Composer-in Residence 2013-2014

The New Zealand School of Music invites applications for the Creative New Zealand/Jack C. Richards Composer-in-Residence at the New Zealand School of Music 2013–2014.

The appointment is jointly funded by Creative New Zealand and private donor Dr Jack C. Richards, with the New Zealand School of Music acting as host organisation. It has been created to foster New Zealand musical composition by providing the appointee with the opportunity to write full-time for the period of tenure.

Applicants should be composers of proven merit and be New Zealand citizens or hold New Zealand residency. Applicants may not be employees of, or have been employed by, the New Zealand School of Music (NZSM), Victoria University or Massey University in the twelve months prior to the closing date. Students working towards the completion of a tertiary qualification (in the year of the residency) are also ineligible. Individuals who have been a composer-in-residence in a Creative New Zealand financially-supported composer residency within the previous twelve months are not normally eligible. In extenuating circumstances, the panel may waive this restriction.

The Vector Wellington Orchestra has also agreed in principle to offer the successful applicant a nominal position as Vector Wellington Orchestra Composer-in-Residence, providing a guaranteed performance of a new orchestral work written during the term of the residency.

Tenure and Terms

The appointment will be for twelve months from 1 July 2013 to 31 June 2014. The appointee must be resident in Wellington for the full term of employment (with absences to be negotiable with the Programme Leader (Composition) of the NZSM). While there is no obligation of formal teaching at the NZSM, some contribution is expected to be made to the NZSM’s cultural and academic life, in a manner appropriate to the personal strengths and preferences of the appointee, in agreement with the Programme Leader (Composition) of the NZSM.

The successful applicant will be hired as an NZSM employee, and will be provided with access to administrative, library and other facilities upon request.

The appointee is required to submit a written report to the Programme Leader (Composition) within one month of the end of the tenure, which is submitted to Creative New Zealand in accordance with their residency regulations.

The gross annual salary for the position will be NZ$50,000 for the twelve-month period, which includes 8% holiday pay to be paid when the term of appointment ends. Neither the NZSM nor Creative New Zealand can provide living accommodation, but the Lilburn Residence Trust has agreed in principle to offer the former home of Douglas Lilburn at 22 Ascot St, Thorndon to the appointee at a modest rental for the term of the residency.

Application process

A selection committee will comprise at least 3 members of the composition staff of the NZSM. Further enquiries may be made to Michael Norris, Senior Lecturer (Composition), NZSM. Email: michael.norris@nzsm.ac.nz; Ph: (04) 463 7456

Electronic applications (in MS Word or PDF format) and support material (in MP3 and/or PDF files) should be sent via email to HR Coordinator, NZSM (recruit@nzsm.ac.nz).

Applications may also be posted to: HR Coordinator, New Zealand School of Music, PO Box 2332, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

The following information must be submitted with applications:

(a) A current CV, which must include your qualifications, compositional experience, current employment status and a list of selected compositional output
(b) No more than 4 representative works. For notated works, please submit both scores (PDFs) and recordings (MP3s); for works with a visual component, please submit links to online videos (such as Youtube or Vimeo).
(c) A work proposal document for the tenure (see below), including details of any external funding for intended projects
(d) Confirmation that you are a New Zealand citizen or that you hold New Zealand residency

The work proposal document must include an outline of the works you intend to compose during the period of the residency.

In order to develop relationships between Wellington musicians and the composer-in-residence, applicants are encouraged to write for specific Wellington-based performers and ensembles selected from a list available for download from the following URL: http://www.nzsm.ac.nz/downloads/compreslist.pdf. Although the purpose of this partnership is for the mutual benefit of both composer and performer/ensemble, neither composer nor performer(s) is bound contractually in any legal sense.

Applications close 5pm, Friday 23 November 2012.

1st International Competition of Church Music Composition

The Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, together with the Musical Chapel and Casa Ricordi, present the 1st International Competition of Church Music Composition, for the celebration of the 1700-year anniversary of the Edict of Constantine in 2013.

With this event, the Duomo of Milan again becomes the center of the city’s cultural life and international scared music scene by promoting the participation of young, promising composers (up to age 40) from around the globe, who can enter their works by May 31, 2013.

The International Competition of Church Music Composition will also be an opportunity for the Veneranda Fabbrica to let surface the inestimable value of its Music Archives, and the central role of the Musical Chapel in the world of international church music.

The winner, in addition to receiving a cash prize, will see his/her score published by Casa Ricordi, and its first performance in the Duomo, in September 2013, during the MiTo Festival.

Full details here.