Nezhdanova-Placzek Duo
Chamber Music Institute
Call for Chamber Music Compositions Submissions 2024
DETAILED PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
About the Value of the Program
Our program is not just another opportunity for young composers. It is a unique platform that sets their pieces apart, providing a space for them to be evaluated, well-rehearsed, and professionally performed. It offers a rare chance for their compositions to be published, promoted, maintained, and permanently cataloged. In a world where self-publishing is prevalent, endorsement by an incorporated publishing company is a significant advantage. It signifies that their composition has been thoroughly evaluated, played, listened to, and compared with others and has emerged as a top contender. Their work will be recognized as a piece that piqued the interest of independent professionals who appreciate the efforts of young composers and support their work.
Our program is a catalyst for young composers, igniting their creativity and pushing them to create new, original pieces. We not only encourage but also celebrate their ability to reflect on their life situations, today's societal conditions, or their views on serious matters our world grapples with. In their compositions, they have the freedom to express their views, feelings, hopes, and doubts. And if their work is selected, they will be able to see their creations come to life, performed, recorded, and published.
While we do not offer direct financial rewards to the selected composers for their pieces, signing the official contract with BumbleBee Notes™ Inc. Music Publishing Company means constant publicity, visibility, and promotion, opening up the potential for royalties. As a member of ASCAP, every purchase and performance of the work we catalog means royalties for our composers. While this is not a guaranteed outcome, we are committed to promoting the pieces of composers we publish. With ASCAP's support, we strive to ensure that all our efforts are rewarded, giving you the confidence that your work is valued and appreciated.
However, the success of composing an original chamber music piece and being rewarded for it is not the only positive outcome. Displaying success in our program by sharing the recording from the world premiere of this piece played by a professional ensemble with excellent young chamber musicians, pointing at their compositions in the BumbleBee Notes™ Inc. Music Publishing Company's catalog, and displaying their valuable certificate will have a tremendous impact on any college, graduate program, festival, or financial aid application.
About Eligibility
Young composers between the ages of 15 and 21 from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit their proposals for submission.
About the Compositions
This year, composers can submit a single new, five to ten minutes long (5'-10'), never performed, one-movement piece written for one of the following ensembles:
The submitted music must not be incidental. The most extraordinary pieces of music in history were written with a story or with the longing to reveal feelings that words could not express. They are filled with content and the inner life of their creators. Today's world is filled with cover and surface with very little or no content. This Call aims to dig out the invaluable depth and openness of the inner world of young composers and make them think and compose about something. We are not interested in random clusters of notes put together pretty or provocatively. Therefore, the submitted pieces must reflect the content outlined by the category for which they are submitted.
About the Categories
The young composers who apply for Category 1 can also apply for Category 2.
Category 1:
Compositions by the Young Composers from Historically Underrepresented Communities
Entry into this category is limited to young composers between the ages of 15 and 21 who clearly identify with the designation expressed in the description. Young composers who believe to belong, clearly belong to, or identify themselves as members of historically underrepresented communities, such as, but not limited to:
Young composers submitting a piece for this category must make a case for their choice to belong in this category in the detailed description of their final project, which must be submitted with the one-page composition sample when applying.
Category 2:
Compositions Reflecting on Discrimination, Inequality, and Oppression and the Question of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by Young Composers of Any Background.
This category is open to any composer of any background between the age of 15- 21. Composers submitting a composition in this category must describe their view of the given issue they wish to reflect in their composition in the detailed description of their final project, which must be included with the one-page composition sample when applying.
For more information, see the paragraph About 'Detailed Description of the Final Project.'
About the Number of Selected Compositions
A maximum of two (2) compositions from each category will be selected for the final concert. Those will be rehearsed and performed, and the performance will be recorded on a high professional level. Additional ten (10) compositions, regardless of category, will be selected for publication, promotion, and cataloging by BumbleBee Notes™ Inc. Music Publishing Company. The authors of all selected compositions will receive prizes and privileges that come with the selection. All selected composers will be offered the publication contract. If they sign, BumbleBee Notes Inc. Music Publishing comp will represent, promote, and maintain their piece.
