Dear Composers (and interested others),

This is a last-chance reminder that Friday the 18th is the receipt deadline to apply for a $4,000 commission from the American Composers Forum New England as part of our 2008 Festival Commissions project (complete details are shown below and at http://www.acfnewengland.org/Commissions2008.html). If you haven't entered yet, there's (barely) still time! However, if you choose to send your entry using an overnight delivery service, please be sure to verify that they can deliver to a post-office box -- the US postal service can, but I think Fedex and UPS usually cannot. Or, if you are in Boston and would prefer to hand-deliver your entry, please contact me by email at david@acfnewengland.org or by phone at 617 373-7412 for further information about how to do that.

Thanks, and good luck in all your musical pursuits,

David McMullin
Director, ACF New England

__________________________________________________________

COMMISSIONING OPPORTUNITY : CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
RECEIPT DEADLINE: APRIL 18, 2008

The American Composers Forum New England
announces a new project in our COMPOSER RESIDENCY PROGRAM

to commission new works to be premiered at the

Ditson Festival of New Music
in Boston, September 18-21, 2008

Synopsis:

Organized and directed by Gil Rose, Artistic Director of the Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), the Ditson Festival of New Music will be presented over four consecutive days in September 2008 in the acclaimed new performance venue of the Institute of Contemporary Art on the Boston waterfront. BMOP, Boston Musica Viva, and several other mainstay professional new-music ensembles of the Boston area will participate, presenting the premiere performances of three ACFNE-commissioned works on the festival program. This commissioning opportunity is made possible by generous grants from the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund and the Thomas R McMullin and Ruth R McMullin Fund, and is open to all composers resident in the six states of New England. Su bmissions are due April 18, 2008.

Composer Benefits

•  Commission -- $4,000 for commission and copying costs.
•  Premiere performance during the Ditson Festival of New Music in Boston in September 2008.
•  Professional recording of the live performance for unlimited non-commercial use.

Composer Responsibilities

•  Write a chamber-ensemble composition for instrumental resources and duration to be determined in consultation with the Festival Artistic Director and the music director of each collaborating ensemble.
•  Provide legible, performance-ready scores and parts in a timely manner.
•  Maintain communication with the ensemble music director and performers.
•  Speak to community groups and/or pre-concert audiences as requested by the music director.
•  Be present at rehearsals and performance of the composition.
•  Provide progress reports and a final report to ACFNE.

Selection Procedure

Three composers will be selected for chamber-ensemble commissions. ACFNE will administer the submission process and final selections will be made by the music directors of participating ensembles, including Richard Pittman of Boston Music Viva, in consultation with Festival Artistic Director Gil Rose of BMOP.

Eligibility

Open to all composers residing in the six states of New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Selected composers must become members of the American Composers Forum New England.

To Submit:

•  Send the materials listed below to: ACF New England, PO Box 300637, Boston, MA 02130

•  Receipt deadline: April 18, 2008

Application Checklist: 

Contact Information – Please provide your name, email address, telephone number and mailing address.

Scores – Submit scores of three recent works that best demonstrate your artistry and craftsmanship. Include at least one work for instrumental forces large enough to require a conductor.

Recordings – Include recordings of the same three works, on one CD, with clearly marked separate tracks for each piece or movement. If you do not have recorded performances of your works, you may use MIDI realizations or you may rely solely on your scores, but we strongly recommend submitting recordings if possible.

Artistic Résumé and/or Short Biography - (one page maximum).

List of Recent Works – Include title, instrumentation, duration, names of the performers or ensemble who premiered the work, and the date of the first performance.

References – List two individuals, with their contact information, who can attest to your ability to work in a collaborative setting and to complete the commission in a timely and professional manner.

Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope – (if you wish to have your materials returned.)

For more information, please visit www.acfnewengland.org, or contact ACFNE Director David McMullin: david@acfnewengland.org, (617) 373-7412.

Through granting, commissioning and performance programs, the AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM NEW ENGLAND provides composers at all stages of their careers with valuable resources for professional and artistic development. By linking communities with composers and performers, the Forum fosters a demand for new music, enriches communities and helps develop the next generation of composers, musicians and audiences. Since 1995, we have engaged in more than 50 collaborative projects with more than 70 community partners, facilitating the creation of over 80 new musical works heard by more than 25,000 people from all walks of life throughout the greater Boston area.

Please visit us online at www.acfnewengland.org, where you can:

• Learn more about our programs and services.
• Find listings of contemporary music concerts and events, and post your own events, on our New Music Calendar.
• Sign up to receive opportunity announcements and concert calendar updates from ACFNE by email.

ACFNE thanks the Cherbec Advancement Foundation and the Edward T. Cone Foundation for their generous support of our ongoing programs and services. If you would like to help us pursue our mission of service to new music and the people who make it, please send a check to ACFNE, PO Box 300637, Boston MA 02130, or to donate by credit card, just click on the link below. We are deeply grateful for all your support -- Thanks!