Performance: 7:00 PM Saturday, May 2, 2020
Venue: Peace Lutheran Church in St. Johns – 2201 N. Rosa Parks Way, Portland, OR 97217
Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM PST, Monday, March 2, 2020
Eligibility: All Cascadia members in good standing through 2020 (don’t forget to renew)
Concert theme / title: How We Got to Now – a historical perspective, produced and emcee’d by Cascadia member Aszemar Glenn, on how living composers have been influenced by particular periods of music history. Four composers will be selected to present works highly influenced by the Baroque period, the Classic period (First Viennese School), the Romantic period, and non-traditional (uncommon practice) tonalities respectively. Each segment will be approximately 20 minutes and must include a performance of the new work, a short presentation by the composer (or someone they designate) about the relationship of their work to the period, and may optionally include a period work that is particularly relevant to the new work. Presentations are expected to be at the same high level throughout, with the spoken parts rehearsed and polished to the same degree as the musical performances. If you have little experience or don’t feel comfortable with this, you’re strongly encouraged to arrange for someone to present for you.
Instrumentation: Open within reason, but nothing that requires the venue sound system, please. (Electric instruments that come with their own portable, self-contained sound systems and only require a power outlet are OK.) Composers will provide their own performers, or for piano solo works, may negotiate with Aszemar to perform. A limit of four performers per presentation (e.g. string or piano quintet) is suggested for practicality in the venue. At most one piano, please.
Submission procedure: Anonymous submission. Remove or blank out anything on the score or other submitted media which identifies the composer. Check authorship, copyright notices, logos, program notes, performance notes, and so forth.
Composers may submit up to two works, but at most one can be selected.
Submit the following through the submission form on NewMusicEnginge.org with required info such as instrumentation, duration, and contact info:
1. Score in PDF format, including any performance notes. Make sure nothing on the score identifies the composer. (PDF files are limited to 5MB by NewMusicEngine.)
2. Recording if available (MIDI is OK if none is) in MP3 format. A link may be submitted instead, if more convenient or if your MP3 does not upload for some reason. Make sure nothing in an MP3 player window or the link identifies the composer.
3. Bio and program notes, 200 words each or less, in the text boxes provided. These won’t be accessible to the selection committee. If there’s some aspect of your submission you feel needs an additional explanatory note, briefly and anonymously comment in the submission form’s “Additional comments” text box.
4. Draft of the presentation script in PDF format. If your name appears anywhere in it, substitute a pseudonym.
5. If there are lyrics, you may submit them as part of the program notes, or as a text file in PDF format. English lyrics only, please.
6. Lyrics permission – If there are lyrics which are not in the public domain, include a text file in PDF format showing you have permission to use them. Be sure to enter the author(s) in the separate text input box, even if the lyrics are in the public domain.
Selection process: A committee of Cascadia volunteers, including Aszemar Glenn, will review all works and make the selections.
For questions about the concert itself, please contact Aszemar at multimedia@aszemarglenn.com.
Questions? Please contact Jeff Winslow at jeffw@rdrop.com.
Thank you and good luck!
Jeff Winslow for Cascadia Composers (chapter of NACUSA)