About the Application Process
The application process has three parts:
About the Application Fee
Waived for applicants from Onondaga county! (pursuant the grant conditions received to support)
Each application from applicants from other than Onondaga County (NY, USA), states, or countries, must be accompanied by the application fee. This year, the fee for either category is $60.00 (sixty USD) per application with a single composition submission proposal. The payment must be submitted as a check made out to BumbleBee Notes™ Inc.. Applicants from foreign countries who do not have access to American-issued checks may send in their application with all necessary materials without the application fee and request an invoice for a credit card payment. The invoice will be sent by email and must be paid immediately. Applications without the application fee will be discarded without notification.
Please note that application fees are, under any circumstances, nonrefundable.
About the 'Detailed Description of the Final Project'
The detailed description of the final project allows the applicants to justify their decision to apply for Category 1 and verbalize the content of their intended composition project.
About the One-Page Composition Sample
As stated before, only new pieces composed for this competition will be accepted. To ensure that all final submissions will be accepted for evaluation, we ask for the one-page sample of the score of the intended composition, which you'll need to send together with the application form. After we receive the sample, we will check its compliance with the official conditions stated here and on the main page. If we accept your application, you will receive a letter or email confirming the acceptance of your proposal of the piece you wish to submit. After that, you can submit the final piece anytime before the deadline. If you decide to make alterations to your final projects, you can request a change. The application acceptance letter will describe the process of requesting a change to your project.
Our program is not just another opportunity for young composers. It is a unique platform that sets their pieces apart, providing a space for them to be evaluated, well-rehearsed, and professionally performed. It offers a rare chance for their compositions to be published, promoted, maintained, and permanently cataloged. In a world where self-publishing is prevalent, endorsement by an incorporated publishing company is a significant advantage. It signifies that their composition has been thoroughly evaluated, played, listened to, and compared with others and has emerged as a top contender. Their work will be recognized as a piece that piqued the interest of independent professionals who appreciate the efforts of young composers and support their work.
Our program is a catalyst for young composers, igniting their creativity and pushing them to create new, original pieces. We not only encourage but also celebrate their ability to reflect on their life situations, today's societal conditions, or their views on serious matters our world grapples with. In their compositions, they have the freedom to express their views, feelings, hopes, and doubts. And if their work is selected, they will be able to see their creations come to life, performed, recorded, and published.
While we do not offer direct financial rewards to the selected composers for their pieces, signing the official contract with BumbleBee Notes™ Inc. Music Publishing Company means constant publicity, visibility, and promotion, opening up the potential for royalties. As a member of ASCAP, every purchase and performance of the work we catalog means royalties for our composers. While this is not a guaranteed outcome, we are committed to promoting the pieces of composers we publish. With ASCAP's support, we strive to ensure that all our efforts are rewarded, giving you the confidence that your work is valued and appreciated.
However, the success of composing an original chamber music piece and being rewarded for it is not the only positive outcome. Displaying success in our program by sharing the recording from the world premiere of this piece played by a professional ensemble with excellent young chamber musicians, pointing at their compositions in the BumbleBee Notes™ Inc. Music Publishing Company's catalog, and displaying their valuable certificate will have a tremendous impact on any college, graduate program, festival, or financial aid application.
About Eligibility
Young composers between the ages of 15 and 21 from anywhere in the world are eligible to submit their proposals for submission.
About the Compositions
This year, composers can submit a single new, five to ten minutes long (5'-10'), never performed, one-movement piece written for one of the following ensembles:
- a piano with either cello, violin, viola, oboe, clarinet
- a piano trio - piano, violin, cello
- a string trio - violin, viola, cello
- a string quartet - two violins, viola, cello
- a clarinet quintet - a string quartet with a clarinet
- an oboe quartet - a string trio with an oboe
The submitted music must not be incidental. The most extraordinary pieces of music in history were written with a story or with the longing to reveal feelings that words could not express. They are filled with content and the inner life of their creators. Today's world is filled with cover and surface with very little or no content. This Call aims to dig out the invaluable depth and openness of the inner world of young composers and make them think and compose about something. We are not interested in random clusters of notes put together pretty or provocatively. Therefore, the submitted pieces must reflect the content outlined by the category for which they are submitted.
About the Categories
The young composers who apply for Category 1 can also apply for Category 2.
Category 1:
Compositions by the Young Composers from Historically Underrepresented Communities
Entry into this category is limited to young composers between the ages of 15 and 21 who clearly identify with the designation expressed in the description. Young composers who believe to belong, clearly belong to, or identify themselves as members of historically underrepresented communities, such as, but not limited to:
- female composers
- composers from historically colonized nations
- composers belonging to oppressed or mistreated minority populations of any given country and
- composers discriminated against based on their religion, culture, origin, skin color, race, and sexual orientation
Young composers submitting a piece for this category must make a case for their choice to belong in this category in the detailed description of their final project, which must be submitted with the one-page composition sample when applying.
