The northwest German ART Ensemble NRW, specializing in contemporary music, has announced a Kafka-themed composition competition for the 2024 edition of the festival Klangräume Düsseldorf.
2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Franz Kafka, that unique chronicler of a world stumbling into modernity and the psychological effects on the individual. The ART Ensemble NRW has announced a commemorative composition competition for pieces referencing Kafka’s work.
Just the facts
Submissions should be no longer than 8 minutes long and should make reference to Kafka’s writings, including poems, uncompleted novels, and short stories. The composition may be previously performed, but may have been composed no earlier than 2010. Compositions that have won an award in another competition are excluded. There are no limitations in terms of age, gender, or nationality.
Instrumentation: mezzosoprano, flute (incl. alto & bass flute), oboe, clarinet (incl bass clarinet), 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass (4-string), and piano. The composition may be written for any combination of these instruments (minimum 5 instruments).
The jury will choose up to five pieces to be performed at a finalist concert; the winner will be chosen by the participating musicians, the jury, and the audiences. All finalists will receive €500; the winner will additionally receive an award of €2000.
Scores should be submitted by September 30th, 2024 as a PDF to art@artensemble.de or via physical mail to Klangraum 61, Mettmanner Str. 61, D-40233 Düsseldorf. Works should include a code word; a separate email or a second envelope bearing only the code word should include the name, address, and a brief biography of the composer in English or German. The finalist concert will take place on November 30, 2024 in Düsseldorf.