement at a press conference in Bielsko-Biała, southern Poland, this week.
He wants participants to submit a piece lasting from 10 to 15 minutes inspired by the famous painting ‘The Tower of Babel” by the 16th-century master Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
A selection panel will choose 10 finalists, who will be invited to Bielsko-Biała in June to take part in open rehearsals of the performances of their pieces.
An international jury chaired by Preisner, and including Lisa Gerrard, Fernando Trueba, Michel Duval, and Matthew Sweet, will select the best three entries.
The winner will receive EUR 25,000 in prize money plus career building opportunities.
Preisner wrote on Facebook: “Dear composers from around the world, I invite you to take part in the Preisner Scoring Competition. I am sure that this competition will be helpful to you.”
Preisner is best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski.
In September, Preisner celebrated his 70th birthday with a special concert at London’s Barbican Centre, which featured music from Kieślowski’s Three Colours trilogy, The Decalogue and The Double Life of Veronique, as well as excerpts from Preisner’s Requiem for My Friend, his musical tribute to the late director.
In addition to writing scores for Kieślowski, Preisner has composed music for other leading European directors and created large-scale concert works.
(mk)