CALL FOR WORKS CATEGORIES
The ISCM World New Music Days 2017
Vancouver, Canada
November 2-8, 2017
Call for Works Categories
Selected works for the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) World New Music Days 2017, taking place in Vancouver, Canada from November 2-8, 2017 have been announced. Click here for full list.
Place as Possibility. ISCM in Vancouver.
In the spirit of the ISCM’s embrace of aesthetic diversity, submissions are encouraged in a wide variety of styles, reflecting the plurality of new music today.
CATEGORY 1: Asian Instruments +
1a: Powell Street Festival
POWELL STREET FESTIVAL WEBSITE
Powell Street Festival Society is dedicated to promoting Japanese-Canadian arts and culture, including intercultural explorations between Japanese-Canadian, Asian, and Asian-Canadian artists.
WORKS
Works for up to 4 players chosen from the following:
Sho (Japanese mouth organ), flute (doubling piccolo, alto flute, and bass flute), piano, percussion (one player)
Electronics welcome. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit stereo sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
1b: RED CHAMBER
Red Chamber straddles traditional and contemporary, whether it be ancient Chinese string band music seldom heard in the west, avant-garde compositions, bluegrass, or jazz fusion.
WORKS
Works for up to 7 players.
Works must include 1 to 4 Chinese instruments chosen from the following:
solo or any combination of zheng, pipa, ruan, sanxian – with the possible addition of violin, viola, and/or cello
Electronics welcome. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit stereo sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 2: Chamber Ensemble
2a: Land’s End Ensemble
Calgary-based and Juno-nominated Land’s End Ensemble is dedicated to introducing audiences to new music by Canadian and International composers, and to performing landmark chamber works of the 20th and 21st centuries.
WORKS
Works for 3 players:
Violin, cello, and piano
Electronics welcome. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit stereo sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
2b: Standing Wave
Vancouver’s cutting-edge chamber ensemble, Standing Wave comprises six new music virtuosi who bring an audaciously intimate aesthetic to the most complex and groundbreaking music.
WORKS
Works for 6 players:
Flute (doubling piccolo and alto flute), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet and e-flat clarinet), violin, cello, piano, percussion. Addition of classical or non-classical voice (any range) will be considered.
Pre-recorded electronics welcome. Composers should submit stereo sound files along with their performance materials. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
2c: WolfGANG
WolfGANG is a collection of musicians from Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra. Passionate about new music, these musicians prove that music has a wild side.
WORKS
Works for 3 to 6 players chosen from the following:
Flute (doubling alto flute), oboe (doubling English horn), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), bassoon, horn, trumpet, string quartet (extra strings possible)
No electronics. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 3: Choir / Vocal Ensemble
3a: Elektra Women’s Choir
ELEKTRA WOMEN’S CHOIR WEBSITE
Morna Edmundson, Artistic Director
Under Artistic Director Morna Edmundson, 50-voice Elektra is a leader among women’s choirs and has commissioned over 70 works in its 29 years.
WORKS
A cappella works for women’s choir in up to 8 parts (SSSSAAAA)
No electronics. Priority will be given to works of 10 minutes or less.
3b: musica intima
Internationally renowned for their warm and engaging stage presence, impeccable musicianship, and unique perspective on ensemble singing, musica intima has earned a reputation as Canada’s most exciting vocal chamber ensemble.
WORKS
Works for 8 voices (SSAATTBB)
These works for 8 voices can include:
simple percussion (played by ensemble singers)
simple staging
simple movement
use of specific prop(s)
Electronics welcome. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit stereo sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less that involve some kind of staging.
3c: Vancouver Chamber Choir
VANCOUVER CHAMBER CHOIR WEBSITE
Jon Washburn, Conductor & Artistic Director
The Vancouver Chamber Choir is a fully professional choir of twenty voices whose key activities include a subscription series, touring, recording and an extensive educational outreach program.
WORKS
A cappella works for 20 voices (5 sopranos, 5 altos, 5 tenors, 5 basses)
No electronics. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 4: Composer-Performer
Presented by the ISCM World New Music Days 2017
4: Composer-Performer
The ISCM World New Music Days 2017 invites composer-performers who work with an expanded approach to composition to submit work. We are seeking artists engaged with the practice of researching and developing new compositional and performative tools, whose practice embraces an intersection of the physical, the theatrical, and the visual. This may include performers exploring creation, composer-performer collectives, non-Western instruments, found/built instruments, electronics and extramusical elements.
