Call for scores: Ensemble Modern compositions

The selected composers will each receive a commission to compose a work to be premiered by Ensemble Modern on 31 May 2023 in Cologne, Germany, with another performance planned for South Africa in November or December 2023.

Criteria

The composers/works should relate to Africa and/or African music traditions in some way.

To be eligible for selection, composers must fulfil at least one of the following criteria:

• Be a citizen or resident of a country in Africa south of the Sahara (i.e. all African countries and adjacent island nations are eligible, except Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco).
• Propose a work that has a concrete and tangible connection to African music traditions, and/or responds in some noticeable way to African music theories or practices.
• Project proposals should explain how one or both of these criteria is/are being fulfilled.

Note: There are no other prerequisites or limitations for eligibility. There is no submission fee.

Instrumentation and notation

• Ensemble Modern: 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone, 2 pianos/keyboards, 2 percussion, 2 violins, 1 viola, 2 cellos, 1 contrabass, 1 sound designer/engineer.
• Proposals not utilising the full ensemble are expressly encouraged.
• Notations can be unconventional, but pieces must be realisable within the constraints of the modest rehearsal time (about 3 to 4 days for the complete programme).
• Live electronics and/or African musical instruments, played by the composer or others, can be included, in that case the proposal must explain how these additional forces will be financed and performed.

Timeline

• The deadline for proposal is 23 September 2022 (23.59pm CAT).
• Selected composers will be informed on 3 October.
• Composers’ confirmation of participation and commissioning contract by 10 October.
• Works due (full scores and parts as PDF files): 31 March 2023.
• Rehearsals: Late May 2023 in Frankfurt and/or Cologne, Germany.
• Premiere: 31 May 2023 in Cologne.
• Planned repeat performance in late November or early December 2023 in South Africa.

Proposal details

Project proposals can be submitted in English, German, French or Portuguese and must include:

• Scores, recordings (need not be professional quality, MIDI mockups acceptable) and programme notes of two existing works by the composer with some relevance to the proposed project (in concept, instrumentation, etc.).
• Composer biography (maximum 500 words).
• Description of the proposed composition project including conceptual/aesthetic and practical considerations (about one page). This can be supplemented by lists, diagrams or score fragments, if desired.

Interested composers should submit their proposals via email to [email protected] before 23 September.

Recordings should be posted online (on SoundCloud, Vimeo or any other location for which a link can be provided) and inks to the recordings must be included in the proposal submission.

Recordings should not be password-protected and must remain accessible online until at least 31 December 2022.

Selection process

The selection will be made by a panel consisting of at least one representative from Oluzayo Festival and Ensemble Modern, and one or two outside experts. The panel’s decisions are final and cannot be contested.

Concerts and context

The concert will open the Oluzayo African Music Futures Festival – a unique festival in the orbit of the European Conference on African Studies, hosted by the University of Cologne. The event will be curated by Thomas Glässer, Joseph Kamaru, Lukas Ligeti, Nonku Phiri, and Ignacio Priego.

“We are seeking proposals for works for chamber ensemble of up to 18 musicians (smaller ensembles are encouraged) with a duration of roughly 10 to 20 minutes (exceptions possible),” NewMusicSA said.

View the original call here.