Force of Nature: Forest & Bird’s Composition Scholarship

Force of Nature: Forest & Bird’s Composition Scholarship

Forest & Bird and the Performing Arts Community Trust (PACT) is proud to offer a chamber music composition scholarship for a young composer (aged under 25 on 1 September 2021).

Applicants will compose a work for a chamber music ensemble that focuses on any aspect of Forest & Bird’s role in protecting and restoring Aotearoa’s wildlife and wild places over the past 100 years.

The successful applicant will receive a $500 scholarship, the opportunity to work with professional New Zealand composers, and have your composition played by leading musicians. Your work may also be included in an Atoll Records recording alongside other original music created by the eight composers involved in this exciting project (see Background below).

If you love music and nature, this scholarship is for you, we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Application requirements:

  • You may use any or all of the following instruments: 1 flute, 1 clarinet, 1 violin, 1 cello, piano, and small percussion for 1 player (commonly used instruments that can be easily carried by one person);
  • The work must be between 3–5 minutes in duration;
  • The work is to be played by professional musicians but the notation should not be unreasonably complex;
  • Your submission must be made electronically by emailing pactnz@gmail.com, and must include full score, edited parts, good quality audio recording, and a completed copy of the attached entry form. The audio recording must be of the music being played live and may be recorded on a device such as phone, tablet etc.

The applications will be assessed by Wayne Laird and Peter Scholes on behalf of Forest & Bird and PACT (The Performing Arts Community Trust) and one composition will be selected for the scholarship.

The successful composition shall be available to PACT, who will manage the scholarship, and will be considered for performance, recording, and broadcast.

APPLICATIONS close on 31 October 2021. Results will be sent by email on or before 20 December 2021. For an application form, please email: Jenni Murphy-Scanlon, CEO PACT, at pactnz@gmail.com.

BACKGROUND: Forest & Bird has been protecting and restoring nature in New Zealand for nearly 100 years. To celebrate a century of conservation in New Zealand, the Performing Arts Community Trust is working with Forest & Bird on a unique project that combines music, history, and nature. PACT has received funding from Creative New Zealand towards the creation, performance, and recording of eight new chamber works in collaboration with Forest & Bird.

Lilburn Trust related talks in New Zealand Music Month Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa 2021

With you having expressed interest in Lilburn Lectures and Archive of New Zealand Music events in the past, I thought you might like to know about three events planned for New Zealand Music Month that involve research projects funded by the Lilburn Trust.

Counting the beat, sounding the changes

Mathew Hoyes, Lilburn Research Awardee 2020

Thursday 6 May 2021, 4:30pm to 5:30pm

Programme Rooms, National Library Wellington

Mat Hoyes presents his project to create an online NCEA resource that analyses New Zealand rock and pop music.

Through his experience as a music teacher in New Zealand, Mat has identified a serious need of a resource for the study of New Zealand popular music. He has started compiling analyses for 200 rock and popular songs by New Zealand artists to develop a NCEA teaching resource. Mat will discuss his process for preparing the resource and how he expects it to be used. He will talk of the obstacles and challenges met in preparing the work and for making it available.

About the speaker

Mathew Hoyes is a secondary school music teacher, having taught at Taita College, Wainuiomata High School and Porirua College. He has a Bachelor of Music from Otago University and experience as a music producer, musician, composer as well as music video editing. He has performed in many bands playing both covers and original material. Mat has also taught music to private students and in prisons.

A Huia calls the Tui singing in a Kowhai tree

Michael Vinten, Lilburn Research Awardee 2020

Thursday 20 May 2021, 12:10pm to 1pm

Programme Rooms, National Library Wellington

Michael Vinten talks on his project of collecting, recording and publishing pre-1950 New Zealand art-song. Initially intending it to be one volume the project has now expanded to four.  Titled Call of the Huia, it is envisaged this new resource will be of great benefit to singers and students wishing to include New Zealand material into their repertoire. Each volume will include a sound recording of the songs, giving it a wider appeal to music lovers generally. In this lunchtime talk Michael Vinten will explain what constitutes a New Zealand art-song and the process of selecting material. This will include some interesting stories of past New Zealand composers, with wider links to New Zealand’s history. 

About the speaker

Michael Vinten has been the Wellington Chorus Master and Associate Conductor for New Zealand Opera for twenty-eight years, as well as conducting for many other opera companies and musical groups. Having studied music history and composition at Victoria University of Wellington he went on to study a Masters Degree in orchestral conducting at Cincinnati University.

