FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Capital Hearings Announce Winner of the 2026 Young Composers Competition
WASHINGTON — August 17, 2026 — The Capital Hearings have selected composer Meadow Bridgham’s original work “Annabel Lee” as the winner of its 12th Annual Young Composers Competition. The composition, a setting of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem originally published in 1849, will receive its world premiere at The Capital Hearings’ fall concert, The Tales We Tell, on October 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
“This piece has lived in my mind for a while.” Bridgham said. “I began working on the melody a few years back, eventually setting it for soprano and piano in 2025, alongside several other Poe works. When I came across [the Capital Hearings’] competition, I knew “Annabel Lee” deserved a completely fresh treatment.”
The Capital Hearings’ 2026 season explores music as a powerful storytelling tool. From anthems that carried the hope of generations, to folk songs that smuggled truth past watchful eyes of power, to symphonies that painted entire worlds without a single word, music doesn’t just accompany stories. How a song is written, how it’s shared, and who it reaches, all add dimensions to what a story can do.
Bridgham’s “Annabel Lee” perfectly captures the macabre and haunting tone of one of America’s greatest storytellers. Their composition begins as a simple folk tune, and gradually transforms into a keening cry for a lost love, as fragments of the name Annabel Lee echo beneath Poe’s stanzas.
“This is in fact my first genuine effort writing for choir, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I hope it isn’t the last time!”
SAVE THE DATE
The Capital Hearings present The Tales We Tell, on October 3, 2026 at Live! at 10th & G! Experience an unforgettable evening of myths, tales, yarns, and parables set to song—featuring the world premiere of Annabel Lee, the winning composition of our 12th Annual Young Composers Competition.
About Meadow Bridgham
Meadow Bridgham writes music to move people. Motivated by the human imperative of radical empathy, their work breathes new life into the formal and tonal histories of classical music, a musical upcycling that meets contemporary audiences where they are. Meadow’s music is intimate, personal, unapologetically lyrical, and at times abstract, angular, and textural.
Meadow has garnered national recognition with performances at the American Music Festival, the New York Festival of Song, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference. Their work has reached international audiences through the Westben Composer-Performer Residency in Canada, the Brisbane Music Festival in Australia, and the International Double Reed Society Convention in Thailand, among others. Recent performances of their music include Detroit Institute of Arts’ Rivera Court, the Utzon Room at Sydney Opera House, and Merkin Hall at New York’s Kaufman Music Center.
Meadow holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Yale School of Music where their “Spring Sonata” for violin and piano was awarded the Kellogg Memorial Prize. More about their work can be found at bridghammusic.com.
About the Capital Hearings
The Capital Hearings is a dynamic vocal ensemble based in Washington, D.C., known for its diverse repertoire that spans classical, contemporary, jazz, and pop genres. With a mission to transcend traditional boundaries and engage audiences through innovative and eclectic performances, The Capital Hearings have established themselves as a leading force in the world of vocal music.
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Media Contact:
Trent Perrin
tperrin@thecapitalhearings.com
