Acanthes 2011

These workshops are designed for participating composers who wish to submit a new instrumental work and, throughout the requisite rehearsals, benefit from the experience and advice of members of the Acanthes teaching team.

These workshops, placed under the artistic direction of Unsuk Chin, Philippe Hurel and Oscar Strasnoy, will be preceded by a "round-table analysis" which will provide the participating composers with the opportunity to make final adjustments to their pieces as they are being played

Age limit : these workshops are only opened to composers born after July 1st, 1976.

The composers will not be able to be selected as “actif composer” more than two consecutive years running.

1) Orchestre National de Lorraine Workshops

a) Formation A - conducted by Jacques Mercier
Instrumental line-up: 1 flute + 1 flute/piccolo, 1 oboe + 1 oboe/French horn, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon + 1 bassoon/contrabassoon, 3 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone + 1 bass trombone, 1 timpani, 1 percussion* , 19 violins, 7 violas, 6 cellos, 4 double basses.

b) Formation B - conducted by Jean Deroyer
Instrumental line-up: 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet/soprano clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone, 1 percussion*, 1 harp, 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello, 1 double bass (5 strings).

*Available percussion instruments: 1 vibraphone (F3-F6), 1 marimba (4 and a half octaves lames Kelon F2-C7), 1 glockenspiel (F5-E8), 1 set of crotales (2 octaves C to C), 1 set of tubular bells (F4-F6), 4 toms, 2 bongos, 2 tumbas, 1 tam-tam, 1 symphonic bass drum, 3 suspended cymbals, 5 temple blocks, 2 wood blocks.

Participating students can select all or some of the available instruments (minimum of thirty five musicians for formation A and eight musicians for formation B, to the exclusion of any concertant works).

Duration of the presented work: six to eight minutes

Acanthes wishes to thank the CNSMDP for the percussion instruments they provide.

2) Music chamber workshop

Instrumental Formation: flute,piano, saxophone, voice (soprano)
Length of Work Presented: four to seven minutes

Mario Caroli - Jean-Pierre Pinet - flûte
Donatienne Michel-Dansac - voix*
Vincent Leterme - piano
Pierre-Stéphane Meugé - saxophone

*Tessitura : from C# one octave lower ender key of G, to higher F

Possible choices of instrumental formation:
- quatuor formation : piano, flute, saxophone, voice
- trio formation : 1/piano, saxophone, voice- 2/piano, saxophone, flute –
- 3/ saxophone, flute, voice
- duet formation : 1/voice, saxophone – 2/saxophone, flute – 3/piano, flute
No soloist piece

Free text (the composers using a classic or contemporary text have to make sure of rights for the purposes of use of the chosen text).

Sung voice (soprano), or spoken voice.

The proposed work can require a particular scenic placement, with the exception of any specific direction (in case of doubt, the project sent to the administration of Acanthes must be very explicit).

Note for composers selected for the composition workshops
Specification for scores to be submitted

The composers selected must submit the following:

before 2 May 2011, postmark being proof of posting
for the composers of music chamber workshop

before 16 May 2011, postmark being proof of posting
for the composers of orchestra workshops

1. By post :

The written work:
– Conductor’s bound copy - minimum A3 format, in triplicate, with characters large enough to be read from a distance, copies of good quality,
– Musicians’ individual parts (bound as necessary), A4 or A3 (according to the writing and for a good readability), one copy per musician, edited with a sufficient pause at the bottom of each page in order to allow the performer to have time to turn the page.

2. And by

– The written work by .pdf file (Conductor’s and musician’s parts)(conducteur et parties séparées)

– Programme notes in English and French – maximum of 600 signs (format .rtf if possible)

- A biography in English and French – maximum of 600 signs (.rtf file if possible)

The Acanthes management, in agreement with the heads of each composition workshop, reserves the right to reject a score where its realisation proves impractical.