[‘tactus] Young Composers’ Forum 2015

Launched in 2003, [‘tactus] Young Composers’ Forum offers the opportunity for up to 5 composers (per session), selected on the basis of an online submission, to increase their understanding of what is involved in writing for a symphony orchestra and chamber ensemble.

The sixth edition of [‘tactus] Young Composers’ Forum takes place in Brussels and Mons, Belgium over two sessions in November :

# Brussels, Belgium from November 23rd to 25th (orchestra session)

and

# Mons, Belgium from November 24th to 27th (chamber music session),

under the presence of maestri Jean-Paul Dessy, Kimmo Hakola, Jeroen D’Hoe, Annelies Van Parys and Luc Van Hove.

Applications could be submitted exclusively online via the Ulysses platform.

Deadline for submission was April 10^th 2015.

The first session in Brussels and with the collaboration of the Brussels Philharmonic, features writing for orchestra. Candidates are asked to submit a piece or part of a piece (movement) for symphony orchestra approximately 10 minutes in duration. Orchestral accompaniment cannot exceed the following instrumentation:

Woodwinds in groups of 3: 3 flutes [including piccolo] – 3 oboes [including English horn] – 3 clarinets [including bass clarinet or soprano clarinet] – 3 bassoons [including contrabassoon]

Brass: 4 horns – 3 trumpets – 3 trombones – 1 tuba

Percussion: 3 players [1 timpanist and 2 percussionists]

Harp: 1 player

Strings: 14 – 12 – 9 – 8 – 6

Piano

The second session, held in Mons, Belgium and with the collaboration of the ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, features writing for chamber ensemble. In celebration of Mons 2015, European Capital of Culture, the chamber music session in Mons will honor composer Roland de Lassus, the audacious and perhaps best known polyphonic composer of the Renaissance, particularly renowned for mixing sacred and profane music with insight and virtuosity. Candidates are invited to submit a new work for this occasion, inspired by Roland de Lassus’ 6 voice motet « Musica, Dei donum optimi » (drawn from the Cantiones sacrae sex vocum – Graz, Widmanstad, 1594). The composition should be written in the spirit of the « Prince of Musicians », without any obligation to cite his music directly. The work should be approximately 10 minutes in length and must adhere to the following instrumentation (9 instruments): Flute, Clarinet (+ bass clarinet + contrabass clarinet – 1 player), trombone, percussion, guitar (+electric guitar – 1 player), piano, violin, viola, and cello.

Composers 35 years and younger are invited to apply for one or both sessions submitting work/s as indicated in the application requirements. Candidates interested in both sessions need to submit two works (one for each session).

The forum ends with a closing concert given by the ensemble Musiques Nouvelles in Mons, Belgium on November 27^th, 2015.

The sixth edition of [‘tactus], Young Composers Forum, is pleased to announce that the work by American composer David Clay Mettens has been selected to be programmed by the Brussels Philharmonic.

For more information: www.tactus.be or info@tactus.be