funding for artists

Adopt a Composer

Awarded by PRS for Music Foundation, Making Music, Sound and Music, BBC Radio 3.
Annual cycle.
Scheme pairs six emerging composers with six amateur ensembles – choirs, orchestras etc. They collaborate over a year and produce a piece for the ensemble to premiere. The composition is also aired on BBC Radio 3. Each pair is mentored by an established professional composer.
Both composers and ensembles must be UK-based.
Aims to draw contemporary composers and performing groups together and nurture mutually beneficial relationships.
Open application. Selections and pairings are made by the coordinating organisations.
www.prsformusicfoundation.com/partnerships/adoptacomposer.htm

Tags: UK – Category: Composers –

Aldeburgh Composer Residencies

Awarded by Aldeburgh Music.
Applications are considered in November and April each year. Successful applicants take up their residency in the six months following a decision.
Six residencies of three weeks are available annually. Aldeburgh provides a stimulating creative environment and copious studio space. Residency includes accommodation, travel expenses and a small bursary to cover living costs. Additional funding is sometimes offered on an ad hoc basis. All residencies culminate in a short showcase of work in progress.
Open to all.
Aim is to offer creative freedom to composers across many types of music – such as jazz, world music, classical or electronica. Collectives are also considered.
Selection by invitation or a detailed application. Where composers are solicited, it is often in relation to a previous link with Aldeburgh.
www.aldeburgh.co.uk/residencies

Tags: UK – Category: Composers –

Arts Council England, Grants for the Arts programme

Awarded by Arts Council England.
Total amount awarded to individual musicians and composers in 2010 was £579,373. Average grant was £21,181.
The artist’s activity must take place mainly in England. There are some exceptions to this, when artists from England are involved in activities in other countries.
Artistic quality is assessed by looking at three factors: the idea (the concept or artistic impetus behind the work), the practice (the effectiveness of how the work is put into practice and the impact it has on those experiencing it) and development (the contribution the work makes to the development of the artists, the art form and the arts more widely).
Grants for the Arts are for activities carried out over a set period and which engage people in England in arts activities, and help artists and arts organisations in England carry out their work.
www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/grants-arts/how-apply/

Tags: 20 - 40K | ENG – Category: Composers –

Arts Council of Ireland Bursary Award

Awarded by Arts Council of Ireland
Up to two deadlines per year. In some art forms/practices, there is only one deadline.
Awards of up to €15,000 are available. In a limited number of cases, applications for multi-annual bursaries are considered.
The award is open to professional artists. Applicants must be born in or resident in the Republic of Ireland.
The purpose of the award is to support professional artists to develop their practice. The award provides artists with the time and resources to think, research, reflect and engage with their art practice.
www.artscouncil.ie

Tags: 5 - 20k | IRE – Category: Composers –

Arts Council of Ireland Project Award

Awarded by Arts Council of Ireland.
One deadline per year.
Total amount awarded in 2010 was €171,354. Average award was €12,239. Maximum award of €70,000.
Individual applicants must have been born in, or be resident in, the Republic of Ireland.
Support for specific initiatives designed by individual artists to engage with communities.
www.artscouncil.ie/en/awards.aspx

Tags: 5 - 20k | IRE – Category: Composers –

Arts Council of Ireland Travel and Training Award

Awarded by Arts Council of Ireland.
The total amount awarded in 2010 was €29,000. Average award was €1,381. Maximum award of €12,000
Individual applicants must have been born in, or be resident in, the Republic of Ireland.
There are two strands to this award: Travel and Training Outbound to support individuals who wish to avail of training and other professional development opportunities abroad; and Travel and Training Inbound to support individuals or organisations who wish to invite specialists from abroad to deliver high-level training or mentoring.
www.artscouncil.ie/en/view_fund.aspx?fid=6e950ef0-fd8b-4857-ba39-62924b5c384f

Tags: < 5k | IRE – Category: Composers –

Arts Council of Wales

Awarded by Arts Council of Wales and Creative Wales Awards.
Open grants are available to any type of artist and fall into three categories: small project awards of £250–£5,000; mainline production awards of £5,001–£20,000; small training grants of £250 to £2,000.
Applicants should live in Wales and the proposed project should happen in Wales.
Arts Council of Wales believes ‘…in the power of the arts to transform people’s lives, and to change communities; that everybody in Wales should have access to quality arts experiences and have the opportunity to take part in and enjoy the arts; that artists need to be supported to develop their talents, and should have the opportunity to develop their careers’.
www.artswales.org.uk/what-we-do/funding/funding-advice-and-guidelines

