The 2008 Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award
(We would like to thank Mr. Zack Browning for letting us know about this)
“The Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award is an international composers’ competition held annually in memory of Mr. Martirano who was a faculty member at the University of Illinois from 1963 to 1995. Since its inception in 1996, the competition has attracted over 1,000 entries from over 30 countries. The first place prize consists of $1000.00 and a performance of the winning composition by the University of Illinois New Music Ensemble at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Zack Browning who is an Associate Professor of Music at the University of Illinois directs the competition.” You can read more about Salvatore Martirano here.
The University of Illinois School of Music presents.
The 2008 Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award.
Eligibility: Any composer, regardless of age or nationality.
Awards: First Prize cash award of $1000 and second prize cash award of $500 plus performances by the University of Illinois New Music Ensemble in the fall of 2008 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Additional awards and performances may be given at the discretion of the judges.
Judges: A panel of judges consisting of University of Illinois music composition faculty members will select the winning compositions. The winning composers are expected to attend the award concert/reception and will be responsible for their transportation costs (the competition will provide a stipend for lodging). The winning composers will assume full responsibility for providing adequate performance materials upon request.
Guidelines:
1. Medium: Full scores of any style or aesthetic direction for one to fifteen performers (including vocalists) may be submitted. Works for tape, electronics and/or mixed media with or without instruments/voices are eligible.
2. Duration: 20 minutes maximum
3. Limit: One entry per composer
4. Entry fee: A non-refundable entry fee of fifteen U.S. dollars ($15.00) in the form of a check must be included with each submission. All checks must be payable to the University of Illinois, and must be an international money order or drawn on a U.S. bank.
5. Anonymous Submission: The composer’s name must not appear on the score itself or on any item (tape, CD, etc.) submitted in supplement to the application. A sealed envelope must accompany the score and contain the composer’s name, address, telephone number/e-mail (if applicable) and a brief biographical sketch. If a recording of the work is available, it should accompany the score and be identified only by the title of the composition.
6. Return of Materials: Scores will not be returned unless a self-addressed, stamped envelope of the proper size is enclosed.
Send submissions to:
2008 Martirano Composition Award
Attn: Zack Browning, Director, Martirano Award
2136 Music Building
University of Illinois
1114 West Nevada
Urbana, IL 61801 USA
zbrownin@uiuc.edu
http://www-camil.music.uiuc.edu:16080/comptheory/Awards/Martirano.html
All submissions must be postmarked by February 29, 2008.
Karlheinz Stockhausen dies at 79
An icon of contemporary classical music, Karlheinz Stockhausen passed away on December 5th 2007 at his home in Kuerten-Kettenberg. Stockhausen and his music have been both controversial and influential. He composed a total 362 works, including the world’s longest opera, Licht, a sequence of seven pieces - one for every day of the week. The whole piece lasts 29 hours and composed over a 25 years period, beginning in 1977. Licht is due to be performed in full for the first time next year at The European Centre for the Arts Hellerau in Dresden, Germany. His early pieces remain significant and influential steps in the development of of postwar music. Stockhausen was also a crucial figure in the history of electronic music and remains one of its most accomplished exponents. The works which were composed until 1969 are published by Universal Edition in Vienna, and all works since then are published by the Stockhausen-Verlag. Numerous texts by Stockhausen and about his works have been published by the Stockhausen Foundation for Music. He was 79 years old.
The Orchestra: An Online User’s Manual
One of the many positive aspects of the internet, is having so much information readily available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and reachable from any part of the world. If you are always on the look for orchestration or instrumentation information, you are definitely going to like the following website. “The Orchestra: A User’s Manual“, is a powerful online resource for composers, orchestrators, students, useful to anyone with an interest in orchestras and orchestral music or anyone learning to play an instrument. It was conceived and written by Andrew Hugill in 2002-3 and the project was commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra.
On the site, players from the Philharmonia Orchestra explain the nature and technical limitations of their instruments with the intention to represent a realistic picture of the orchestra. The great thing about the site, is the use of video clips for explanations. The manual includes information about instrument construction, ranges, techniques, effects, and extended player’s tips and tricks, as well as resources, historical information and pointing to other helpful links.
The following paragraph is a description taken from the site:
“The aim of the user’s manual is to provide information about the orchestra, orchestration, composition and instruments, for the benefit of anybody with an interest in the subject. Unlike conventional text-based orchestration manuals, this features movies of players explaining relevant aspects of their instruments and technique, audio clips and samples of the instruments, and illustrative music from the repertoire drawn from the Philharmonia’s postwar recorded archive. The Philharmonia is the most recorded orchestra in history and from its birth in 1945 has been associated with new technologies. This use of the internet to convey information is entirely consistent with its desire to open up access to all areas of orchestral life and music-making.”
The Orchestra: A User’s Manual is one element of ‘The Sound Exchange‘, a site that provides opportunities for people to learn about the orchestra, about music and exploit the internet to help widen access to the orchestra.
Music Composition Directory
We are very excited to introduce Composersnewpencil’s music composition link directory. 
If you are a composer, songwriter, etc., please feel free to submit your site(s) or your favorite music composition related website(s). Our intention is to build a targeted and quality content directory. All links will be personally reviewed for consideration. The main categories include: classical composition, electronic art music, film scoring, jazz composition & arranging, songwriting, experimental pop & rock, music technology and finally stores & products. Subcategories include: composer and artist sites, resources, communities and organizations among others. New categories can also be suggested.
The directory is brand new, so some categories do not contain links yet. All feedback is welcome.