impuls doesn’t just support young composers with its summer academy and festivals: in 2024, the biennial impuls Competition Competition offers composers born after 1989 the chance to win a commission to create a new piece for the 2027 impuls Festival. Applications are open until October 31st!
The Graz-based organization impuls is dedicated to the promotion and development of contemporary art music. Founded by Beat Furrer and Ernst Kovacic, the organization offers public concerts, presentations, lectures, and other events, as well as sponsoring a summer academy and a festival of contemporary music every two years. Since 2005, impuls has been commissioning new pieces by composers selected via the impuls Composition Competition, which takes place every two years; previous winners include now-established names like Matthias Kranebitter, Alexander Kaiser, and Emre Sihan Kaleli.
Call for compositions 2024
On May 31st, impuls opened the call for compositions for the 2027 festival. Briefly, a jury consisting of composers, musicians, and other experts will nominate 4-5 composers from the applicants; these composers will be notified in early 2025 and commissioned to create a new work for ensemble of about 15 minutes. After a feedback process in 2026, the pieces will be performed by a world-class ensemble (such as the Klangforum Wien) at the impuls Festival in 2027. Successful composers will also receive a fee of €2,900 and contributions to travel and living expenses associated with the work.
Conditions
The competition is international; applicants must be born no earlier than 1990. In order to apply, fill out the application form and upload the following materials via a file transfer service:
- Biography, list of works, and current activities
- A concept for a new piece of acoustic music of about 15 minutes for approximately 12 musicians (for available instruments see the application page)
- The score of an existing original composition for 10 – app. 20 musicians.
- A commentary on the piece, including title, instrumentation, and duration
- At least one recording (not necessarily of the submitted score)
Application materials must be submitted no later than October 31st, 2024. Be sure to read the conditions and application page carefully for instructions – they’re rather particular.