Tags: 5 - 20k | WAL – Category: Composers –

Barlow Prize

Awarded by Barlow Endowment and Brigham Young University.
Annual.
First prize is $12,000. The money should provide for a new composition.
No restrictions on eligibility.
Focus changes each year. In 2011, judges are looking for expertise in wind and horn composition as the potential commission is to write a new woodwind quintet. In 2010, the winner was asked to write a piano trio.
Open application with submission of representative work. Judged by the Barlow Endowment Board of Advisors and representatives of performing groups.
http://barlow.byu.edu

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

BBC Proms Young Composers Competition

Awarded by BBC.
Annual.
Winners pieces are performed by professional musicians at the Inspire Proms Plus event and are also broadcast on BBC Radio 3. Prize also includes a commission to write a new piece to be performed at a high profile event. There are up to three winners in each of the two age categories.
Open to UK residents between 12–18. There are two categories: 12–16 and 17–18.
‘There are no restrictions on the type of music you can enter – whatever your style and inspiration, we want to hear it!’
Open application and a two-stage selection process featuring a jury.
www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/youngcomposers/competition11.shtml and www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2010/youngcomposers/terms11.shtml

Tags: Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

Bliss Trust Partnership Composer Bursaries

Awarded by PRS for Music Foundation and Bliss Trust.
Annual.
Small bursaries of up to £500 to be used for professional development purposes. Might go towards professional recordings, travel costs or computer software.
Restricted to composers based in the UK, but there is no age limit.
Scheme targeted at composers who have yet to establish themselves as professional practitioners. Focus on classical music.
Open application by written form. Selection process carried out by trustees of the respective organisations.
www.prsformusicfoundation.com/pdfs/blisstrustandprsf20111.pdf

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

Blue Touch Paper

Awarded by London Sinfonietta, Jerwood Charitable Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Cycles are run on an annual basis. The next round of recruitment is expected to take place in spring 2012.
The programme provides participants with the context, space and support to instigate and develop new multi-disciplinary works and provide a national platform for its presentation.
Open to individuals of any age and nationality who are normally resident in the UK. Applicants should not currently be studying for a formal undergraduate or masters qualification in their field; however those studying for a PhD are still eligible to apply.
The programme is aimed at composers and collaborators from arts and science backgrounds who are in the first phase of their professional careers.
The programme is an opportunity to embark on an inter-disciplinary collaborative partnership with a view to creating a new work.
The programme offers support from the London Sinfonietta players, management team and mentors, as well as advice from further industry professionals.
www.londonsinfonietta.org.uk/project/blue-touch-paper

Tags: UK – Category: Composers –

BPF Commission Grants

Awarded by Britten-Pears Foundation.
Biannual.
Grants of up to £5,000 to support the commissioning of a substantial musical work.
Eligibility limited to UK composers or composers based in the UK, but there is no age limit.
Intended for composers who have demonstrated a real gift for their craft and whose potential project will represent the highest artistic quality. Resulting composition should preferably be performed on more than one occasion.
Open application, with input from the relevant institution or performer. Submissions reviewed at biannual panel meetings.
www.brittenpears.org/page.php?pageid=324

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

British Composer Awards

Awarded by British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
Annual.
No cash prize. Each category has three nominated works, with a physical award given to each category winner. In 2010 there were thirteen categories, including chamber, orchestral, vocal and choral. The awards seek to raise the profile of the nominated works and composers, and the ceremony is broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Eligibility limited to UK nationals or long-term residents of any age. For the international category, nominated composers must have been born outside the UK. Submitted works must have had their premiere in a public performance.
Founded in 2002, the awards seek to promote the art of composition and the composing community, and to further the commissioning of new music. The awards celebrate a wide range of winners, from established names to new emerging talent.
Candidates cannot apply, but are nominated by any source. Shortlists are drawn up in every category and judging is performed by separate juries chosen by BASCA.
www.britishcomposerawards.com

Tags: Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

Chamber Music Seinajoki 2011

Awarded by Seinajoki City Orchestra and Society of Finnish Composers.
Triennial since 2005 – the 2011 cycle is well underway.
Top prize of €10,000, although the money is likely to be split between finalists.
Competition is open to composers of any age or nationality.
Purpose of the scheme is to unearth new, top-quality chamber music compositions. Submitted pieces should be 10–18 minutes long and must be suitable for performance without a conductor.
Open application. Jury then selects between four and seven compositions to be performed by the Seinajoki City Orchestra in the final.
http://ru-iscm.livejournal.com/12393.html

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Choir and Organ Composition Competition

Awarded by Choir and Organ Magazine and International Organ Festival.
Annual.
No cash prize. Winning score published on the Choir and Organ website and premiere given at the International Organ Festival in St Albans.
Eligibility limited to composers of any nationality under the age of 35.
Focus on nurturing new talent in the field of organ music.
Selection based on submission of new work for organ and trumpet, not lasting longer than four minutes. Jury composition at the discretion of the magazine.
www.organfestival.com/index.shtml

