April 24, 2012

KH Tan Composition Competition for Solo Violin Works: Asian Inspirations

Call for Scores

Submission Deadline: October 15, 2012

Winning works will be performed by violinist Kia-Hui Tan at the Society for Composers, Inc. (SCI) National Conference in conjunction with the Contemporary Music Festival hosted by The Ohio State University School of Music in Columbus, Ohio on February 13-16, 2013.

Grand Prize: US $1,500.

Additional Prizes: Other winning composers whose work is selected for performance at the conference will each be awarded US $300.

I am pleased to announce the “KH Tan Composition Competition for Solo Violin Works” that will feature “Asian Inspirations” in 2012-13.

As a professional violinist with extensive experience in contemporary music with particular emphasis of unaccompanied solo violin works, I have performed all the standard works as well as many not-so-standard 20th-century works of this genre composed primarily by American or European composers. My personal interest in exploring repertoire that reflects more of the multi-cultural society of the 21st-century that we live in stems from my background as a Singaporean of Chinese heritage who has resided in the USA for almost half my life and throughout my entire performing career since graduate school. I am seeking compositions that draw on Asian inspirations - these may range from incorporating elements of traditional musics of any Asian culture to more abstract ideas based on Eastern philosophies.

While I consider myself a virtuoso with expertise in the whole array of extended violin techniques, I am also interested in featuring the qualities of my beloved old Italian violin (Andrea Guarneri, 1676) without electronics, theatrics, or amplification, in music that would be equally appealing to listeners in the concert hall or in audio recording. Works that require more extended techniques will most likely be performed on a modern instrument and bow.

Kia-Hui Tan's Composition Competition Biography

Kia-Hui Tan's Ohio State Biography

Submission Guidelines

Eligibility: The competition is open to composers of all nationalities and cultural heritages. Chinese and other Asian composers are particularly encouraged to participate, but all submissions will receive equal consideration.

Age: No restriction. Composers of all ages at all stages of their careers are encouraged to participate.

Duration: No restriction. Compositions of any length will be considered, though composers may wish to consider the suitability for programming in concert and recording.

Types of work: Only unaccompanied solo violin works will be accepted. New works are particularly encouraged but recent works that have neither been commercially published/recorded nor performed extensively will also be considered. (Please provide details on any previous and upcoming performances/recordings.) Each composer may submit only one composition.

Submission deadline: October 15, 2012.

Criteria: Compositions will be evaluated by the intended performer, violinist Kia-Hui Tan, based on compositional merits, playability and compatibility with this performer’s interests and strengths, and effectiveness in conveying “Asian Inspirations".

Format: One PDF should be submitted electronically by October 15, 2012. Specific instructions are noted below. No other materials such as recordings and biographies should be submitted.

Submission Instructions

Composers must submit ONE pdf that includes (1) first and last name, (2) email address, (3) title of composition, (4) approximate duration, (5) program note describing the work's "Asian Inspirations" and (6) the performance-ready score. Please submit your PDF via Dropbox. If you do not already have Dropbox, download it here. Once downloaded, create a Dropbox folder titled with your name (last, then first) followed by the title of your composition, for example:

YSAYE, Eugene: "Sonata No. 2 - Obsession"

Place your PDF in the folder and then "Share" the folder with Kia-Hui Tan at tan.170@osu.edu.

Further instructions about how to use Dropbox can be found at www.dropbox.com and in the tutorial, "Getting Started" [pdf].

Notification: Composers of winning works will be notified via email no later than November 15, 2012. Acceptance of the award must be confirmed within two weeks of notification. Winning composers are expected to attend the performance of their work at the SCI National Conference at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio during February 13-16, 2013.

Prizes: A solo violin recital of all the winning works performed by violinist Kia-Hui Tan will be featured at the SCI National Conference in conjunction with the Contemporary Music Festival hosted by The Ohio State University School of Music in Columbus, Ohio on February 13-16, 2013. A recording of the recital will be provided to the winning composers that they may freely use (while acknowledging the performer) for demo purposes only.

A grand prize of US$1,500 will be awarded to one composer. Other winning composers whose work is selected for performance at the conference will each be awarded US$300. Composers are expected to attend the performance of their work at the conference in order to receive the cash prize.

Performance and Recording Rights: By accepting the award, the composer agrees to give the performer Kia-Hui Tan exclusive performing rights for two years and exclusive recording rights for five years starting from October 2012 without further compensation from the performer. The composer is expected to take all reasonable precautions (such as not publishing the score) to honor the above agreement but retains full ownership and rights (such as performance royalties)during this time and all publishing rights thereafter. The composer agrees to acknowledge the “KH Tan Composition Competition for Solo Violin Works” in all scores and program notes pertaining to the winning work. In return, the performer will make every effort to honor all reasonable performing/recording requests/opportunities for the winning works in ways that would be advantageous to both the composer and the performer.

It is the performer’s intention to arrange for multiple performances of the winning works, particularly that of the Grand Prize winner, following the conference. Institutions where the winning work(s) are scheduled to be performed in Spring 2013 include:

The Ohio State University
Denison University
To include your institution or venue on the listing here, please direct inquiries to: tan.170@osu.edu

Acknowledgements: This event is organized in conjunction with the Society of Composers, Inc.(SCI) and The Ohio State University (OSU) School of Music. This competition is made possible in part by a Research Enhancement Grant from the OSU College of the Arts and Humanities.

To include your sponsorship or any kind of support on the listing here, please direct inquiries to: tan.170@osu.edu