INK STILL WET COMPOSER CONDUCTOR WORKSHOP‘s aim is to create a platform for young composers and to promote a unique creative exchange between audiences, composers and performing musicians. Deadline for application: 16th of January 2022.
Led by the Composer in Residence of the Grafenegg Festival, the intention of the INK STILL WET Workshop is to provide impulses for the creation of new works for orchestra. In addition, the workshop offers the opportunity to rehearse and perform an own work with a professional orchestra. Thus, also gaining a new perspective on one’s own work. The participants’ works will be presented to the public in the workshop’s closing concert as part of the Grafenegg Festival.
INK STILL WET provides insights into all phases of an exciting work- and rehearsal-process. Both the concert of INK STILL WET as well as all the workshops are open and free of charge for an interested audience. 2022 sees the 12th edition of the INK STILL WET composer conductor-workshop.
Composer in Residence 2022
GEORG FRIEDRICH HAAS
With his melodic and harmonic musical language, massive textures and microtonal complexity, Georg Friedrich Haas creates impressive sound events. Born in 1953 in Graz and raised in Vorarlberg, Haas is considered one of the most important composers of today, whose awards include the Grand Austrian State Prize.
His admiration for Romanticism and composers such as Schubert and Mendelssohn frequently resonates through his extensive œuvre – dream, fantasy and night are also themes found in the sound worlds he creates. Haas’s richly nuanced works have been premiered by leading ensembles including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic, and the Berlin Philharmonic. His most frequently performed work is probably his ensemble piece «in vain» (2000), part of which is to be performed in complete darkness.
In addition to composing, an important aspect of Haas’s professional life is teaching. As early as 1978 he began teaching at the Musikhochschule Graz. In 2005 he took over a composition course in Basel and since 2013 has been a professor at Columbia University in New York. His extensive teaching experience will benefit participants of the composer conductor-workshop INK STILL WET in Grafenegg, which Haas will lead in his role as Composer in Residence.
Find further information about Georg Friedrich Haas here.
Workshop Leadership
The INK STILL WET workshop is led by Georg Friedrich Haas, composer in residence of the Grafenegg Festival 2022. The workshop will be accompanied by the Tonkunstler Orchestra, one of the orchestras in residence of Grafenegg Festival. Composer and conductor Baldur Brönnimann will work as conducting coach with the participants.
what’s offered
The workshop takes place in two work phases. Part 1 of the workshop, which takes allows the participating composers the opportunity to work on and complete their work with the workshop leader and section leaders of the Orchestra. In Part 2, taking place during the Grafenegg Festival, the workshop’s focus is on the preparation of the world premiere: participants will have the unique opportunity to rehearse their own compositions as conductors with the Tonkunstler Orchestra and present their works in concert.
Georg Friedrich Haas and Baldur Brönnimann work with the participating composers on the fine-tuning of their works and support them in the preparation of conducting their pieces. The experience of performing one’s own composition from the conductor’s desk allows to gain a new perspective on one’s own work. Overcoming possible barriers between composers and the musicians in charge of executing the piece as well as the promotion of creative exchange are at the heart of the workshop.
All orchestra rehearsals are documented in detail, so that the participants and workshop leader by way of video analysis of the rehearsals and the participants’ conducting can continuously work on the realisation of pieces and the realisation of the participants’ musical ideas.
The compositions of all participating composers will be presented in a final concert in the Auditorium Grafenegg on the 4th of September 2022, 3.30 P.M.
who is it for?
- Composers and students of composition etc.
- Experience in conducting is an advantage but not required
- No age limit
- Course language: English
Successful applicants will be highly talented young composers at the beginning of their professional careers with a keen interest in gaining a new perspective on their own work in the practical execution with orchestra and who want to get an insight into possible tensions between one’s own imagination of sound during the composition process and the actual sound experience in the concert hall.
schedule
The schedule will include daily rehearsals, Music Lab lectures and workshops, discussions, open rehearsals and other social gatherings.
Workshop Part 1: 11 + 12 March 2022, Grafenegg or online
Score analysis and working on the applicants’ compositions, workshop with section leaders of Tonkunstler Orchestra as well as workshops on creating a professional score and working with publishers
Workshop Part 2: 26 August – 04 September 2022, Grafenegg
- From 26 August | Orchestra rehearsals, conducting coaching with piano, video analysis of the orchestra rehearsals and Music Lab-workshops on career development for composers
- 03 September | General rehearsal
- 04 September | INK STILL WET Closing concert
(Subject to changes)
application
Completed applications to be submitted online require the following:
- A completed application form
- Curriculum vitae in German or English (maximum of two pages) including name and contact of the current composition teacher (if available)
- Full scores of 3 works of reference for various instrumentation and ensembles including recordings (if available)
- An application video (max. 3 minutes duration) or a motivation letter (max. 3.000 characters) including answers to:
– What do you expect from participating in the workshop?
– What would you wish for if participating?
– Why is it important for you to attend the INK STILL WET composer conductor-workshop? - Composition: orchestral work with a maximum duration of 7 minutesThe application includes the elaborated score of at least 2 minutes of the composition and a description of the concept of the composition (max 3.000 characters) as well as possibly a sketch for the further composition.For information on the orchestral instrumentation and layout please refer to the «Guidelines for Instrumentation and Layout».
Minimum orchestral scoring: 21 musicians
Applications will be accepted electronically only here (in PDF format).
Deadline for application: 16 January 2022
Download course information >
GENERAL CONDITIONS, ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORT
Each position in the INK STILL WET composer conductor-workshop is fully funded by Campus Grafenegg:
- Accommodation (in single rooms in the new Grafenegg Cottages)
- All local transport to and from Vienna
- Subsistence costs during the duration of the workshop
- Tickets to any available concerts of the Grafenegg Festival during part 2 of the workshop will be provided free of charge
Note: Travel expenses will be partially reimbursed after submitting an application for travel allowance. More information can be found under «How to apply for Travel Allowance».
SELECTION PROCESS
The Workshop Leader will decide together with the conductiong coach and representatives of Tonkunstler Orchestra on participation after the application deadline. Only complete applications will be accepted. Successful applicants will be contacted for more information by Friday, 18 February 2022.
If admitted to the INK STILL WET composer conductor-workshop, the composition must be further developed until workshop part 1 in March 2022.
The conducting score must be submitted by 06 May 2022.
All instrumental parts as PDF must be submitted by 03 June 2022.
Number of participants: max. 5 persons