Tags: Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

Composer in the House

Awarded by PRS for Music Foundation and Royal Philharmonic Society.
One composer every two years since 2005.
Scheme pairs composers with major regional orchestras. It is intended that composers immerse themselves in the life of the group – attending rehearsals and concerts, participating in planning and strategy and writing music ‘almost on demand’. Current Composer in the House is PHF Awards for Artists recipient, Anna Meredith.
Open to British composers and institutions.
Aims to enable composers and performers to have space to create new work. Also hopes to involve audiences more actively with new music.
Host institution is selected by the Royal Philharmonic Society and the orchestra can subsequently choose its favoured composer.
www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/?page=composers/inthehouse

Tags: Travel | UK – Category: Composers –

Concours de Geneve/Geneva International Music Competition –  Composition Prize

Awarded by Concours de Geneve/Geneva International Music Competition.
Awarded in March 2011 for the first time, and will be biennial beyond that.
Top prize is CHF 15,000. Prizewinning work is published by the Geneva Music Competition.
Open to composers of all nationalities under the age of 40.
‘The subject of the 2011 competition is a string quartet work in its most classical sense, without any electronics.’
An international selection committee whittles down the first round of open applications. The official jury then chooses its winner from the short-listed pool.
www.concoursgeneve.ch/index.php/en/composition-prize/2011/rules.html

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Contemporary Composition and Performance Masterclass

Awarded by Part of the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Aldeburgh Music.
Biennial.
Consists of a nine-day masterclass run by Oliver Knussen and Colin Matthews, along with a ‘galaxy of tutors’. Six young composers are joined by 20 guest instrumentalists to work on new music, as well as key pieces from the last century. All new music is performed in an open session at the end of the course and is usually showcased at a high-profile concert at the Aldeburgh Festival the following year. There are no course fees, but composers must cover travel, accommodation and food costs, but bursaries are available.
Competition is targeted at young composers. Despite British focus, there is no nationality restriction – auditions are open to all.
Scheme aims to bridge the gap between music college and professional life. Open application. Candidates must submit scores and recordings of one or two recent works and two letters of recommendation from established musicians.
www.aldeburgh.co.uk/bpp

Tags: Travel | UK – Category: Composers –

Creative Scotland (formerly Scottish Arts Council)

Awarded by Creative Scotland.
An innovation fund of £5m will be awarded in a variety of a categories.
Supports Scottish artists and practitioners.
The Vital Spark awards will reward experimentation, radical new work and innovative approaches to engaging with audiences. The Highland Arts Programme will invest £300,000 invested in music, dance, literature, drama, crafts and visual arts development in the Highlands. A Rural Innovation Fund will support creative individuals and micro enterprises in rural areas to develop their business skills and networks, and test new ways of reaching new markets.
www.creativescotland.com/arts-screen-and-creative-industries/creative-scotland-innovation-fund

Tags: 5 - 20k | SCO – Category: Composers –

Elgar Bursary Award

Awarded by Royal Philharmonic Society and the Elgar estate.
Biennial, or when sufficient funds are available.
Bursary is in the region of £10,000. It is intended to support the creation of a new work.
Eligibility limited to composers over the age of 29, resident in Britain.
Focus specifically on supporting mature composers. The newly created work ‘…may push back musical boundaries, but not at the expense of accessibility and integrity’.
Bursary not open for application – choice rests solely with the Elgar Bursary Committee.
www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk

Tags: 5 - 20k | UK – Category: Composers –

Emerging Excellence Awards

Awarded by the Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Biennial.
Development grants of between £500 – £1,500 and large grants of over £1,500. The maximum grant available is £3,000 although exceptions may occasionally be made for outstanding projects.
Awards are open to emerging individual artists or groups working in any genre of music in the early stages of their professional career or final stages of advanced musical training.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate financial need, be aged between 18 – 30 and must be British or Irish or have lived in the UK for at least five consecutive years.
Proposals should demonstrate a long-term vision with clearly defined aims for professional and artistic development, a collaborative and entrepreneurial approach, innovation within their field and a good awareness of the realities of the marketplace.
http://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/help_you/young_artists/awards/emerging_excellence/

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

Ernst von Siemens Music Prize

Awarded by Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.
Annual.
Award is €200,000 (£174,340).
Prize given to composers and performers alike. Otherwise, there are no theoretical restrictions on eligibility, but this is a high-profile lifetime achievement award.
The award is intended to reward achievement rather than engender the production of innovative new work. ‘It does not reward the hopes vested in a musician but the achievement he has brought forth.’ Previous recipients include Benjamin Britten, Leonard Bernstein and Yehudi Menuhin.
Prize is awarded by the organisation’s board of trustees. The panel comprises of leading composers, experienced cultural managers and musicologists.
www.evs-musikstiftung.ch/en/foundation/ and
www.evs-musikstiftung.ch/en/ernst-von-siemens-music-prize/a-gift-from-heaven

