OPUS2015 is an exciting project, now in its third year, offering unpublished* composers the chance to receive a professional commission as part of Britten Sinfonia’s award-winning At Lunch series. 

Britten Sinfonia and Wigmore Hall co-commission four composers each year to write a piece for chamber ensemble for the At Lunch series. Previous recipients of commissions range from young composers like Ryan Latimer, winner of the inaugural OPUS2013 competition, Patrick John Jones winner of the OPUS2014, to established names such as Judith Weir and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

As with last year’s competition, we are issuing an open call for submissions, with the aim of commissioning an as-yet unpublished* composer to write for the ensemble in November 2015.

The chosen composer will receive:

•A dedicated rehearsal for the commissioned piece 6-8 weeks in advance of the concert, allowing the composer to make final improvements in response to the feedback of the players.

•At least three performances of their work (at London’s Wigmore Hall, West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge and St Andrew’s Hall in Norwich).

•A broadcast on BBC Radio 3

•A commission fee

Who can apply?

•*Applicants must not have representation from a publisher. Composers who self-publish or have had individual pieces purchased for publication will be considered.  If in doubt please get in touch prior to submitting.

•Applications must not have been previously commissioned by Britten Sinfonia.

•Applicants must be resident in the UK from the point of application until at least November 2015.

•There is no upper or lower age limit.

•Scores should be submitted without the applicant’s name printed on it. The accompanying application form should include the titles of the compositions.

•Applications will be accepted via email only. Postal applications will not be accepted.

•If chosen, the deadline for the completed piece will be 01/10/2015.

What to submit?
To be considered for OPUS2015, you will need to send us:

1. Scores of two pieces representative of your work.

•For any instrumental chamber ensemble (3-10 players) - please do not submit pieces including singers.

•In any musical style.

•Each score must be submitted as a single PDF file per piece. You can make PDF files from notation software using free PDF ‘printers’ such as doPDF, CutePDF and PrimoPDF.

•Ideally notated using notation software such as Sibelius or Finale, although scanned handwritten scores will also be accepted. Please do not submit notation software files - only PDFs.

•Your name should NOT appear on these scores.**

2. A recording of at least one of these scores.

•One unrecorded work will be accepted alongside one recorded work.

•Recordings of computer-generated audio realisations are acceptable, but real performances are always preferable, regardless of recording quality.

•Sound files must be submitted as .mp3, .mp4 or .mid files. Please do not submit larger files such as .wav. Files can be converted with free software such as Audacity, Windows Media Player and iTunes, or using online converters such as http://audio.online-convert.com/convert-to-mp3

•You will not be judged on the quality of the performance or recording.

•Your name should NOT appear on the recording (this includes the tags found under ‘Properties’).**

3. A completed application form available as an (excel) or (pdf) file (available at the link below).  If using the pdf version to print and fill in by hand, please scan your completed form and return it by email.

**When we receive your application, we will assign it a number. Only the scores and recordings will be passed on to our judging panel; they will have no information about you personally, and you will therefore be judged on the quality of your music alone.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS 17 OCTOBER 2014

For more information contact:

Mateja Kaluza, Creative Learning Assistant, at mateja.kaluza [at] brittensinfonia.com

http://www.brittensinfonia.com/creative-learning/opus-2015/