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2017 Young Composers Competition

Download 2017 Young Composers Competition Guidelines Here

Deadline: Sunday, January 15, 2017
Results Announced by: Monday, January 23, 2017
Compositions Performance: Sunday, February 19, 2017
Submissions: info@pyco.org
More information: http://www.pyco.org/composition.html
 
 
Overview:
 
The Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra (PYCO) is pleased to announce its 2017 Young Composers Competition.  Composers selected will have their orchestral works premiered by PYCO at the February 19, 2017 concert at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Allison Park, PA.
 
For the 2017 PYCO Young Composers Competition, only composers ages 10-18 as of February 19 may submit one work for full orchestra to be considered.
 
The submitted work must be 3-10 minutes in length.  Pieces submitted should be within the technical abilities of young performers.  Please consider the limited rehearsal time the orchestra has and the difficulty of the work before submitting.  If you have questions regarding the playability of your work, please contact Jeff Weston at mr.jeffweston@gmail.com.
 
The performance of the young composer’s work will be part of the orchestra’s Spring concert to be held on Sunday, February 19.  The works will be selected by the orchestra’s Artistic Director, Pablo Ardiles; PYCO School of Music’s Theory and Composition Instructor, Jeff Weston; and a panel of judges. The selected composers will correspond with Pablo Ardiles and Jeff Weston to discuss their scores, and make revisions as needed.
 
The composers of the selected works must attend one rehearsal (date TBA) and the premiere on Sunday, February 19. 
 
Instrumentation:
 
All works submitted must not have been publicly performed, professionally recorded, or published.  Works should be between 3 and 10 minutes in duration and scored for a maximum of the following instrumentation:
 
3 flutes, 3 oboes, 3 clarinets, 3 bassoons | 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba | Timpani +3 Perc | Piano | Strings (basses do not have C-extensions)
 
Standard doublings are acceptable in the woodwind sections (up to 1 piccolo, 1 English horn, 1 Eb Clarinet, and 1 Bass Clarinet).  No works are accepted for string orchestra, wind ensemble, or works with a soloist (no instrumental concerti or works with vocal solo or vocal/choral ensemble).  The maximum instrumentation need not be employed, but the work should use a full orchestra.  The full selection of percussion instruments available is as follows: timpani, drum set, bass drum, cymbals (crash and suspended), xylophone, vibraphone, marimba (4 octaves), orchestra bells, chimes, and various standard small battery instruments (i.e. triangle, gong, snare drum, claves, ratchet, whip, castanets, etc.).
 
Submission Guidelines:
 
Deadline for submission of scores is Sunday, January 15, 2017 by 11:59pm.
 
Composers should submit their work with a $25 non-refundable processing fee to be paid:

  • Online via our donation page
    • http://www.pyco.org/make-a-donation.html
    • Click “Add Special Instructions to the PYCO”.
    • Indicate it is the application fee for the concerto competition.
  • Or by check made payable to “PYCO”.
 
Submissions should be made electronically as an e-mail to info@pyco.org with the subject “Last Name, PYCO Composition Competition” and should contain two separate documents:

  1. The completed application form (attached) in PDF form.
  2. The score in PDF form AS WELL AS a spiral bound paper copy either:
    1. Mailed to 10203 Country Manor Lane, Wexford, PA 15090.
    2. Brought to the first rehearsal.
 
*An accompanying MIDI or .mp3 recording may be submitted separately (no .aiff or .wav).
 
The 2017 Young Composers Competition winner(s) is REQUIRED to furnish the master set of parts for PYCO.
 
While the applicant will retain ownership of their submission, all submissions will be kept by the Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra.  No materials submitted as part of this call will be returned.  PYCO reserves the right to use submissions for publicity and/or display.  Questions can be directed to mr.jeffweston@gmail.com.

2017 Young Composers Competition Application
 
Name:_____________________________________________________________________________Yrs of Study:__________
 
Composition Experience: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 
Primary Phone:_____________________ Primary E-mail:________________________________________________________
 

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