Tags: > 40k | International – Category: Composers –

Finzi Scholarship Awards

Awarded by The Finzi Trust.
Annual.
Grants made in the region of £2,000–£5,000 for music-based projects in the UK or abroad. Projects should last between two and eight weeks and might show creative initiative, education or research.
Eligibility limited to UK residents between 25 and 70 years of age. No formal qualifications are necessary but applicants should prove that they can carry out their proposals.
‘The Finzi Scholarships seek to recognise and perpetuate the philosophical, creative and enabling breadth of vision of the English composer Gerald Finzi.’
Open application by written form. Selection carried out by the organisation’s trustees.
www.geraldfinzi.org/indexf8b7.html?page=trust/scholarship Awards.html

Tags: International | Travel – Category: Composers –

Fondazione Valentino Bucchi International Composition Competition

Awarded by Fondazione Valentino Bucchi.
Annual.
There are five separate awards on offer:
1. Composition for solo instruments and orchestra (€3,500)
2. Chamber music composition (€2,700),
3. Composition for solo instrument (€1,800)
4. Composition for strings played by children (€2,500)
5. A prize named ‘What I would like to compose’ (€3,000).
All awards are supplemented by publication of successful compositions.
Candidates must be under 42 years of age to enter the first three competitions listed above. The latter two have no age limit. There is no restriction on nationality.
The competition is well-known and enjoys broad recognition.
Open submission of works, with selection performed by a jury of notable personalities from the international music world.
www.premiobucchi.it/cmp_ingl.pdf

Tags: < 5k | International – Category: Composers –

Franz Schubert and Modern Music Composition Competition

Awarded by Franz Schubert and Modern Music in association with the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz.
Triennial – there was a cycle in 2005, 2008 and there will be another in 2011.
Cash prize of €5,000, as well as other benefits including incorporation of the winning piece into the compulsory repertoire of the equivalent performance competition.
Open to composers of any nationality under the age of 38.
The Franz Schubert and Modern Music competition focuses on chamber music in the disciplines of voice and piano, as well as trio for piano, violin and cello. The Composition competition is organized in the framework of this competition, and the prizewinning piece is a compulsory piece in the piano trio section.
Open submission of a 12–20 minute composition for piano, violin and cello.
Jury of seven executes selection process.
schubert.kug.ac.at/en/international-competition-franz-schubert-and-modern-music/international-competition-for-composition-2011.html

Tags: < 5k | International – Category: Composers –

George Enescu Competition for Composition

Awarded by George Enescu International Festival.
Biennial.
Competition for piano, violin and cello: 1^st prize €15,000, 2^nd prize €10,000, 3^rd prize €5,000. €10,000 for the symphonic music category and €7,000 for the chamber music category. Winning works will be performed as part of the 2013 George Enescu festival.
Candidates can be of any nationality, but must be under 32 years of age.
Competition’s focus derives from its place as a part of the biggest classical music festival in Eastern Europe. Both the symphonic and the chamber compositions must last between 10 and 40 minutes, and should not have been previously performed in public.
Open application to be considered by a jury of seven featuring ‘…outstanding musicians from Romania and beyond’.
concurs.festivalenescu.ro/web/Home-Page/About-the-competition-3

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Grame Residency

Awarded by Grame – the Centre National de Création Musicale (France).
Rolling applications programme.
Residency intended to allow composers, performers or researchers time to work on a specific project. Grame provides accommodation and living expenses, while covering the costs of studio time.
No restriction on eligibility.
Aim is to ‘…assist in the production of contemporary music for concerts, the theatre, and events related to other areas of present-day culture’.
Open application by CV and written project proposal. A selection committee meets at regular intervals to make its choice of resident.
www.grame.fr/Creation/Residences/Modalite/indexEnglish.html

Tags: International | Travel – Category: Composers –

Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition

Awarded by University of Louisville School of Music.
Annual.
Award is $100,000. Open to all, but prize is for a work premiered during the last five years.
There is broad acceptance of many genres – ‘choral, orchestral, chamber, electronic, song-cycle, dance, opera, musical theatre, extended solo work etc’.
Candidates must be nominated by a professional musician or music organisation. After initial screening, a jury of three is appointed to short-list entries. These go forward to the final committee, which grants the award.
http://grawemeyer.org/music/how-to-enter.html

Tags: > 40k | International – Category: Composers –

hcmh// shorts

Awarded by Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.
Annual; call for proposals takes place in April/May.
6–8 slots in Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival’s Shorts feature in November. This is a one-day showcase of emerging composing and performing talent in the context of a significant international music event.
No limit on age or nationality. Broad interpretation of acceptable work – focus is on ‘new and experimental’ music.
Open application with written form and selection by an HCMF panel. Record number of submissions in recent years. Each programme proposal must be no longer than twenty minutes. N.B. A composer-in-residence is also appointed as the figurehead of the festival.
www.hcmf.co.uk/Perform-at-hcmf-2011

