2026 Competition
Georgia Tech's 2026 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition is an annual event aimed at identifying the world's next generation of musical instruments and unveiling the best new ideas in musicality, design, engineering, and impact.
The Guardian called the competition "The Pulitzer of the New Instrument World," and The New York Times described it as having a "special, otherworldly sound that you can feel permeating your soul", which has become the hallmark of the competition. Fast Company explained how Guthman's "futuristic instruments will change how we make music," and Atlanta Magazine suggested that "at the Guthman Competition, innovative instruments just might predict the future of music."
Approximately ten finalists were invited to attend the 2026 edition of the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta on March 13 and 14, 2026. Finalists must attend the competition in person to present their work to the judges, perform on a public concert, and compete for $10,000 in prizes. Finalists will receive an honorarium ($500 for finalists located within North America and $1000 for finalists traveling from other countries) to help defray the cost of traveling to Atlanta.
Previous Guthman Competition Winners
The Guthman Musical Instrument Competition boasts a legacy of identifying great new ideas in instrument creation. Instruments like the Infinitone showed us that it's possible for a musician to use as many tones as an artist uses hues of color, while The Glide demonstrated that music can be accessible and easy for anyone to create, regardless of ability or skill level.
Regardless of what niche a created instrument fills, it has a place waiting for it at the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition.
Georgia Tech School of Music
Our music technology students combine technical skill with exceptional music talent to truly change the way the world experiences music. They use what they learn to go on to careers in a variety of fields, including software development, hardware engineering, acoustics, robotics, automotive audio, and artificial intelligence.
For the student with a passion both for making music and developing cutting edge technology, a degree in music technology fulfills a unique space in both artistic expression and technical achievement.