Chatham Baroque

Chatham Baroque announces its composition competition in celebration of the artistry and dedication of its musicians and their 20 years of inspired music making.  Long known as advocates for period performance, Chatham Baroque presents a broad repertoire of programming, from popular baroque classics to little known masterworks.

Objective
The competition is intended to stimulate the creation of new compositions for baroque instruments, thus encouraging a re-examination of the capacities of baroque instruments in a contemporary context.
 

The Competition
Three winning composers will be commissioned to write an original ensemble piece of 5-10 minutes for the artists of Chatham Baroque.  Works are to be written for Chatham Baroque’s instrumentation, which consists of baroque violin, bass viola da gamba, and lute/theorbo/baroque guitar.  
The commissioned works will be premiered in a performance in Pittsburgh by Chatham Baroque in the fall of 2012-2013 season.  Composers must attend final rehearsals and the premier performance and will participate in workshops, master classes and/or lectures to occur during this time. 

Award and Premier Performance
Awards include:
• Each of the three finalists will receive a cash award of $2,000 (USD).  US and Canadian finalists will also receive $500 (USD) to help defray expenses associated with attending final rehearsals and the premier performance.  International finalists will receive $750 (USD) to help defray those expenses. (Lodging in private homes as organized by Chatham Baroque.)
• The judges will select a first-prize winner from the final compositions and that composer will receive an additional $1,500 (USD) prize.
• All finalists’ compositions will be premiered at a concert in Pittsburgh in the Fall of 2012 (date to be determined.)  Each finalist will receive an audio and a video recording of the performance.
• These awards are presented at the sole discretion of the competition judges and their decision will be final.

Who May Enter
The competition is open to composers of any age or nationality.  Employees of Chatham Baroque, Carnegie-Mellon School of Music or funding organizations may not enter the competition.

Entry Materials
Entries will consist of:
• The Chatham Baroque 20th Anniversary New Works Competition Entry Form
• Scores of at least two (but not more than four) complete compositions. Ideally, entries will include work for small chamber ensemble. Please include legible full scores, preferably unbound and, if available, audio recording on CD or DVD.
• A one-page work sample description of submitted samples (e.g. title of each piece, length, track number, date of composition, and performers.)  
• A brief description of not more than 350 words describing the proposed composition for Chatham Baroque. 
• All entry materials should be copies.  Do not send originals or irreplaceable items as entry materials will not be returned.

Entry Fee and Deadline
The entry fee is $25.00 per entry.  Make checks or money orders payable to “Chatham Baroque.”  The entry fee may also be paid by credit card [Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express only.]

All entries must be postmarked no later than Friday, July 1, 2011.  Chatham Baroque is not responsible for lost or damaged material.  Late or incomplete entries will not be considered. The winning proposals will be announced on the competition website by Monday, August 8, 2011.

Entries should be sent to:
Chatham Baroque New Works Competition
The Ice House, #201
100 Forty-Third Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201

The Commission
The finalists’ commissions will be for an original ensemble piece of 5 -10 minutes.  Works are to be written for Chatham Baroque’s instrumentation, which consists of baroque violin, bass viola da gamba, and lute/theorbo/baroque guitar.
Baroque forms, styles, or idioms need NOT be observed or referenced. Composers can write either basso continuo or obbligato parts for one of the plucked instruments and/or the viola da gamba.  On request, information can be provided on tunings, ranges, and preferred types of notation for the viola da gamba and other plucked instruments.  
Works that utilize electronic playback are also acceptable (in which case, a CD must be provided with the final composition).  Amplification will also be available if needed.
Composers will retain all performance, copyright, and royalty rights to the commissioned piece.

Judges
• Noel Zahler, Pittsburgh – internationally recognized composer, professor of composition and Head of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Music
• Caleb Burhans, New York City – composer and performer of baroque and contemporary music
• Andrew Fouts, baroque violinist and member of Chatham Baroque
• Patricia Halverson, viola da gambist and founding member of Chatham Baroque
• Scott Pauley, theorbo, lute and baroque guitarist and member of Chatham Baroque
This competition is being produced by Chatham Baroque in collaboration with the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music.

Questions may be e-mailed to: competition@chathambaroque.org

The Chatham Baroque 20th Anniversary Composition Contest has been made possible by generous grants from: