About the Atlanta Chamber Players and the Rapido! Composition Contest

An experienced investment and financial professional based in Atlanta, Rod Westmoreland is a private wealth advisor and a managing director of wealth management at Merrill Lynch. Beyond his professional endeavors, Rod Westmoreland supports organizations like the Atlanta Chamber Players (ACP).

Established in 1976, the ACP performs a wide range of musical pieces, from masterpieces to contemporary classics and work by living composers. With an ensemble comprising piano, wind, and string instruments, the ACP regularly tours across the United States and around the globe. The winner of the 2014 American Prize in Chamber Music Performance, the ensemble partners with the Antinori Foundation to sponsor the Rapido! composition contest.

Since 2009, the contest has challenged composers to write a new piece of chamber music during a two-week composition period. Open to composers of any age and experience level, the contest requires each finished piece of music to be between 4 minutes and 6 minutes long. 

To select semi-finalists, the contest divides the country into five regions, and the top 15 compositions from each region are performed at regional concerts. From there, the winners of each region compete in a national concert. The first-place winner receives $7,500 and a two-week residency at the Hambidge Center for the Arts. The winning composition is also played by the five regional chamber ensembles and the ACP. In addition, the winner is invited to compose an original symphony work for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.