An adjudicated national competition with a scholarship prize of $5,000 for a new string quartet by a composer currently enrolled at the University of Oklahoma or a composer seeking admission to the undergraduate or graduate composition area at the University of Oklahoma. The Hennigan Prize in Composition is designed to enhance the repertoire of new music for major ensembles and chamber music.
Administered by the University of Oklahoma School of Music, the Hennigan Prize was created in 1998 by Carol Beesley, wife of Michael Hennigan and former art faculty professor at the University of Oklahoma, to honor her late husband. The judges are comprised of nationally known composers selected by the OU School of Music faculty.
The winning composition is premiered on the OU campus or by an affiliated professional ensemble. The prize is awarded every two years to an outstanding composer.