2005 North American Student Composer Competition

The Metropolitan Wind Symphony, a thirty-four year old, 65 member amateur wind ensemble based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, is announcing its first North American Student Composer Competition. The goals of this Competition are to stimulate student composers to write new, high-quality music for the wind band, encourage student composers who might not otherwise consider this medium to write for the wind band, encourage students and teachers of composition to consider the wind band as a legitimate medium of artistic expression, and motivate highly talented student composers to persist in building a career in composition by rewarding them with recognition, commission, and performance.

To be eligible to compete, the entrant must be a music school, high school or college student in North America at the time of the submission. "College" will be interpreted to mean junior college, four year college, conservatory, or graduate school.

Students must submit a short biography/resume, and a score and recording of a work, written for any combination of instruments and/or voices, up to fifteen minutes in length, either on cassette tape or compact disk. If longer pieces are submitted, only the first fifteen minutes will be evaluated. Recordings may be either live performances or MIDI-generated. A check in the amount of $25.00 (in U.S. dollars) payable to the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, is required to pay for the processing/entry fee as part of the submission package. Submissions will be returned at the end of their evaluation if accompanied by a stamped self addressed envelope. The deadline for submission will be November 30, 2005. Receipt of the submission will be acknowledged by email if an email address is provided. Submissions will be evaluated by the commissioning committee of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, with final determination of the winner to be made by the Artistic Director. Announcement of the winner will be made by January 1, 2006. The winner of the competition will be awarded a $1,000 commission, to write a new four to eight minute work for full concert band, with instrumentation and approximate grade level to be specified by the MWS. The work is expected to be premiered by the Metropolitan Wind Symphony in May 2007 or thereafter, hopefully with the composer in attendance at the dress rehearsal and premiere. Transportation, meals, and lodging will be provided for the composer. The composer will provide three scores and one set of parts to the MWS. $300 of the commissioning fee will be due the composer at the time of the award being made and the remaining $700 will be paid upon delivery of the score and parts to the MWS. The composer will grant the MWS the right to premiere the work but will retain ownership of the work.

Submissions are to be sent to:

Metropolitan Wind Symphony
c/o Bob Piankian, Commissioning Committee
9 Surrey Road
Newton, MA 02458
USA