Tags: Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

Hinrichsen Grants

Awarded by The Hinrichsen Foundation.
Rolling applications programme.
Average grant is £1,000. In addition, the Hinrichsen Composition Bursary has been awarded six times since 1994, with an average grant of £11,666.
Open to composers of any age. No mention of restrictions on nationality, but the scheme essentially has a UK reach.
Focus on permitting the performance of new work. ‘The majority of awards have been made to subsidise the public performance of works by living composers – in concert halls, churches, railway stations and other conventional spaces.’
Open application by written form. The Foundation has a body of trustees who meet to review applications and administer grants.
www.hinrichsenfoundation.org.uk/HISTORY.HTM

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

Ian Fleming Musical Theatre Awards

Awarded by Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Annual.
Awards are between £1,000–£5,000 and provide financial support for postgraduate and final year undergraduate students on musical theatre courses.
Application is by nomination only from eligible performing colleges. Candidates must be British or Irish or have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years
Aim is to help cover maintenance costs whilst studying to give outstanding singers the support they need to enter the profession.
www.helpmusicians.org.uk/help_you/young_artists/award/ian_fleming_musical_theatre.aspx
Also see ‘Funding Wizard’ for other awards, scholarships and grants:
www.helpmusicians.org.uk/fundingwizard

Tags: < 5k | IRE | UK – Category: Composers –

International Uuno Klami Composition Competition

Awarded by Uuno Klami Composition Competition Patrons’ Association and Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Sporadic, but ongoing. Inaugural competition was held in 2003–4 and the second in 2008–9.
First prize of €11,000, second prize of €9,000, third prize of €7,000.
Candidates must originate from a European country, but there is no age limit.
Focus is on writing for a small orchestra of sinfonietta type.
Open submission of work and subsequent shortlisting of three to five candidates by jury.
www.kymisinfonietta.fi/uunoklami/frontpage.html

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Isang Yun International Composition Prize

Awarded by Isang Yun Peace Foundation (Korea).
Biennial.
Two prizes – $20,000 and $10,000.
No limit on nationality, but candidates must be below the age of 40.
Submitted piece should be 10–15 minutes long and scored for a full-size symphony orchestra. It must be entirely original and cannot previously have been performed in public. Isang Yun was most prolific in the arena of chamber music.
Open application and selection by an international jury of five.
http://yunmusicprize.org/2011/english/app/main01.html

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

ISCM World New Music Days

Awarded by International Society for Contemporary Music.
Annual.
Selected works are performed by international orchestras and groups at the annual ISCM World New Music Days event. Each year, the festival takes place in a different city – in 2011 it was Zagreb.
Open to all, but works must not be more than five years old.
Broad range of genres supported, including symphony orchestra, electronic music and jazz orchestras. There is also a regional flavour to the offering, determined by the host city’s location.
Initial open application managed by national host centres. Sound and Music acts as administrator for the British section of the ISCM and puts forward six submissions to an international jury. The jury meets in the host city and selects a number of winning entries from across the world. In 2011, 69 compositions were performed. N.B. ICSM and IAMIC also run a Young Composer Award for candidates under 35. This carries an award of €2,000 to write a new work to be premiered at a World New Music Days’ festival within the next three years.
www.iscm.org and http://prsformusicfoundation.com/opportunities/iscmworldnewmusicdays2011.htm

Tags: International | Non Monetary – Category: Composers –

Ivor Novello Award

Awarded by British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA).
Annual.
No cash prize. The accolade comes in the form of a statuette and wider recognition. The awards honour excellence and achievement in British and Irish songwriting and composing across a number of categories.
Open to British or Irish songwriters and composers of any age. N.B. There are specific eligibility criteria for each category.
Founded in 1956, the awards celebrate, honour and reward excellence in British and Irish songwriting and composing. Focus on popular music.
Nominations can be submitted from any source during the submissions period. The awards recognise works released in the previous year. The Ivor Novello Awards represent peer recognition and each category is judged by individual juries, the majority of whom are songwriters and composers, chosen by BASCA.
www.theivors.com/ivors.htm

Tags: Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

Jerwood Opera Writing Programme

Awarded by Jerwood Charitable Foundation and Aldeburgh Music.
Annual – a 2010/11 cycle is currently underway.
Two elements: Foundation and Fellowship. Foundation comprises three, week-long workshops at Aldeburgh where participants perform creative tasks and write short pieces. A wide range of industry professionals give seminars and living costs are covered with a small bursary. Fellowships feature graduates of the Foundation and allow an opera to be put into production. Bursaries provided for the creative team.
Open to British composers, writers, directors – no age limit.
Focus is on professional artists who are established in their field but have little or no experience of opera writing and wish to broaden their horizons to create new, contemporary work.
Open application form. In 2010/11, there were 19 participants.
http://www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org/?lid=2207 and http://www.aldeburgh.co.uk/jerwood

