Voices of Change/Dallas Symphony Orchestra
2009 North Texas Young Composers Project


The Young Composers Project is a partnership between Voices of Change and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to identify, encourage and reward exceptionally talented young composers in North Texas. Cash awards are presented to four composers for high school and college applicants and two compositions are performed by Voices of Change.

A Heritage Left by Russell Horn

The Young Composers Project continues the Voices of Change tradition of The Annual Russell Horn Young Composers Competition which was established in 1998 by Russ Horn (1916-2006). He was a board member, treasurer, box office manager, donor and volunteer for Voices of Change for over twelve years. Russ donated the prize money for the competition every year and it was named in his honor. To continue this tradition, his daughters, Linda Horn and Janet Horn Hemming, continue to donate the prize money. Russ left a legacy worthy of our classical music community.

Jamie Allen, Director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Education Department, our collaborator on this project staring in 2006, expressed his commitment to the Young Composers Project:

"I can't think of two things that go much better together than young people and new music. Music is the way we can express the inexpressible, and every student I've ever worked with has had something unique and inexpressible inside them that was just dying to get out. I have reveled in the chance to experience the scores of the many talented young composers we have in North Texas, and am excited at the prospect of hearing an ensemble of the caliber of Voices of Change perform the selected works. I encourage everyone with even a passing interest in self expression and evolving culture to join me in this experience."

Invitation

Please share this information with all music students, music teachers and music department heads who know young composers in North Texas.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Voices of Change invite high school and college students in North Texas to submit compositions to the 2009 North Texas Young Composers Project. From these submissions, four promising young composers will be selected to receive a cash prize and two outstanding compositions will be performed at a Voices of Change concert on May 3rd, 2009.

Instrumentation

Submitted works must be for 1-5 instruments, chosen from among the following:
1-2 violins
1 viola
1 cello
1 instrument of the composer’s choice (including voice or CD-audio)

Length

Submitted works must be at least 3 minutes and no longer than 10 minutes in duration.

Eligibility

Composer Applicants must meet the following criteria:

They must be 25 years of age or under.
They must reside or attend school in North Texas (here defined as Dallas and its surrounding counties, encompassing a circle that is roughly defined by the cities of Wichita Falls, Sherman, Tyler, Waco, and Stephenville).

Deadline

The deadline for receiving scores is January 2, 2009. Recordings are encouraged, but not required. Results of the selection process will be announced on or before February 12th, 2009.

Selection Process

The artistic leadership of the North Texas Young Composers Project will evaluate all submitted compositions on the basis of artistic merit, technical mastery and originality.

Awards

All composers who submit works to the 2009 North Texas Young Composers Project will receive invitations to a special masterclass given by Pulitzer Prize nominated composer, Augusta Read Thomas.

Cash prizes for selected composers will be awarded as follows:

College Level: 1st Place - $500 2nd Place - $250
High School Level: 1st Place - $300 2nd Place - $150

Public Performance on May 3, 2009

The four winning composers will receive their awards and certificates from Augusta Read Thomas at the Voices of Change concert on May 3rd, and will be invited to a reception after the performance.

The first place winners in each category will also work with the artistic leadership of the North Texas Young Composers project to help prepare their music for a professional performance,

Application Forms

Simply request an application form by calling Carolyn Jabr at 214-871-4083. Submissions without an application will be disqualified.

Send submissions to:

North Texas Young Composers Project
Attn: Carolyn Jabr
Meyerson Symphony Center
Education Department
2301 Flora Street
Dallas, TX 75201-2497

The Mission of the Young Composers Project

The VOC/DSO Young Composers Project is charged with identifying and encouraging exceptionally talented young composers in North Texas.



2007-2008 Season Winners

College Division
Seeker for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and 2 percussion by Kris Peyson (b.1986) $500

High School Division
Farewell for 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass and piano by Jake Vandermeer (b.1990) $250

Honorable Mention in College Division
Da-Jeong Choi, University of North Texas
Dan Lazarescou, Southern Methodist University
Michael Bryon, University of Houston
Jordan Kuspa, Shepherd School of Music, Rice University


2006-2007 Season Winners


College Division
Sail Away for violin, cello, clarinet and piano by Chien-Wen Cheng (b.1972) University of North Texas $500

High School Division
Equinox for flute, cello and piano by Jason E. Ballmann (b.1989) Hewitt High School $250

Honorable Mention
Anne Strickland, $250
Ryan Manchester, $250

2005 -2006 – no competition


2004-2005 Season Winners

Takuma Itoh, $1,000, Sounds and Shapes for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion
Jonathan Kolm, $500, Crystal Fantasy for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, violincello
Peter Askim, $300, Eight Solitudes for bass and piano

Honorable Mention
Gabriel Lit: Pigdogs go to War March for clarinet, flute, drums, marimba
Terry Alan Lee, On to… for violin, piano, string bass


2003–2004 Season Winners

Kyle Kindred, $1,000, The Beast, Sonata for alto saxophone and piano
Devin Collins, $500, Anthem for string quartet
Jonathan Anderson, $300, Burke, Rawls, Harley for clarinet, viola and piano

Honorable Mention
Austin Jacquith, Sextet for Strings
John A. Dribus Life Cycle


2002-2003 Season Winners

Mark Feezell, $1000 Songs of Consonants, for mezzo-soprano and piano.
Lane Harder, $500, Circus Plenus Clamor Ingens Ianuae Tensae, variations for six marimbists.


2001-2002 Season Winners


Dr. Leonard Mark Lewis, $1,000, Concerto for Six Players for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion
Jennifer Shaffer, $500, Prague Piano Quartet
Andrew Pierce, $300, Quartet for Four Violas


2000-2001 Season Winner

Leonard Mark Lewis, $1,000