A new initiative for 2022 will see a young New Zealand composer selected to receive personalised composition mentoring from the AWE Mentoring Composer to write a string chamber work to be performed during the 2022 AWE Festival and within multiple school performances throughout the Central Lakes region.
Salina Fisher, AWE’s inaugural Composer in Residence in 2021, has a particular passion for supporting young composers to hone their composition skills and we are thrilled that she will join our festival team as the inaugural AWE Composer Mentor in 2022.
Our Emerging Composer will be selected through a nationwide application process in May 2022, facilitated in partnership with SOUNZ Centre for NZ Music. The successful applicant will receive mentoring over the five- month period prior to the October 2022 festival, supported to write a string chamber work of up to 5 minutes in length. The work will be performed by the 2022 Emerging Musicians within their AWE Festival showcase performance in Queenstown, in addition to multiple performances in local schools.
The Emerging Composer will attend festival performances, work with the Emerging Musicians in rehearsal of their composition (supported by the Composer Mentor) and introduce their work within the performances. They will also participate in the AWE School Holiday Composition Workshop, presented by the Composer Mentor for local high school students.
All travel and accommodation costs for the festival attendance in Queenstown will be covered by AWE.
Competition Selection Process:
- Applicants must be 20 years or younger as of 1 May 2022, be a NZ citizen or permanent resident, and currently reside in NZ.
- Applicants are to provide:
- 1 or 2 pieces they have written, with at least one composition involving a string instrument to a significant extent (violin, viola or cello).
- A paragraph about their musical interests and experience.
- A paragraph about why they would like to be selected.
- A short outline of their ideas and plans for their string chamber music work, should they be selected. Applicants should consider suitability of new work for performances in schools.
APPLICATION FORMAT: The portfolio score(s) must be provided in PDF format and all three written components must be collated in one PDF document.
OPTIONAL: Audio (if available) of portfolio piece(s) must be a link to a streaming service such as Soundcloud or YouTube. If this is not possible, please use Dropbox or Google Drive to transfer MP3 files. Do not email MP3 files. MIDI realisations are acceptable and must be in MP3 format.
- Applications are to be emailed to music@sounz.org.nz by 5pm on 1 May 2022
- The selection panel will consist of AWE Composer Mentor – Salina Fisher, Artistic Director – Benjamin Baker and Festival Director – Justine Cormack
- 2022 Emerging Composer to be announced 16 May 2022
- Mentoring Period: 16 May – 21 October 2022
- Emerging Composer new work to be submitted by 1 September 2022
- Attendance at the 2022 AWE Festival is required between 11 – 21 October 2022: rehearsing with EmergingMusicians, introducing the new work within performances, involvement in AWE School Holiday Composition workshop and performances in schools throughout the region.
Supported by:
