The award-winning vocal ensemble, ORA Singers, has launched its second annual Composer Competition to educate and mentor young choral composers.
The competition is aimed at state-educated school students below the age of 18 who have knowledge of music notation and show potential as songwriters. Each of the 10 selected finalists will receive 10 hours of compositional guidance from their own personal mentor.
Each will be trained by one of ORA’s commissioned composers during time slotted around their normal school studies. These mentors will guide them in writing a ‘reflection’ on a piece of Renaissance choral music. All 10 will have the opportunity to participate in a compositional workshop and their final work will be performed at the Competition Final Concert.
At this event, the Final Adjudication Panel will choose an overall winner, but all finalists will receive a recording of their work.
An additional 20 young people will be selected as ORA Apprentices who will receive exclusive compositional support as well as access to the Competition Workshop and the Final Competition Concert/Presentation.
Scala Radio is the official media partner of the event.
Applicants do not have to submit finished work or polished recordings but must offer something that they have written either at school or at home as well as a personal statement to assess whether they might be a good match from the scheme. They do not have to have experience in choral work either, just an interest in songwriting or instrumental composition.
Further details can be found on the Ora Singers website.