WORKS
Please submit an artist CV/Résumé (4 pages max), PDF description of the work (maximum 500 words), a video of the composer-performer’s work, and a technical rider for the performance.
Performances will take place in a black box theatre. Stereo playback, single screen video, and basic lighting is available. Composer-Performers are required to bring all necessary materials for the performance, including their own computer with all software and additional hardware as well as all props and any other necessary materials.
Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less. In addition to three nights of accommodation, selected Composer-Performers will receive an honorarium of $250 per selected piece. (Collectives will receive one room for three nights and one honorarium of $250.) Selected Composer-Performers are responsible for their own travel to Vancouver.
CATEGORY 5: Creative Music Ensemble
5a: Hard Rubber Orchestra
HARD RUBBER ORCHESTRA WEBSITE
John Korsrud, Artistic Director
The Hard Rubber Orchestra is a versatile jazz orchestra specializing in contemporary composition that incorporates pop and rock, jazz, classical and world music.
WORKS
Works for up to 18 players, chosen from:
4 trumpets (doubling flugelhorn), 3 trombones, 1 bass trombone, 1 alto saxophone, 2 tenor saxophones (1 doubling soprano saxophone), 1 baritone sax, 1 piano/ keyboard, 1 electric guitar, 1 amplified violin, 1 electric or acoustic bass (doubling possible), 1 latin-percussion, 1 drum kit
No additional doubling accepted.
Pre-recorded electronics welcome. Composers should submit stereo sound files along with their performance materials.
All lengths of work will be considered, but priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less. Composers are encouraged to conduct their own works, and should state if this is preferable. In addition to three nights of accommodation, composers selected to conduct their own work will receive an honorarium of $250. Selected composers are responsible for their own travel to Vancouver.
5b: NOW Ensemble
NOW ENSEMBLE WEBSITE
Lisa Cay Miller, Artistic Director
Vancouver’s NOW Ensemble is drawn from a roster of leading improvising musicians, led by pianist and composer Lisa Cay Miller. The instrumentation is variable.
WORKS
Works for 7 improvising musicians, not instrument-specific:
Typical instrumentation may include piano with strings, woodwinds, brass, and/or rhythm section, with or without electronic processing.
Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less that focus on improvisation and/or aleatoric techniques, graphic scores, flexible notation, and interpretative notation. Works can include options for improvised live processing, and motivic, verbal, and chord-based improvisation.
Selected composers will be given the option of arranging their piece for specific instrumentation. Instrumentation will be confirmed 3 months prior to the performance.
5c: Vancouver Electronic Ensemble
VANCOUVER ELECTRONIC ENSEMBLE
Giorgio Magnanensi, Artistic Director
The Vancouver Electronic Ensemble embraces experimentation to encourage the development of creative music. The ensemble of experimental musicians utilizes diverse technology, graphic scores, conduction, and improvisation.
WORKS
Works for up to 15 electronic musicians working with a variety of technology, including various electronic instruments, software, laptops, circuitbent electronics and more.
VEE usually performs in a spatialized setting using graphic scores, conduction, and improvisation. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 6: Electroacoustic
6: University of British Columbia School of Music
UBC SCHOOL OF MUSIC WEBSITE
Additional opportunities to submit for electronics are available in other categories.
Keith Hamel, audio technician
Bob Pritchard, audio technician
Paolo Bortolussi, flute
François Houle, clarinet
Julia Nolan, alto saxophone
Corey Hamm, piano
The University of British Columbia School of Music will present a concert of solo electroacoustic compositions, works for one instrument and electronics (either using fixed media or interactive systems), or electroacoustic works that include video in the Roy Barnett Recital Hall.