Gamelan Aotearoa

Gamelan Padhang Moncar, introduced by Dr Anton Killin, Lilburn Research Fellow 2021

Monday 31 May 2021, 6pm to 7:30pm

Te Ahumairangi, National Library Wellington

‘…rhythmic intricacy, hypnotic patterns, sheer sonic power, and refreshingly different tunings…’ Experience gamelan at the National Library with Wellington’s Gamelan Padhang Moncar (Dir. Budi Putra), introduced by Dr Anton Killin.

Gamelan first arrived in New Zealand in 1975 when Allan Thomas imported a set of instruments from Java to Victoria University of Wellington to support ethnomusicology teaching, with a performing ensemble soon being formed. There are now ensembles based around the country. Composers who were subsequently inspired to write works for gamelan include David Farquhar, Judith Exley, Megan Collins and Lilburn Fellow Anton Killin, whose works feature in this concert, along with that of Dedek Wayhudi from Indonesia and others.  Anton’s research will focus on cross-cultural music composition in New Zealand relating to the use of Indonesian gamelan. Gamelan has been a significant cultural influence on New Zealand composers since it was introduced. 

About the speaker

Dr Killin studied music composition and philosophy at Victoria University of Wellington, with cross-cultural music being the focus of much of his research. Since being awarded his doctorate in 2017, he has held post-doctoral fellowships in Australia, USA, and Canada.  

Blackboard Theatre Collective – The Isolation Mixtape Vol. 2

https://www.blackboardtheatre.co.nz/auditions

Blackboard Theatre Collective is proud to announce The Isolation Mixtape Vol. 2, a project in partnership with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
We are currently seeking New Zealand-based composers and songwriters to take part in a 72-hour Musical Theatre Songwriting Challenge.
SUBMISSIONS CLOSE SUNDAY 25TH OF APRIL AT 11:59PM

Call for Online Recordings—ISCM Virtual Collaborative Series

Dear CANZ Members

Last spring, ISCM called for links to music that would be included in their social media project ISCM Virtual Collaborative Series.

They are asking members to submit links to recorded performances – both audio and video – legally public and accessible on the Internet.

The goal of the project is to foster presence and coverage of contemporary music online via social media, to tease and entertain an audience looking for a new musical experience into getting acquainted with the best contemporary music available.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made online activity more crucial than ever before by hindering numerous live events, many concerts included. Now is the right time to strengthen the online presence of contemporary music!

ISCM are planning to showcase individual composers and works on the ISCM Facebook page. For this promotional purpose, they are mainly interested in recordings that are already publicly available on YouTube or SoundCloud. These could be easily added to playlists on the ISCM YouTube Channel and the ISCM SoundCloud page. However, they are open to suggestions of recordings on other online platforms, too, as long as the linked material may be made accessible legally.

There has been a long-term concern among ISCM delegates about a lack of interaction among membership in between ISCM festivals. ISCM hopes that their social media project will, in its small way, help to motivate accessible discussions online, keeping the community more engaged. They also hope that these Facebook Showcases will build bridges between different types of contemporary music, composed and performed in various regions of the World.

ISCM look forward to making available internet wide all this exciting music and to nurturing a new audience for it.

CANZ is allowed to submit 3-6 works to ISCM, so we’ll create a panel to assess and select if more are submitted. This is a fantastic opportunity to have your work viewed by an audience beyond Aotearoa. We look forward to receiving your entries!

Call for Online Recordings (Audio or Video)

Submit links and necessary information to info@canz.net.nz by midday on Tuesday 20 April.

Conditions of eligibility:

– Links to professional quality audio or video recordings, legally cleared for streaming on an online platform

– Works must be composed by a member of CANZ

– All rights must be cleared at the time of submission

– Composers, performers and other possible owners of rights must be properly credited

Necessary information:

– Name of the work, year of composition, ensemble/line-up

– Name and contact information of the composer

– Names of other possible owners of rights of the work and of the performance/recording

– Place and date of performance/recording

– Declaration of what rights have been cleared, how, and by whom

– Name and contact information of the owner of the account, page, or other online platform in which the linked material is situated, if other than the composer

Photographs in big format , CVs, biographies, commentaries, media quotes and any other texts facilitating the showcasing of the composer or the work are welcome.

Chamber Music New Zealand Commissioning Prize

Chamber Music New Zealand invites entries for the inaugural CMNZ Commissioning Prize.

