No Strings Attached

Universal Edition has joined the Alvarez Chamber Orchestra in offering additional prizes for the 2022 composition competition No Strings Attached. Since 2010, the ACO has been offering awards to composers for writing works for chamber orchestra with briefs alternating between strict specifications to a relative absence of strictures

The first competition, Plucked from Nowhere specifying the use of the harp, was won by Molly Kein, an American Composer working in Sweden for 'Britomartis' for harp and chamber ensemble.

This work subsequently received attention in the publication Here and there: Classical Music News.

The award was conferred on Molly by Film Director Tony Palmer in the London office of Schott's Music.

 

During the early years of the ACO competition, a separate prize of Sibelius music notation software, was donated by Avid, in Plucked from Nowhere, this was awarded to Jee Soo Shin for her quirky miniature Ha-rpy.  Jee Soo Shin is from Seoul but studied at the University of Southampton and taught at the University of Oxford.

A particularly noteworthy example of a prizewinner of the Free Style competition was Torsten Philipp Herrmann for Pivot. Adjudicator Giles Swayne, formerly composer-in-residence, Clare College, Cambridge  considered the work "well heard, well written and consistently imaginative".Torsten was born in Jülich, Germany in 1981. He studied composition with composers of international stature such as York Höller and Frédérick Durieux and amongst his previous awards include scholarships to the International Summer Course in Darmstadt, and the first prize in Jugend Komponiert in NRW.

Universal Edition's contribution to the current competition will be

·         Donation of a voucher for all entrants for a free submission to scodo (worth €49)

The Alvarez Chamber Orchestra is committed to

The jury is drawn from an international rosta of celebrated composers and musicians such as London based Silvina Milstein, Linda Hirst and Edwin Roxburg to Cord Meijering (Darmstadt)  and John Galea (Malta)

The "Plucked from Nowhere" jury - left to right; Diana Burrell, Paul Patterson, Geoffrey Alvarez, Simon Campion, Elzbieta Baklarz (harp) and Roxanna Panufnik.

 

The programme of the ACO concert Ten by Ten - ten works featuring 10 composers associated with the competition either as competitor or judge contains a wealth of information regarding the event.

The regulations of the current competition No Strings Attached may be found here.                                                                  

Details of past competitions may be found here.

An entrant for the 2016-17 As you like it competition writes

This was the most gracious and welcomed rejection that I have yet received! Truly, I think that it is a wonderful idea to send constructive feedback to composers. Often it feels like the decision is political - or mostly arbitrary on account of the unthinkable amount of work it takes to fish through [sometimes] hundreds of applications. A commentary proves that careful, genuine consideration was made.

Please relay my thanks to Dr Alvarez for his time and comments. My chamber group hosts regular composition competitions, and I wish now to adopt this model.

I will gladly apply for future competitions with the ACO! David Matthew Brown, illumine, director, violinist, composer
www.illuminemusic.org

Merion Mercy Academy, orchestra director

www.merion-mercy.com

Further details:
Trevor Huntley
aco.competition@hotmail.com

Competition Adminstrator/Treasurer
The Álvarez Chamber Orchestra

Registered Charity No. 1120668
Company Limited by Guarantee No. 6227728.
Registered in England and Wales.
Registered Office:                                                                               28 Thornhill Terrace, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, SR2 7JL

http://alvarezchamberorchestra.com/