Call for scores: Female composers competition in the US

The competition is organised by Chicago a cappella as part of its mentorship programme in partnership with the Grammy-winning Kansas City Chorale and composer of chamber, choral, and orchestral music Stacy Garrop. It seeks to promote the works of promising composers and provide them with hands-on training to further their choral composition skills. 

Founded in 1993, the Chicago a capella runs a few projects throughout the year including producing educational outreach programmes.

Who can apply?

• Female composers who are eager to improve their choral composition skills.
• Upcoming female composers.
• Female composers of colour.

Requirements

• The piece should be submitted in PDF format and labelled as: Title.pdf.
• Written permission from the text copyright holder (if it’s not in the public domain). Please indicate the year the text was written.
• A pronunciation guide and/or diction recording, especially for languages less often seen in standard US repertoire).
• Audio file, if available (MIDI file is acceptable). 
• A letter of motivation in PDF format (max 300 words).

Entrants should send the above files with their complete contact information in the email body to info@chicagoacappella.org. 

Remuneration

The winning score will be performed by the ensemble during the 2021-22 season, with a performance recording available to the composer for non-commercial use. 

The composer will receive the following:

• An opportunity for a virtual one-on-one personal mentorship and advice session with the acclaimed composers and artistic directors from the selection committee based on the winning scored.
• A $500 stipend for work with mentors and the Kansas City Chorale choir. 
• An opportunity to perform with the Kansas City Chorale and/or get published. 
• An invitation to attend an early rehearsal of the work with the ensemble for an opportunity to receive feedback and make changes to the score (virtually, if travel to Chicago is not possible). 

Note:

• All composers who submit their entries will be invited to participate in a virtual meeting with Garrop regarding the business side of composing and an additional informal group conversation about navigating a career as a female composer.

Guidelines

• The score should last between three and five minutes in length. 
• Submissions must be unpublished, unawarded and not previously broadcast. 
• Previously performed works are acceptable. 
• Composers may submit a maximum of two pieces.
• The composition should not have more than 10 voice parts (SSSAATTBBB).
• There should be no name or contact information on the attachments.

The submission deadline is 1 April.

The winner will be announced on 1 May. 

For more guidelines, view the original call here.