CMNZ is looking to commission a New Zealand composer who has not been commissioned by CMNZ before to write a new piece to be toured by a group in the 2022 Regional Series. CMNZ will work with the successful composer and the ensembles on the 2022 roster to find a collaboration that is pleasurable and beneficial to all.

Award: An 8–10 minute commission premiered and toured by a group in the CMNZ 2022 Regional Series. The fee will align with CANZ guidelines.

Eligibility: The prize will be awarded to a composer who has not been commissioned by CMNZ before. New Zealand composers, including NZ-born composers now based overseas and composers born overseas now living in Aotearoa will be considered.

Deadline: Sunday 21 February, 2021

Full details on CMNZ’s website.

ISCM World New Music Days 2021

CALL FOR WORKS

We are pleased to announce the official Call for Works for the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World New Music Days 2021. Members are invited to submit scores/projects for the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World New Music Days 2021, taking place in Shanghai and Nanning from September 17 – 20, 2021 (Shanghai) and September 21 – 25, 2021 (Nanning). For detailed information about the Call for Works, see nmw.shcmusic.edu.cn

CANZ Members should make their submissions to info@canz.net.nz by 1 March 2021 to be considered for inclusion in the Official Submission. 

OFFICIAL SUBMISSIONS

For Sections and Full Associate Members of the ISCM, the official submission will comprise six (6) works across at least four (4) of the twelve (12) different Score Categories identified in this Call for Works. For an official submission to be eligible each submitted work must be eligible, the durations specified for each work must be accurate, and the submitted works correctly aligned with the relevant category. Assuming the submission is eligible and the ISCM member is in good standing (2020 Annual Report completed and annual 2020 membership fee paid) we guarantee that at least one of the submitted works will be presented during the ISCM World New Music Days 2021.

For Affiliated Associate Members, an official submission will comprise up to three (3) works. While there is no guarantee that any particular work will be selected, the organizer will strive to include them where possible.

INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSIONS

Individual Submissions must be submitted by an independent composer or a composer’s authorized representative. Submissions will be accepted from January 18, 2021 at www.iscm.org. An entry fee of €53.05 applies to Individual Submissions, payable at the time of submission by PayPal through the ISCM website.

Individual Submissions are not guaranteed a performance. Space for Individual Submissions is limited, but all submissions will be considered. Please promote this information via your networks.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Priority will be given to works within the recommended duration for each category. Furthermore, priority will be given to works written since 2012. Only one work per composer may be submitted, by either Individual submission or Official submission.

By submitting works to this Call, composers are agreeing that if their work is selected for performance/presentation, they automatically grant permission for the ISCM performance/presentation of their work to be recorded, broadcast, and streamed from the website without additional financial liability to the ISCM or the Festival Organizers.

INFORMATION REQUIRED

Information required for each Work to be submitted is:

  1. The composer’s personal and contact information: Given names; Family name; Name as it should appear in the programme; Date of birth; full Mailing address; Gender; Phone no.; email address; website (if applicable).
  2. Work information: Title; Submission Category; Accurate duration; Year of composition; Statement of whether the work has been previously performed.
  3. The score (.pdf document preferred), or audio/video documentation if the work does not have a written score – as described in the Work Categories.
  4. An audio or video recording of the work (if available).
  5. Programme notes for the submitted work in English (maximum 100 words).
  6. Technical rider specifying all equipment necessary to perform the work.
  7. Short biography of the composer in English (maximum 100 words).
  8. High-resolution digital photograph of the composer.

WORK CATEGORIES

Category I: Orchestral Works

  1. Instrumentation: 3 fl (II=picc, III=picc,afl). 3 ob (III=corA). 3 cl (III=bcl). 3 bn (III=dbn). – 4 hn. 3 tpt. 2 trbn. 1 btrbn. 1 tuba – 3 perc. 1 timp. 1 hrp – full strings
  2. Soloists are NOT allowed in the Composition, nor Piano.
  3. Works shorter than [12 minutes] will be given priority.

Category II: Works for Chinese Orchestra

1. Instrumentation: 2 Bangdi (I=Xiaodi, II=Qudi 2). 1 Qudi. 2 Xindi. 2 Soprano Sheng, 2 Alto Sheng. 1 Bass Sheng. 2 Soprano Suona.1 Alto Suona. 1 Tenor Suona. 1 Bass Suona. 1 Guan in C. 2 Yangqin. 2 Liuqin(II=Zhongruan). 4 Pipa. 4 Zhongruan. 2 Daruan. 1 Sanxian.

2 Guzheng. Timpani. 3 perc. Chinese Strings (Gaohu, Erhu, Zhonghu, Violoncello, Double Bass).

  1. Soloists are NOT allowed in the Composition, nor Piano.
  2. Works shorter than 12 minutes will be given priority.

Category III: String Quartet

  1. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
  2. Extended techniques are allowed.

Category IV: Chamber Music Group A

  1. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
  2. Instrumentation: 1 fl. 1 cl. 1 vln. 1 vc. 1 pno.
  3. Composers may choose any combination of 2 – 5 among the above instruments.
  4. Extended techniques on each instrument allowed.

Category V: Chamber Music Group B

  1. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
  2. Instrumentation:1fl. 1ob. 1cl. 1trbn.1perc. 1pno. 2vln. 1vla. 1vc. 1db. 1dizi. 1erhu.1pipa
  3. Composers may choose any combination of 6 – 14 among the above instruments, but at least 1 must be included from Dizi, Erhu or Pipa.
  4. Extended techniques on each instrument allowed.
  5. The intro video of Chinese Instruments: Dizi, Erhu and Pipa will be posted on the official website.
  6. The list of percussion instruments is attached at the end of Call for Works.

Category VI: Choir Works (SATB)

  1. Works shorter than 5 minutes will be given priority.
  2. It can be a capella. If not, the only instrument that can be included is piano.
  3. Extended piano techniques will not be accepted.

Category VII: Solo Piano Works

  1. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
  2. Extended techniques allowed on piano, performers are allowed to play inside the piano.
  3. Prepared piano works will not be accepted.

Category VIII: Percussion Works

  1. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
  2. The list of percussion instruments that can be used is:6 Tom-toms
    5 Suspended Cymbals
    2 Tambourine
    2 Snare Drums
    3 Triangles
    1 Bass Drum
    1 Marimba
    1 Vibraphone
    1 Glockenspiel
    1 Xylophone
    1 Cymbals (paired)
    1 Wind Chime
    2 Maracas
    1 Tempo Block (5 Blocks) 2 Bongo 2 Conga
    1 Tam-tam
    4 TimpaniIf the work requires any percussion instrument not listed above, the composer must bring the instrument to the rehearsals and concert.
  3. Compositions may be for 2-8 percussionists.

Category IX, X, XI, XII: Electronic Music

  1. Works shorter than 10 minutes will be given priority.
  2. There are four (4) Electronic Music Categories; be sure that the composition submitted fitsone of these.

Category IX : Electronic Music (Fixed Media/Tape Music Only)

  1. Composers must provide an audio file of the work in .wav format. The audio file can have maximum 8 channels. (Format options are: stereo; 4 channels; 5.1; and 8 channels.)
  2. Composers must supply a diagram showing the speaker layout.

Category X : Electronic Music with 1 Instrumentalist (Fixed Media/Tape Music)

  1. Composers must provide an audio file of the work in .wav format. The audio file can have maximum 8 channels. (Format options are: stereo; 4 channels; 5.1; and 8 channels.)
  2. Composers must supply a diagram showing the speaker layout.
  3. Only one (1) instrument should be included, selected from the following instruments:Flute; Oboe; Clarinet; Bassoon; Horn; Trumpet; Trombone; Violin; Viola; Violoncello; Dizi; Erhu; or Pipa.

Category XI : Electronic Music (Live Electronics Only)

  1. Only one (1) Operator is allowed for live performance.
  2. It is recommended that the Composer or the operator bring their own laptop for the live performance. Only 1 laptop is allowed in the performance.
  3. No instrument can be linked to the electronics in this Category. The work can have maximum 8 channels, and the composer must supply a diagram showing the speaker layout.
  4. Any special sensor or devices that the composer used should be brought to the performance by themselves. We don’t provide any kind of sensor or trigger devices.
  5. If the composer needs to use our Mac or PC for performance, the only software we can provide is Max-MSP. We strongly recommend you bring your own laptop.

Category XII: Electronic Music (Live Electronics with 1 instrumentalist)

  1. The performance allows only 1 operator and 1 instrumentalist in this Category.
  2. Only one instrument may be selected from following instruments: Flute; Oboe; Clarinet;Bassoon; Horn; Trumpet; Trombone; Violin; Viola; Violoncello; Dizi; Erhu; or Pipa.
  3. The selected instrument can be linked to the electronics. But the sensor or any linked devices should be provided by the composer.
  4. We strongly recommend that the devices that the composer provides are common and universal, with connecting ports such as USB2.0, USB3.0, USB-C or any audio port.Bluetooth is recommended for any wireless connections.
  5. We suggest the Composer or the operator brings their own laptop for the live performance.Only 1 laptop allowed in the performance.
  6. The work can have maximum 8 channels, and the composer must supply a diagram showing the preferred speaker layout.