Tags: Travel | UK – Category: Composers –

LSO Panufnik Young Composers Scheme

Awarded by London Symphony Orchestra and Helen Hamlyn Trust.
Annual.
Identifies and nurtures a group of six emerging UK-based composers each year, offering them the chance to write for a world-class symphony orchestra. Renowned composer Colin Matthews acts as composition director and mentor to participants who are encouraged to build collaborative relationships with LSO players in order to increase their orchestral writing skills, expand their knowledge of the sector by undergoing sessions with industry professionals and participate in a public workshop with the LSO and a renowned conductor. One of the six composers is then selected to write a larger scale commission for the LSO Barbican concert season.
Open to UK-based young composers of any nationality and from all compositional backgrounds. Applicants do not have to be conservatoire trained.
Aims to identify emerging talent, nurture the orchestral writing skills of young composers and give valuable exposure to a world-class symphony orchestra and professionals within the composition sector.
Open application and selection by an expert panel including composers, LSO players and other industry professionals.
http://lso.co.uk/page/3161/Composers

Tags: Travel | UK – Category: Composers –

Mendelssohn Scholarship

Awarded by Mendelssohn Scholarship Foundation. Administered by the Royal Academy of Music.
Biennial.
Award of £5,000 for further study in the UK or Ireland.
Eligibility limited to composers under the age of 30. Any nationality, but must be resident in the UK or Republic of Ireland.
This is a prestigious award. It is managed by RAM and the next award is in 2012. Former PHF grantee Luke Bedford was the recipient in 2000.
Postal application only. Selection within the host organisation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendelssohn_Scholarship and http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/directory/e

Tags: 5 - 20k | UK – Category: Composers –

NCEM Composers Award

Awarded by National Centre for Early Music and BBC Radio 3.
Annual.
2011 prize is a performance by the Fretwork ensemble of the winning compositions in a public concert to be broadcast by BBC Radio 3. Two awards are on offer – one for the 18 and under category and another for the 19–25 category. In 2010, The Tallis Scholars performed the winning piece. The 2012 competition will again be in association with The Tallis Scholars.
Open to all UK residents within the age ranges set out above.
Aims to encourage young composers in the arena of early music.
Open application with submission of application form and scores. A shortlist of up to eight is drawn up by a jury consisting of representatives from the NCEM, the BBC and Fretwork. A professional composer also sits on the judging panel. Candidates on the shortlist subsequently attend a workshop followed by a public performance, where their pieces are performed in front of the judges. Winners are chosen on the basis of the performance.
www.ncem.co.uk/uploads/ncem/mainsite/downloads/website_ content/competitions/composers_award_2011/COMPOSERS%20AWARD%202011%20TERMS%20 AND%20CONDITIONS.pdf and www.ncem.co.uk/?idno=254#

Tags: Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

Peter Whittingham Jazz Award

Awarded by Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Annual.
£4,000 is available for a creative jazz project and recipients will also benefit from career guidance from the Musicians Union.
This award is open to emerging jazz musicians or groups showing talent and innovation. Candidates must be British or have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years.
Aim is to provide crucial help at the start of an artist’s career.
www.helpmusicians.org.uk/help_you/young_artists/awards/peter_whittingham_jazz 
Also see ‘Funding Wizard’ for other awards, scholarships and grants: www.helpmusicians.org.uk/fundingwizard

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

Postgraduate Performance Awards

Awarded by Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Annual.
Awards range from £1,000–£5,000. The Musicians Benevolent Fund also offers professional development opportunities.
Application is by nomination only from UK music colleges and conservatoires. Eligibility is limited to postgraduate students on full-time performance courses. Candidates must be British or Irish or have been resident in the UK for at least 5 years.
Aim is to help cover maintenance costs while studying to give outstanding performers the support they need to enter the profession.
www.helpmusicians.org.uk/help_you/young_artists/awards/ postgraduate_performance/
Also see ‘Funding Wizard’ for other awards, scholarships and grants: www.helpmusicians.org.uk/fundingwizard

Tags: < 5k | IRE | UK – Category: Composers –

Prince Pierre of Monaco Prize for Musical Composition

Awarded by Prince Pierre Monaco Foundation.
Every three years.
Prize of €45,000, as well as a commission of work. The foundation will ensure the promotion of the commissioned work from the award-winning composer.
No limit on age or nationality.
Focus on contemporary music work composed within the past three years.
No unsolicited applications – ‘…the prize winner is submitted by the music council’. This music council comprises of 10 multinational composers.
http://www.fondationprincepierre.mc