WORKS
Works for solo electroacoustics or solo instrument with electroacoustics, chosen from the following:
Flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, or piano
Compositions can be stereo, quadraphonic, 5.1 or octophonic with or without solo instruments and/or video. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works that are 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 7: Installation
7: Western Front New Music
WESTERN FRONT NEW MUSIC WEBSITE
DB Boyko, New Music Director/Curator
Western Front New Music has a compelling history of presenting pioneers and new innovators of contemporary music in concerts, residencies, installations, recordings, outreach presentations, and workshops. Sound artists and composers are invited to submit an installation or design an immersive sound environment employing acoustic, electroacoustic, or electronic sound sources.
WORKS
Please submit an artist CV/Résumé (4 pages max), a PDF project description (maximum 500 words), a list of equipment and installation materials, and online support material (2 examples of work). Short-listed applicants will be contacted for additional materials.
Works for installation in Western Front’s Grand Luxe Hall (50 feet/15 metres long and 25/7.5 metres feet wide, 14-foot/4-metre ceilings, including a public address system with stereo and quadraphonic diffusion, video projectors, Yamaha Disklavier grand piano, audio and video editing suites) or installation in the Roundhouse Community Centre’s Exhibition Hall (trapezoid-like shape approximately 128 feet/39 metres and 70 feet/21 metres long and 60 feet/18 metres wide, 24-foot/7-metre ceilings). Artists are responsible for transporting and providing all necessary materials for selected installations.
Priority will be given to immersive works that investigate the continuum of sound from inaudible to audible, exploring real and imagined sounds within and beyond the hearing spectrum.
CATEGORY 8: Large Ensemble with Conductor
8a: Aventa Ensemble
AVENTA ENSEMBLE WEBSITE
Bill Linwood, Artistic Director
Aventa is an internationally-celebrated Victoria-based ensemble dedicated to the performance and fostering of new music in British Columbia and Canada.
WORKS
Works for 7 to 10 players chosen from the following:
Flute (doubling piccolo, alto and bass flute), oboe (doubling English horn), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), horn, piano, percussion (one player), violin, viola, cello, contrabass
Electronics welcome. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit stereo sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
8b: Ensemble contemporain de Montréal (ECM+)
ENSEMBLE CONTEMPORAIN DE MONTRÉAL (ECM+) WEBSITE
Véronique Lacroix, Conductor
ECM+ produces innovative, multidisciplinary concerts and showcases musical creation throughout the country. Risk-taking artistic director Véronique Lacroix is passionate about creation and has premiered more than 250 works since 1987.
WORKS
Works for 6 to 12 players chosen from the following:
Flute (doubling piccolo and bass flute), clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), bassoon, horn, trumpet, percussion (one player), piano (doubling electronic keyboard), 2 violins, viola, cello, contrabass
No electronics. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
8c: Turning Point Ensemble
TURNING POINT ENSEMBL WEBSITE
Owen Underhill, Conductor
Founded in 2002, Vancouver-based Turning Point Ensemble is a large chamber ensemble that links music of the past 125 years to music of the present day.
WORKS
Works for 8 to 16 players chosen from the following:
Flute (doubling alto flute & piccolo), oboe (doubling English horn), clarinet, bass clarinet (doubling clarinet), bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, harp, piano, percussion (one player), 2 violins, viola, cello, contrabass
No electronics. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 9: Orchestra
9a: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WEBSITE
Bramwell Tovey, Artistic Director
Founded in 1919, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra performs more than 150 concerts each season, prioritizing exceptional performances, community and educational programming, and audience engagement.
WORKS
Works for orchestra:
3 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (1 doubling English horn), 3 clarinets (1 doubling bass clarinet), 3 bassoons (1 doubling contrabassoon), 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, 1 timpani, 3 percussion, 1 harp, 1 piano, 10 first violins, 8 second violins, 8 violas, 8 cellos; 6 contrabasses
No electronics. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
9b: Victoria Symphony
VICTORIA SYMPHONY WEBSITE
Tania Miller, Conductor
The Victoria Symphony seeks to enrich lives through the shared experiences of extraordinary music, featuring an annual New Music Festival, children’s programming, and much more.
