ORGANISERS of the annual celebration of the life and music of Worcestershire’s most famous composer have announced an exciting opportunity for young composers.
The Elgar Festival – which will take place between Monday, May 27 and Sunday, June 2 – has launched the competition, which will result in the winning composition being played at the event.
Festival organisers are asking young musicians to compose a piece for strings, ideal for students studying GCSE or A Level music or for any young entrepreneurial composers.
The winning composition will be played at the 2024 Elgar for Everyone Concert by members of the English Symphony Orchestra strings section on Wednesday, May 29.
The winner – and other finalists – will be invited to attend the Gala Concert on Saturday, June 1.
Kenneth Woods, artistic director of the Elgar Festival said :
“We are delighted to launch this fantastic competition as part of this year’s festival.
“Encouraging our young composers to help us celebrate the life and works of Worcestershire’s most famous composer will not only add a new and vibrant element to the festival but also highlight the talent of future musicians.
“We look forward to receiving entries.”
Scores and recordings can be uploaded on the website and contact details submitted. Entry age groups are as follows: Ages 11 – 16, Key Stage 3 and 4; Ages 16 – 18, Key Stage 5.
Key Stage 3 and 4 are asked to compose a piece – between one and three minutes – for a solo string instrument and for Key Stage 5, a piece for strings – between three and six minutes – using the standard string quartet format of two violins, viola and cello.
Scores should be submitted in PDF format and recordings in MP3, M4a or Wav formats. String compositions should be labelled with name, age, a contact address and e-mail address.
They can be submitted at www.elgarfestival.org/composition-competition.
The deadline is March 22; submissions will be judged by a panel of leading professional composers.
Last year’s winner was unanimously announced as Samsara Prokopp, a clarinettist in ESO Youth.
Visit www.elgarfestival.org/composition-competition for more.
