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.