MOTUnation.com

Berkeley Symphony
EarShot Under Construction
February 2-3 & May 4-5, 2014
submission deadline: August 30, 2013

http://www.earshotnetwork.org/berkeley.html

Interesting rules. They are looking for less experienced with major orchestras but there is no age restriction. No application fee either. US residents or students studying in the USA.

Tell your friends; tell your students.

Thanks for the info -- that's a rather short span of time for us working adults though, so I think it is still effectively self-limited to college students home for the summer break.

The requirements list is almost identical to the one that the Berkeley Chorus has been using for years for their competitions. I hope to eventually enter that one, if I can ever find time to work on and complete my first Mass (many sketches by now, but it's a low priority).

I've been to the Berkeley Symphony's Under Construction concert a few seasons, but not recently. I was quite impressed the few times, regardless of taking age and experience into consideration (though some were still in high school!).

One of our summer interns is a composition major at Stanford, so I should pass this info on to her (if she doesn't already have it).

Fact is, all they're offering is a reading with mandatory attendance to rehearsals, composer supplied parts, and no mention of any prize or compensation. IMO, not really worth the effort and interpretation of the word "emerging" is a red flag. How many emerging composers are over 35?

It's a win-win for the promoter and a bend-over-backwards for the contestants. Clearly there are better ways to spend your time seeking work and promotion.

IMO.

Very good points, and I am not hurting for work (which is -- even more than my day job -- why I'm too busy to prepare something in time for their deadline). I do hope to eventually enter the more traditional concert repertoire but I'm more likely to get to that goal through continued film and theatrical staging work than by entering competitions.

Hmm, emerging composers after the age of 35? I guess it depends on how you define "emerging". I'll look this up later, but Borodin might have qualified, as he was similarly preoccupied with a full-time-plus-overtime career as a working professional (chemist in his case). Borodin has always provided hope for me, as my mainline career threw me off track compositionally until my early 40's, when I left the computer industry for the more sympathetic and accommodating (though hours remain long) audio industry.

Even so, for those just finishing college and who may not yet have a network of clients, this competition might be worthwhile, if only for getting them in the habit of working against tight deadlines and learning how to structure the decision-making process.

Can't touch that!

I have little interest in it myself but ya never know... The idea of being mentored at my age. Ha!

I would like if my daughter the composition major submitted something. She's the blonde in my picture.