HerVoice competition winners (l. to r.): Gillian Rae Perry and Yue Song.
CHICAGO — Chicago a cappella is thrilled to unveil the winners of the organization’s 2026 “HerVoice” competition and mentorship program, showcasing the talents of emerging women composers. Now in its sixth year, the program once again received an overwhelming response, with 75 submissions from composers in 22 countries.
The winners will each receive personal mentoring from one of the program’s acclaimed composer panelists, Stacy Garrop and Chen Yi. The winners will also receive a $500 cash award. Each piece will be workshopped and performed by either Chicago a cappella under the direction of artistic director John William Trotter, who created the HerVoice program, or the Santa Fe Desert Chorale under the direction of artistic director Joshua Habermann.
The 2026 winners are:
Gillian Rae Perry, Baltimore, MD
Perry’s composition we could (be) will be workshopped and performed by The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and she will work with mentor composer Stacy Garrop.
Gillian Rae Perry is a composer and songwriter whose work is dedicated to themes of mental health, vulnerability, and interconnectedness. She grew up on a bird farm in rural Texas and her first compositions were written for the birds.
Perry was the Vanguard Emerging Opera Composer with Chicago Opera Theater for the 2022-2024 seasons and is a 2025-2026 recipient of New Music USA’s Creator Fund Grant. Her grant with New Music USA provided funding for her latest album, gilly’s garden, set to release April 3, 2026. Her work has been performed by the Chicago Philharmonic, Chicago Opera Theater, Atlanta Opera, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, among others. Perry’s work has been described as “sweet and sensitive” (Parterre Box) as well as “gentle, introspective, caring, important, and beautiful” (Music City Review).
With degrees in both film and music composition, as well as growing up a theater kid, Perry actively integrates art forms outside of music into her artistic practice. Perry is also influenced by text and poetry and she released her first collection of poetry, What Will I Wish for Now?, in 2024. Perry holds an MFA in music composition from The California Institute of the Arts and is currently a DMA candidate at the Peabody Institute.
Yue Song, Dublin, Ireland
Song’s composition See You By The Riverside will be workshopped and performed by Chicago a cappella, and she will work with mentor composer Chen Yi.
Yue Song is a Chinese composer and pianist based in Dublin, Ireland, represented by the Contemporary Music Centre Ireland. She holds a BA in Composition from the China Conservatory of Music and a Master’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music, with further studies leading to a PhD in Composition at TU Dublin Conservatoire, completed in 2023.
Her compositions span opera, orchestra, Chinese orchestra, chamber music, solo pieces, and electronic music. They have been performed internationally by groups such as Crash Ensemble, ConTempo Quartet, Concorde Ensemble, Hard Rain Ensemble, Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble, Unconventional Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland at festivals across Austria, Canada, China, Estonia, France, Italy, Ireland, the UK and the U.S. She focuses on collaborative composition, integrating performers’ unique characteristics into her music.
Yue’s works have been featured at major international festivals and are noted for their innovative blend of music and narrative, particularly in opera, where she often writes her own librettos. Her music has also been broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM, New York Public Radio, WUSF Public Media, Dublin Digital Radio, and Athlone Community Radio, and featured on programs such as amplify by the Contemporary Music Centre.
Yue has received awards including prizes at the World Championship Composition Competition (Franz Schubert Conservatory), European Composer Competition (Academia Musica, Vienna), Women Composers Competition (Fem Festival, Florence), and China Chamber Opera Composition Promoting Project Prize (CCOM, Beijing). Her works have been published by Crash Records, and on DVDs released by Central Conservatory of Music and Beijing Dance Academy. Her recent album of bass clarinet and electronic works, performed by Marcella Barz, was released on North Bull Records.
2025 HerVoice winner Joan Johnson Drewes will have her winning composition premiered by Chicago a cappella in their fall 2026 program Northern Lights.
Performing with an ensemble of 10 singers and no conductor, Chicago a cappella has been hailed as “the area’s best unaccompanied group” (Chicago Magazine) and “the city’s liveliest, most versatile vocal ensemble” (Chicago Tribune). Founded in 1993, the group spans a repertoire from Gregorian chant to the Beatles and beyond. With more than 500 performances to its credit, Chicago a cappella produces an annual concert series in the Chicago area, and it has appeared in 13 American states and in Mexico. The ensemble is heard frequently on radio nationally and has a catalog of nine CD recordings on the Cedille, Centaur, and Gothic labels.
The American Choral Director Association is a sponsor of HerVoice.
HerVoice is partially supported by grants from The Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust.
