Aural Compass Projects’ Emerging Composer Competition

This year, Aural Compass Projects is holding its second annual Emerging Composer Competition. Through this competition, we hope to build connections with the world’s rising composers and provide a platform for young musicians to combine their values and principles with their creative process. In an effort to solidify a vital connection to new music and especially the genre of art song, it is our goal to share the transformative and regenerative powers of intimate song sharing, and, by doing so, instill incentive for the growth of this genre. Winners of this competition will receive a cash prize of $250 and will have their submitted work produced, performed, and recorded in an upcoming ACP project. This annual competition is open to composition students of any age whose submitted work meets the requirements.

Requirements
The work must be:
– written after October 1st, 2020
– A minimum of three minutes
– For solo voice unaccompanied, or accompanied by 1-2 of the following:
– Violin, Viola, Cello, Flute, Piano, Guitar, Electronics
– (If your piece includes an instrument outside of this group, please contact us at
info@auralcompassprojects.org before submitting.)
– Written by a student of composition (if not enrolled in a university composition program
currently, be able to prove private composition studies)
– Professors of composition are ineligible
– Composers who have more than two professional commissions are ineligible
– Texts are to reflect ACP’s mission statement as stated in bold on page 1 of this document.
– If text is not in English, please provide translation
– It is encouraged for composers to source texts from within their community
– Written from &/or about the perspective of a demographic or issue that you feel is
underrepresented in the arts
– A text for which the composer has secured copyright clearance–only text
setting permission necessary. (If the poem is not in the public domain, the
composer must be able to show proof that the proper rights from the appropriate
person in control of the copyright—either the poet, the poet’s estate or the
publisher—have been secured.)
For U.S. publications, the following is a summary of works in the public domain:
— works published before 1923
— works with a copyright notice from 1923-1963 but with no copyright renewal
— works from 1923-1977 without a copyright

To apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kBOV0t3D_bAiB1DUDlhk68gqpApVcui95MFZWrf…

By submitting to this competition, you grant Aural Compass Projects the right to publish your submission in an anthology of new music in the future. Winners and any runners-up may be featured in this anthology in the coming seasons.
The following are required material for entry:
(1) A Cover Sheet (PDF format) containing the following information:
1. Length (of each individual song and/or the complete cycle)
2. Date of Composition (the actual Date(s) of composition for each piece; Copyright date does not
suffice for date of composition)
3. Permission Statement (sighting legal permission to set text; such as “in the Public domain”,
“Permissions granted by the entity having Copyright Control – poet/publisher”, or “Lyrics written by
composer”)
4. A brief description of why this piece aligns with ACP’s mission (1-2 paragraphs).
5. (Click here for an Example)
(2) A PDF copy of the song score(s). Copies must be neat, legible, and clearly edited, and should include:
1. composition title;
2. poet’s name;
3. public domain status or person or agency granting text setting permission; and
4. length and date of composition.

 

Deadline 15 December 2021

Website auralcompassprojects.org