Category 2:
Compositions Reflecting on Discrimination, Inequality, and Oppression and the Question of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by Young Composers of Any Background.
This category is open to any composer of any background between the age of 15- 21. Composers submitting a composition in this category must describe their view of the given issue they wish to reflect in their composition in the detailed description of their final project, which must be included with the one-page composition sample when applying.
For more information, see the paragraph About 'Detailed Description of the Final Project.'
About the Number of Selected Compositions
A maximum of two (2) compositions from each category will be selected for the final concert. Those will be rehearsed and performed, and the performance will be recorded on a high professional level. Additional ten (10) compositions, regardless of category, will be selected for publication, promotion, and cataloging by BumbleBee Notes™ Inc. Music Publishing Company. The authors of all selected compositions will receive prizes and privileges that come with the selection. All selected composers will be offered the publication contract. If they sign, BumbleBee Notes Inc. Music Publishing comp will represent, promote, and maintain their piece.
About the Application Process
The application process has three parts:
- Application for submission due by September 2, 2024 - must include the completed application form, a one-page sample of their intended composition, a detailed description of their final project, and the application fee of $60.00 in the form of a check. Applicants without American checks may submit the application without the application fee with the request for an invoice, which they can pay by credit card. Failure to pay the application fee will result in termination of the application.
- The final piece submission by October 1, 2024 - must include the score and all individual parts of the complete composition in PDF, MusicXLM, and MIDI files with necessary marking, credits, name of the piece, and composer's notes.
- Announcement of selected pieces on October 15, 2024 - after which, the selected composers receive the letter acknowledging the selection and containing further instructions and the publication contract.
About the Application Fee
Waived for applicants from Onondaga county! (pursuant the grant conditions received to support)
Each application from applicants from other than Onondaga County (NY, USA), states, or countries, must be accompanied by the application fee. This year, the fee for either category is $60.00 (sixty USD) per application with a single composition submission proposal. The payment must be submitted as a check made out to BumbleBee Notes™ Inc.. Applicants from foreign countries who do not have access to American-issued checks may send in their application with all necessary materials without the application fee and request an invoice for a credit card payment. The invoice will be sent by email and must be paid immediately. Applications without the application fee will be discarded without notification.
Please note that application fees are, under any circumstances, nonrefundable.
About the 'Detailed Description of the Final Project'
The detailed description of the final project allows the applicants to justify their decision to apply for Category 1 and verbalize the content of their intended composition project.
- Category 1 applicants should tell us their story, convincing us why they decided to apply for the category of young composers from historically underrepresented communities. We look for a personal testament based on facts and experience. We kindly ask the applicants to avoid cliche statements and labeling sentences like "Female composers were always underrepresented" or "I belong to this and this ethnic group. Therefore, I belong here." Please tell us how history affects you as a person and a member of today's society and how you wish to make the world a better place to live with your music for people in a similar position.
- Category 2 applicants, we want to know about your intended project. Despite the terms in the category's description seeming weighty, we believe that everyone has had some kind of experience with discrimination, inequality, and oppression, even if in a small, seemingly insignificant way, unfortunately. We all also experience the struggle and shifting positions on diversity, equity, and inclusion in today's world. We believe that great music comes from great experiences, struggles, or exploring one's inner feelings. We encourage you to delve into the topics we present and attempt to express your thoughts, reactions, and feelings about them in your descriptions of the compositions you wish to submit. Your final piece should be a tonal reflection of your unique perspective.
About the One-Page Composition Sample
As stated before, only new pieces composed for this competition will be accepted. To ensure that all final submissions will be accepted for evaluation, we ask for the one-page sample of the score of the intended composition, which you'll need to send together with the application form. After we receive the sample, we will check its compliance with the official conditions stated here and on the main page. If we accept your application, you will receive a letter or email confirming the acceptance of your proposal of the piece you wish to submit. After that, you can submit the final piece anytime before the deadline. If you decide to make alterations to your final projects, you can request a change. The application acceptance letter will describe the process of requesting a change to your project.
If you have any questions about the category selection, detailed final project description, the application process, or anything else related to submitting your compositions to our Call for Chamber Music Compositions Submissions 2024, do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].