Young Composer Contest Rules

Rules and Policies of  

The Pittsburgh Philharmonic Composition Contest

ELIGIBILITY

  1. The Pittsburgh Philharmonic reserves the right to determine eligibility.
  2. Applicant cannot be older than 35 years of age at time of submission.
  3. Applicant must be a resident of the Greater Pittsburgh area, including Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.

APPLICATION RULES AND REQUIREMENTS

  1. The submission deadline is September 15, 2023.
  2. There is no application fee.
  3. All application materials will be anonymized and reviewed by a panel of principal players from the Pittsburgh Philharmonic and its music director, Daniel Nesta Curtis. Identities of all competitors will remain anonymous until after a winner is selected.
  4. All decisions of said panel will be final.
  5. Submissions must consist of the following (see below for piece rules and requirements):
    1. Completed competition application
    2. Score in PDF format
    3. First violin part in PDF format
    4. Recording, audio rendering, or MIDI realization in MP3 format
  6. All submissions must be sent in one of the following ways:
    1. By email to pghphilcomposer@gmail.com by the submission deadline.
    2. By postal mail, postmarked by the submission deadline, to

The Pittsburgh Philharmonic
c/o Michelle Jones
60 Summer Duck Way
Pittsburgh, PA  15238

7. All entries will receive email confirmation of receipt.

PIECE RULES AND REQUIREMENTS

  1. The work must be completed at the time of submission.
  2. No concerto will be considered.
  3. Previously performed works are acceptable.
  4. The duration of the work should be between 5 and 15 minutes. Movements or sections from larger works may be submitted.
  5. Acceptable paper sizes for the score are legal (8.5 x 14), tabloid (11 x 17), or 10 x 13.  Scores must be in portrait orientation.
  6. Acceptable paper sizes for the parts are 10 x 13 (preferred) or letter-sized (8.5 x 11).
  7. Staff size for parts is between 7 and 8.5 mm.
  8. Orchestration will not exceed the following:
    1. 3 flutes, one may double piccolo
    2. 2 oboes, one may double English Horn
    3. 2 Bb/A clarinets, one may double bass clarinet
    4. 2 bassoons
    5. 4 F horns
    6. 2 Bb trumpets
    7. 2 trombones
    8. 1 bass trombone
    9. 1 tuba
    10. 1 timpani
    11. 1 percussion – snare drum, bass drum, triangle, glockenspiel, and cymbals. If composer writes for any percussion not on this list and their piece is selected, they must provide that instrument at performance and rehearsals.
    12. Strings: 8-8-6-6-2, with no more than 2-part divisi

COMPETITON WINNER INFORMATION

  1. The competition winner will be notified during the week of October 16, 2023, and the competition results will be announced at the Pittsburgh Philharmonic’s concert on October 21, 2023.
  2. The winner will receive a $300 prize.
  3. The winner must provide the Pittsburgh Philharmonic a full set of parts with sufficient string count (8-8-6-6-2) by January 19, 2024.
  4. The winner will supply a short biography and a publicity photo for use in the program and on media outlets.
  5. The winner must be available for rehearsals with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic on one or more Monday evenings in April and early May. Dates to be arranged with the orchestra and its music director in early 2024.
  6. Performance of the winning piece is scheduled for 4pm on May 19, 2024, at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, 3579 Masonic Way, Pittsburgh, PA
  7. The winner will receive a recording of their work from the May performance.