WORKS
Works for orchestra or orchestra with solo violin:
2 flutes (1 doubling piccolo), 2 oboes (1 doubling English horn), 2 clarinets (1 doubling bass clarinet), 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 tuba, 1 timpani, 2 percussion, 1 piano or harp (optional), 1 solo violin (optional), 6 first violins, 5 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, 2 contrabasses
Pre-recorded electronics welcome. Composers should submit stereo sound files along with their performance materials. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 10: Percussion Ensemble
10a: Redshift Music
REDSHIFT MUSIC WEBSITE
Jordan Nobles, Artistic Director
Redshift is a new music organization specializing in spatial music in alternative venues. Redshift brings the vitality of Canadian composers out of the concert hall and directly to the public.
WORKS
Works for 6 to 10 percussionists:
All standard percussion instruments permitted. Open score (open instrumentation) works invited as well.
No electronics. Priority will be given to works 10 minutes or less and well as works that can be spatialized around the performance space.
10b: Percussion Quartet
The ISCM World New Music Days 2017 presents a quartet of leading percussionists who embrace today’s music.
WORKS
Works for 4 percussionists:
All standard percussion instruments permitted.
No electronics. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 11: Solo Piano
11: Solo Piano
VICKY CHOW, piano
EVE EGOYAN, piano
RACHEL KIYO IWAASA, piano
MEGUMI MASAKI, piano
Four of Canada’s greatest and most dynamic contemporary music specialists share the stage to highlight great solo piano music from around the world.
WORKS
Works for solo piano
Prepared piano, electronics, and work with video welcome. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit stereo sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 12: Solos + Duos
12a: Müge Büyükçelen, solo violin
Istanbul-born, Victoria-based violinist Müge Büyükçelen performs with the Victoria Symphony, the Emily Carr String Quartet, and the Aventa Ensemble. She frequently collaborates with composers to bring new work to life.
WORKS
Works for solo violin
Electronics welcome. If the electronics are pre-recorded, composers should submit stereo sound files along with their other performance materials. If the composition uses interactive electronics, the composer is required to provide all the hardware and software required to run the composition and may be required to be present at rehearsals and the performance. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
12b: PEP (Piano and Erhu Project)
PEP (Piano and Erhu Project) WEBSITE
Corey Hamm, piano
Nicole Ge Li, piano
Pianist Corey Hamm and erhu virtuoso Nicole Li created the PEP (Piano Erhu Project) to synthesize the best of Chinese and Western music.
WORKS
Duo works for piano and erhu
Pre-recorded electronics welcome. Composers should submit stereo sound files along with their performance materials. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
12c: Various solo and duo combinations
Performed by leading ISCM World New Music Days 2017 musicians.
The ISCM World New Music Days 2017 presents leading chamber musicians who embrace today’s music.
WORKS
Works for 1 or 2 players chosen from the following:
Female voice, flute (doubling piccolo, alto flute, and bass flute), clarinet, violin, cello, and percussion (one player)
Pre-recorded electronics welcome. Composers should submit stereo sound files along with their performance materials. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 13: String Orchestra
13: Vancouver New Music String Orchestra
VANCOUVER NEW MUSIC STRING ORCHESTRA WEBSITE
Giorgio Magnanensi, Artistic Director
Dedicated to contemporary, interdisciplinary, and electroacoustic music and sonic art, Vancouver New Music’s Artistic Director Giorgio Magnanensi presents a string orchestra of leading Vancouver players.
WORKS
Works for 21 strings:
6 first violins, 5 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos, and 2 contrabasses
Pre-recorded electronics welcome. Composers should submit stereo sound files along with their performance materials. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
CATEGORY 14: String Quartet
14a: Bozzini Quartet
Since 1999, the Bozzini Quartet has been an original voice in new, experimental and classical music. Their skew is radically contemporary, propelling the hyper-creative Montréal scene and beyond.
WORKS
Works for string quartet:
2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello
No electronics.
14b: Emily Carr String Quartet
EMILY CARR STRING QUARTET WEBSITE
The Victoria-based Emily Carr String Quartet has quickly established itself as one of British Columbia’s finest music ensembles, renowned for passionate, inspiring performances of classical and contemporary music.
WORKS
Works for string quartet:
2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello
Pre-recorded electronics welcome. Composers should submit stereo sound files along with their performance materials. Priority will be given to works of 12 minutes or less.
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