Tags: > 40k | International – Category: Composers –

PRS Awards for New Works

Awarded by PRS for Music Foundation.
There are four rounds of grants each year.
Average awards of £3,000 or £4,000 for organisations to commission new works by composers.
Commissioned works must be written by composers living and working in the UK. Compositions should already have a definite date for their first performance. Organisations must be not-for-profit.
Focus on developing innovative and imaginative work. All genres of music are eligible for funding.
Open application via written form. Selection is comprised of a three-stage process, featuring PRS staff, trustees and advisors.
http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/funding/newworks.htm

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

PRS New Music Award

Awarded by PRS for Music Foundation, in conjunction with an array of corporate sponsors.
Biennial – last two cycles were in 2010 and 2008. The first award was made in 2005.
Prize of £50,000.
Open to UK-based artists – there is no age limit. Competition has a broad scope and is intended for music ‘creators’. Collaborations are welcome.
Focus is on innovative proposals for new projects. ‘Allowing total creative freedom, the Award is open to absolutely anyone working in any genre and artistic context.’
Open application. Entries are whittled down by a panel of judges to form a shortlist. In 2010, the winner was chosen by public vote.
http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/newmusicaward/about.htm and http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/pdfs/prsfnma_public_vote_new.pdf

Tags: > 40k | UK – Category: Composers –

Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition

Awarded by Queen Elisabeth Competition – member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions.
Annual.
Prize of €10,000 and 12 performances of the winning composition broadcast live on radio and television. Piece is also incorporated into a performance competition. Finalists each receive €1,500.
Open to composers of any nationality under 40 years of age.
Focus on music for symphony orchestra, plus a solo instrument. In 2011, candidates are required to write for orchestra and violin. In 2012, candidates will be asked to write for orchestra and piano.
Application by form and score submission. Two stages for short-listing and a pool of five finalists. Selection made by jury.
http://cand.cmireb.be/en/p/5/44/composition2012.html

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Reformation and Music Competition 2012

Awarded by Musical associations of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia in co-operation with the Evangelical Church in Germany.
This is a one-off competition to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
First prize of €6,000, second prize of €4,000.
An international competition, with no mention of an age limit.
Submissions must have multiple parts and should be related to a choice of Lutheran hymns. Complete originality is necessary – the work must not have been premiered anywhere else.
Jury appointed by the institutional organisers to select the winners.
http://www.composers.fi/tietosivut/luther2017_comp.pdf

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

RPS Composition Prize

Awarded by Royal Philharmonic Society, Delius Trust, RVW Trust.
Annual.
Four £3,000 commissions. Three of the winners will join the Philharmonia’s Young Composers Academy, attending regular workshops and seminars throughout the year and eventually writing a piece each. The fourth winner receives the Susan Bradshaw Composers’ Fund commission to write a chamber work for the Cheltenham Festival.
Open to composers under the age of 29 who have studied at any conservatoire or university in the UK.
Aims to give young composers the chance to write a work for a prestigious professional performance.
Open application. Selection based on a submitted portfolio of three compositions and a CD recording of one work.
http://www.royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

RPS Music Awards

Awarded by Royal Philharmonic Society.
Annual.
13 categories in total, including those for performers, composers, inspirational arts organisations and education. No cash on offer, but these are prestigious accolades.
Open to all – young and established, British and international. All awards are for work that has taken place in the UK in the previous calendar year.
Awards scheme governed by the society’s guiding principles: excellence, creativity and understanding.
Members of the RPS and the music profession are eligible to nominate candidates for the first stage of selection. A shortlist is then drawn up and winners are selected by an independent jury.
http://www.rpsmusicawards.com/about

Tags: International | Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

RVW Trust Awards for postgraduate study

Awarded by RVW Trust.
Awards available on a yearly cycle.
Awards are intended for composers who have been accepted on MMus courses in composition at British universities or conservatoires. The money – between £1,000 to £5,000 – can be put towards fees or maintenance.
Applicants must be British nationals under the age of 30. They should have completed a BMus at a recognised institution.
Focus of the scheme, and the Trust more generally, is to assist young British composers who have yet to achieve a national reputation.
Open application by written form and assessment by a panel of composers and teachers. N.B. The Trust also has a more general awards scheme for individuals and organisations looking to promote the music of British composers of the 20^th and 21^st centuries.
http://www.rvwtrust.org.uk/html/appform.pdf

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

Songwriting Awards

Awarded by Musicians Benevolent Fund.
Annual.
Prize of £5,000.
Eligibility limited to undergraduates or postgraduates studying songwriting or popular music courses at UK institutions.
Aim is to ‘…promote new talent through encouraging outstanding young songwriters’.
Application is by nomination – heads of songwriting and popular music courses are invited to submit candidates. Shortlisted contestants then perform for a high profile panel of experts at a showcase final in London.
http://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/help_you/young_artists/awards/songwriting/