The 11th JFC Composers Award: Co-creation with instrument players/performers

The Japan Federation of Composers calls for proposals for an opportunity to collaborate with an ensemble of musicians.

The 11th JFC Composers Award calls for the chamber music composed for specific instrument players/ performers. We will provide the instruments playing art and method guidance to the Entrants. And we will accept the provisional score submission ahead to that of the final version. After the provisional submission, we will provide the occasion where the Entrants could ask the questions to instrument players/ performer.

Normally, on the composition competition regulation, addition and correction on the scores are not accepted.

But in the actual stage, composers and performers would co-work to make the best performance till the last minute. So we will admit addition and correction on the score with condition that the Jury would assist the repetitions/ rehearsals. And all the process would be subject to screen.

This type of composer award might have never been held before. But ability to cope with them could be supposed to be one the composers’ quality. 

So we dare to raise the questions “This is what composer award should be”.

Works of up to 12 minutes duration for up to 8 players.

Available ensemble:

  • Ami OIKE : Violin , Viola
  • Masanori OISHI: Saxophone (Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone Saxophone)
  • Hideo KIKUCHI: Clarinet (Clarinet in E♭, B♭, A, and Bass Clarinet)
  • Shinya HASHIMOTO: Tuba, Serpent
  • Kei YAMAZAWA: Cello
  • Gaku YAMADA: Classic guitar (nylon strings), Acoustic guitar (steel strings), 
  • Electric guitar (effector negotiable), Electric bass

Ensemble may be augmented by up to 2 additional players, one of whom may be the composer themself.

Provisional submissions: 1 June–30 November 2021

Application period: 1–23 December 2021

Application fee: JPY 10,000

JFC Composers Award (one piece): JPY 200,000

Selected composers will be invited to contribute to the rehearsal process, either in person or remotely, towards a concert in Tokyo in March 2022.

Full details, including contact details for the Award organisers, can be found in this document.

Viola Composition Competition Winter 2021

Entries are invited for the 2021 Australian and New Zealand Viola Society Viola Composition Competition.

  1. The composer must be a resident or citizen of Australia or New Zealand.
  2. Divisions: There are two age divisions:
    1. Student: Under 18 years old as of 1stMay 2021
    2. Open: 18 years old or over as of 1stMay 2021
  3. Categories: Both divisions have three categories. Composers may submit one entry in each category:
    1. Viola Solo Category: Viola Solo(unaccompanied)
    2. Viola Ensemble Category: Two or four violas
    3. Viola Duo: Viola plus voice or one other instrument
  4. Compositions are to be up to five minutes duration including all movements if more than one.

Closing dates for both divisions: Saturday 1st May 2021

For further information please check the ANZVS Website: http://www.anzvs.com/

Choirs Aotearoa announces Compose Aotearoa!

From Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand:

Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand Trust (Choirs NZ) is home to the three national choirs Voices NZ Chamber Choir, New Zealand Youth Choir and New Zealand Secondary Students’ Choir. For over four decades we have benefitted from and contributed to the creation of new New Zealand choral works. With this competition we aim to encourage the development of choral writing in New Zealand and provide a high quality performance opportunity for these works. We invite submissions for choral works suitable for performance by any one of the three choirs.

The rules are attached and works can be submitted through our website here: Compose Aotearoa!

Deadline for submission is 5.00pm November 10, 2020 with winners announced November 30.

NZ Opera: Voices of Aotearoa 6:24

Voices of Aotearoa 6:24 is an exciting new opera project that invites emerging and experienced artists to explore what it might be like to create an opera.

The project will comprise six teams each featuring an opera singer, an instrumentalist, a composer and a writer. It is our intention that these teams reflect as widely as possible the diversity of our culture, musical heritage and geography.

Each team will work together to develop a narrative outline, identify a moment of song within this narrative and collaborate utilising their specific skills to realise the writing, composition and performance of the song.

Specialised input from New Zealand Opera will contribute to the development of a rich dialogue around the subject of what opera is and what it might be.

Are you an opera singer, instrumentalist, writer or composer who is keen to learn about creating opera? We invite you to send in your expression of interest by filling out our application form.

Details on NZ Opera’s website.