Write for Ensemble Resilience

Are you interested in exploring new technologies and working closely with instrumentalists and sound designers? Gaudeamus invites composers (with no restriction of age or nationality) to write a new composition for violin, (bass) clarinet, piano/Seaboard and hybrid percussion* that will be workshopped in March 2022, developed during the following year and presented in September 2022 at Gaudeamus.

Ensemble Resilience is an innovative collective of musicians that aims to bring a new concept of sound to the contemporary music world. Its uniqueness is due to the synergy of three of the most elegant and expressive acoustic instruments, violin, clarinet and piano, and two recently invented electronic instruments. These are the MIDI Polyphonic Expression controller Seaboard® by Roli, and MATER, a hybrid-electronic percussion set created by members and associates of the ensemble. Ensemble Resilience’s adventurous musicians are eager to explore new sounds and instrumental possibilities in a unique call for scores that will allow you to develop new ideas for electronics, supported by the two sound designers of Ensemble Resilience over the span of one year.

*a set of 7 plates of different materials connected via contact microphones to Ableton or Max/MSP

Timeline

Send us the following by the 30th of December 2021:

2 examples of your best compositions, one of which should showcase your use of electronics (this is not a restrictive condition)
either a short sketch for our formation or a proposal for a new piece
a summary of your experience using electronics

Ensemble Resilience will select the participants in early January 2022. On 27 February 2022 you will participate in a first meeting with the musicians to read through a first draft of the piece and discuss how it can be developed into a final work that exploits the full possibilities of the instrumentation. (Ensemble Resilience reserves the right to withdraw the piece if there is no evidence of possible development.)

Such a Reading Session will be held in Utrecht on the 1st of March 2022 (we can arrange a remote online connection for participants who cannot attend in person, this is however to be discussed on the announcement of participants). After the Reading Session, you will be able to compose your piece forward, bringing it to a final stage with the online support of all the members of the ensemble. Ultimately, the pieces will be performed in 2022 in a public concert during Gaudeamus Festival.

Please note that this collaboration is not a commission directly funded by the Ensemble or Gaudeamus; participation in the Reading Session and concert is at the expense of the composer. However, composers are able to independently seek funding and Ensemble Resilience will assist in the process how reasonably possible. For further information do not hesitate to get in touch with ensembleresilience@gmail.com