We’ve successfully raised enough money to fund commissions for six composers!

All the details of the competition can be found in the form below. But remember: no entry fees, you’ll be selected by the jury based on two samples of existing work to write a new piece, for which you’ll be paid a reasonable commission, and premieres will take place in early 2016!

New pieces will be for SOLO (unaccompanied) clarinet or bass clarinet (but you may use electronics if you wish).  You must used the attached google form. If you can’t see it in your browser, try a different one. If that doesn’t work, try this direct link.

Please do not e-mail me copies of your scores and recordings. These will not be considered for the competition. The form is the ONLY way you will be considered!

And here’s the text in the form one more time, since you won’t be able to read this again on this site after you’ve submitted:

At last, having made the goal of crowdfunding €6000 for the commission of 6 new works by young composers (35 and under), I’m able to release the full details of the competition and the application form. Please read all of this very carefully, but after having done so you still have questions, send them to heather (at) heatherroche (dot) net.

Please read the following text carefully before applying:

Applications for the competition will be accepted until December 1, 2014. We will aim to choose the winners by mid-January 2015. If you are chosen you will need to have your piece finished by October 2015. There will be a fixed deadline for finished pieces and if your piece isn’t finished in time it might not be performed. Please keep this in mind before you apply.

In January, all winning composers will sign a contract after winning stating their agreement to the deadline, at which point they will be paid half the commission fee (€475). (The total amount will be €950 – we raised €6000 but there are some losses due to indiegogo fees!) The other half will be paid upon receipt of the finished piece. This fee will be paid into a PayPal account, so please make sure you have an active one before you apply!

The contract will also stipulate that I’ll have exclusivity of the work for the first year, so if other clarinettists want to play your piece (and I hope they do), they’ll have to wait until October 2016. You will also be agreeing to print the names of donators in your scores, to participate in the live-chat in April 2015 (we’ll figure out the best date together) and to be written about on my blog throughout the process.

You will receive a commission for your work, but you will not receive any money to travel to the premiere(s), unfortunately. That said, it is not necessary that you live in any particular place in order to apply. You’ll receive video and audio recordings (which will also go on YouTube). The first concert of the works will be performed in London in early 2015, and other performances are in the works. All the workshops with me can be performed easily on Skype, and I’ll be happy to send you bits of sketches recorded if that’s helpful to you. While I’m prepared to give each composer as much time as required, response time will vary a little according to my own performing schedule, so my advise is to start early on your sketches!

You may write for Bb or bass clarinet with or without electronics. Other clarinets will be considered, with the exception of the contra (for transport reasons). Pieces should be between 5-15 minutes, but if you want to do something that’s longer or shorter just tell us why in your proposal.

Please ANONYMISE your scores! Remove your name in the .pdfs anywhere it appears. I’ll know who you are, but the jury will be making decisions based on an anonymous submission. Submit two scores as samples of your work (they can be for any instrument or combination of instruments), and recordings (if you have them). Keeping things anonymous is really important so please don’t forget this step!

This ALSO applies to any audio or video recordings! If you want to send youtube links, that’s fine, but you’ll have to upload an it anonymously (a few people have already done this, and it works very well) and make sure you don’t appear yourself in the video!!

Please be as descriptive as possible in your proposals, while keeping them to the 500 word limit. Since we aren’t asking for a biography and the applications seen by the jury will be anonymous, this is your opportunity to describe where your work is now, and where you’d like it to go!