Contact:
Carl Herko
Vice President, Media & Public Relations
503-416-6347
cherko@orsymphony.org
October 17, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CALLING ALL COMPOSERS: THE OREGON SYMPHONY
SPONSORS ITS SECOND 'CREATIVE KIDS' COMPOSITION CONTEST
(PORTLAND, Ore.) – Is there a budding Beethoven in Beaverton?
Another young Mozart in Molalla?
Could the next Scarlatti be on the loose right now in Scappoose?
The Oregon Symphony, ever on the lookout for the Next Big Thing in the music world, invites young composers from throughout the Portland metro area to enter its second “Creative Kids” composition contest.
The prize? The winning composition will be performed by the Oregon Symphony at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Feb. 22, 2009, as part of “Creative Kids,” the final Kids Concert of the 2008/09 season.
The aim of February’s Creative Kids concert is to showcase some of the most talented young soloists, composers and instrumentalists from our own backyard. And so, what better way to do that than by performing some fresh, local music written by a young local composer? The idea is a reprise of an experiment the orchestra first tried at a Kids Concert three seasons ago (this season’s concert, of course, will be totally new).
“This delightful concert is about the world of music and the kids who give it their best in performance,” said Monica Hayes, the Oregon Symphony’s education and community engagement program director. “We will not only provide an opportunity for young performers to work with the Oregon Symphony side-by-side but also give a budding composer a chance to present his or her unique and original music to the public.
“Children need to see children perform – and this is that opportunity to witness how these creative energies will be unleashed, composer and performers working together.”
Eligible applicants must be residents of Oregon or southwest Washington, must be studying music composition with a teacher, must be age 18 or younger and not yet enrolled in a college program. The compositions must be wholly original works written for orchestra with a maximum instrumentation of three flutes (third doubling piccolo), three oboes (third doubling English horn), three clarinets (third doubling E-flat sopranino or B-flat bass clarinet), three bassoons (third doubling contrabassoon), four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, three percussionists, harp, and strings. The completed composition can be written in any style, should not be technically demanding and must not exceed three minutes in performance time. Eligible participants must be available to attend the rehearsal and performance on Feb. 22, 2009.
Applicants may submit two different works for consideration; all scores must have an accurate instrumentation page that also indicates the duration of the work. Submission of recordings is optional, but recordings will not be considered during the judging process.
Applicants should send in one full conductor’s score plus a complete set of parts (one for each instrument), preferably printed on 10-by-13-inch paper, but at least 8½-by-11 inches. One set of string parts is acceptable for submission. Judging will be done on the basis of the score alone. Complete contest details are on the web site OrSymphony.org/ComposerContest.
Contest entries will be judged by Resident Conductor Gregory Vajda, who will lead the orchestra in the February performance, and Laureate Associate Conductor Norman Leyden.
Materials may be dropped off at the Oregon Symphony office no later than 4 p.m. on Dec. 1 or mailed, with a postmark deadline of Dec. 1, to:
Creative Kids Composers Competition
Oregon Symphony
921 SW Washington, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97205