By Staff Report
University of South Florida (USF) composition students can put a merry twist on a classic holiday carol in a “mini music demo” competition sponsored by The Florida Orchestra (TFO) and the USF School of Music. The orchestra will perform the winning arrangements during the Steinbrenner/Yankees 27th Annual Children’s Holiday Concert programs in December 2015.
An honorarium of $200 will be awarded for each winning symphonic arrangement: one for the woodwinds section and one for the string section. TFO’s new Music Director Michael Francis and Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik will judge all entries.
Students must be enrolled in the USF School of Music’s composition program with Professors Baljinder Sekhon and Paul Reller during the 2015-16 academic year. Entry deadline is Thursday, October 1 (11:59 p.m. EST) to library@floridaorchestra.org and winners will be announced Sunday, November 1. It is free to enter.
“This new collaboration with The Florida Orchestra will be a major addition to the USF composition curriculum,” said Professor Sekhon. “It provides students the opportunity to compose works for professional level musicians and focus on specific instrumental families of the orchestra.”
Submission guidelines – 1. All demos must be 30 seconds to 45 seconds long, 2. The demo must be an arrangement of a carol from the list below, 3. Up to two entries (one for woodwinds, one for strings) may be submitted by each composer, 4. Instrumentation for the demos: Woodwinds: flutes (2), piccolo (1), oboes (2), English horn (1), clarinets (2), bass clarinet (1), bassoons (2), and contra bassoon (1) and Strings: violins, viola, violoncello, and double bass.
Entries will be judged on quality and originality of the arrangement, based on a carol from the list provided, neatness and correctness of score, and demonstrates an uplifting spirit and creative energy to showcase the instruments.
Submissions must include one PDF document containing the score, one PDF document detailing submitter’s music experience (lessons, classes, awards, etc.) and a list of any other musical compositions, and an audio file (.mp3) of the composition: MIDI.
Winning demos will become property of The Florida Orchestra. If submissions do not meet the standards set by the judge, The Florida Orchestra reserves the right to designate no winner and award no prize.
Visit www.floridaorchestra.org /florchestra/cmdocs/Music_Competition.pdf for more information about entry requirements.