Tags: 5 - 20k | UK – Category: Composers –

Symphony Composition Contest – City of Torrevieja, Spain

Awarded by Joaquin Chapaprieta Cultural Institute.
Annual.
Prize of €15,000.
An international competition, with no age restrictions.
Intention of this competition is that entries should be suitable for a symphony orchestra. Otherwise, the content of the piece is free choice, as long as it lasts between 15–20 minutes and is completely original.
Open submission. International jury of five selects the winner.
http://www.bccreativehub.com/?p=658

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Take Five

Awarded by Serious, PRS For Music Foundation and Jerwood Charitable Foundation.
Annual.
Professional development programme giving young jazz musicians and composers the opportunity to take time out to develop their craft. Each of the participating artists benefits from one-to-one sessions with mentors to identify areas of interest. Two residential periods are also provided, exploring composition, studio technology and strategic direction.
Scheme is open to young, British jazz artists.
Aim is to help participants develop their future careers.
Selection by nomination. A panel of industry experts choose candidates based on proven excellence, potential and distinctive contribution to jazz.
http://www.serious.org.uk/pages/take-five, http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/partnerships/takefive.htm and http://www.jerwoodcharitablefoundation.org/?lid=2208

Tags: Non Monetary | UK – Category: Composers –

Toru Takemitsu Composition Awards

Awarded by Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation.
Annual.
Total sum of prizes is JPY 3,000,000. The judge may withhold the prize or divide the prize among multiple entries.
Open to candidates of any nationality, not more than 35 years old.
Stated guidelines are that compositions should be ‘…for an orchestra, except concerto’. This is an internationally renowned competition.
Open submission of work with no fee attached. Shortlist is drawn up of pieces to be performed at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Winner is chosen on the basis of performance.
http://www.operacity.jp/en/concert/award/index.php

Tags: 20 - 40K | International – Category: Composers –

University of Aberdeen Music Prize

Awarded by University of Aberdeen and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Biennial – there is a cycle in 2011.
£5,000 cash prize, but this is attached to a BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra commission.
Open to composers of any age and of any nationality.
In 2011, the competition’s focus is on music for one trumpet and any combination of string quartet. As such, scores may take the form of quintets, quartets, trios etc. ‘One of the most prestigious contemporary composition prizes across the globe.’
Open application. Five works are selected from the entries and performed by the Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Winner is chosen on the basis of this performance.
www.abdn.ac.uk/musicprize

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Visby Residency

Awarded by Visby International Centre for Composers (VICC). Situated in Gotland, Sweden.
Rolling applications programme.
VICC is intended as a work and meeting place for composers. Residencies give practitioners the time and space to create new work. Accommodation and generous studio facilities are offered free-of-charge, but visitors generally pay for their own travel and living expenses.
No limits on age or nationality.
Aim is to promote contemporary music.
Open application by written form. Decisions are made continuously by a selection committee and are reviewed by the board of directors.
http://www.centreforcomposers.org/VITC_2010.html

Tags: International | Non Monetary – Category: Composers –

We Are Listening Contests

Awarded by We Are Listening.
A series of contests with various deadlines.
Many awards on offer:
- Free International Songwriting Competition
- The Singer/Songwriter Awards
- The Lyric Writer Awards
- Breaking the Band
- World of Music Awards
The first three have values of $6,000, $12,000 and $9,000 respectively, though prizes tend to be delivered through recording sessions, album production and work placements, rather than cash payment.
Open to all, but song lyrics must be in English.
Focus on popular contemporary music. ‘We are Listening is the leading provider of international music contests for recording artists, songwriters and lyricists.’
Open submission – application fees apply. We Are Listening uses panelists who are renowned in the music industry.
http://www.wearelistening.org/contests.php

Tags: 5 - 20k | International – Category: Composers –

Women Make Music

Awarded by PRS for Music Foundation.
This is a one-off grants scheme run for the first time in 2011.
Award of up to £5,000 for the writing of new music that will be played live. Funds also available to commissioning organisations.
Eligibility limited to female composers living and working in the UK.
Supports a broad range of music across many genres – urban, jazz, pop, electronic and classical. Aim of the scheme is to raise the profile of women who are making music in the UK.
Open application by written form. Two rounds of selection.
http://www.prsformusicfoundation.com/pdfs/womenmakemusic2011edit.pdf

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition

Awarded by Worshipful Company of Musicians, Wavendon Foundation.
Annual – the third award was in February 2011 and it is hoped that the scheme will continue next year subject to ‘…fresh funding being found’.
£1,000 first prize, £500 second prize: big band. Winning pieces premiered at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club.
Eligibility limited to UK composers under the age of 28.
Focus on new jazz music, mostly by current students. Prizewinners concert attracts significant coverage in the sector press.
http://www.wcom.org.uk/template.php?whichPage=newsdetails&News_ID=267 and http://londonjazz.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-dankwoth-2011-prizewinners.html

Tags: < 5k | UK – Category: Composers –

Funding directory for visual artists and composers

Composers