en fr en en en en en it it en en en en en or en en en en en en en en en en fr fr en en en cs nl en en pt en ro en en en en eo it fr en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en de en en fr fr es ms en fr en de de en en en en en en en en de ru de sv de en en en en en en en fr en en en en en en en km en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en id en km en en fr en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it en es en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de en en en eo en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fi en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en fr en en de en en it en en en en en en en en en en en en en km km km en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it en en en en en en en km en en en en en en en en en en en en en en km en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en km en en km en en en en km en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en it it en en en en en or en en en en en en en en en en fr fr en en en cs nl en en pt en ro en en en en eo it fr en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en de en en fr fr es ms en fr en de de en en en en en en en en de ru de sv de
NewMusicSA is calling on qualified and experienced candidates based in South Africa to apply for the Project Manager position.
NewMusicSA is a non-profit arts advocacy organisation that promotes the creation, performance, and enjoyment of South African new music. Founded in 1999 and operating formally since 2003, NewMusicSA is the South African section (and current only African section) of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). With the growth of the organisation both locally and internationally, it aims to increase its professional management capacity. NewMusicSA seeks a new Project Manager - a dynamic, vibrant, action-oriented, proactive person.
The Project Manager will oversee necessary management, administrative, and logistical tasks and ensure effective implementation, control, monitoring and reporting. The Project Manager will also collaborate with the Program Manager in developing concepts, writing proposals and preparing budgets and work plans.
Reporting to the Program Manager, the Project Manager will be responsible for the following:
Provide leadership and ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget.
Develop detailed project plans to monitor and track progress.
Devise, manage and monitor project budgets (strong Excel experience is a must).
Co-ordinating of full production: planning, management, coordinating and financial control of annual activities.
Oversee the drawing up of contracts for artists and production team.
Reviewing and providing critical feedback on productions.
Co-ordinating of all logistical, contractual and administrative issues related to the portfolio.
Assist in the formulation and conceptualisation of new projects.
Ensure that deadlines and deliverables are met.
Produce and submit weekly and monthly progress reports.
Assist in the implementation of fundraising strategies:
Research and update funders’ database and be aware of all key opportunities.
Create and develop relations with funders.
Write and submit grant applications.
Create professional information packs for funders and clients
Build and maintain relationships with existing and new partners and stakeholders to enhance the project.
Support for reporting to donors.
Management of the social media accounts.
Writing, posting, and driving campaigns.
Perform the day-to-day administration duties of the project and various clerical tasks as needed.
Participate in internal meetings and communications.
In addition to having a proven track record in the above-mentioned functions, the successful applicant should be in possession of the following:
Knowledge of norms of contracts and contracting, human resource management systems and basics of accounting.
Proven track record in budgeting, administration, planning and organising.
Advanced level of computer literacy (MS Office).
Knowledge of social networks and how they are being used to drive content.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
A positive and flexible attitude.
Professional and motivated to grow into increased responsibilities.
Highly organized with ability to think and problem solve quickly and work under pressure. Must be able to work long hours, especially when deadlines are looming.
Have the spirit of initiative and the ability to work independently without constant supervision.
Being based in Gauteng will be an advantage.
Interested candidates should send your CV outlining their formal qualifications and experience and a motivation letter of no more than two pages to admin@newmusicsa.org.za with ‘Project Manager 2022’ in the subject line of the email. The application process is ongoing, applications will be reviewed immediately. The successful applicant will be expected to begin working in mid-February, starting by shadowing the outgoing Project Manager. Applicants who do not hear from us by end February 2022 may consider their applications unsuccessful. Candidates from previously disadvantaged groups are encouraged to apply.
click here to Download the pdf version for sharing
ISCM Submissions - an Update
I trust you have all been keeping well.
​Things seem to be more positive than when we last spoke which is certainly good. Long may this continue.
This is just a quick note to let you all know that we have decided to EXTEND the DEADLINE on the ISCM SUBMISSIONS up to the 28th of February, 23h59.
We certainly look forward to receiving all your amazing works!
New Music SA Newsletter - January 2021
After a period of relative inactivity due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a restructuring of the organisation, NMSA is happy to announce a few upcoming events. For the moment, we have decided to break with our tradition of Indaba and Unyazi festivals due to the unpredictability of the pandemic. By programming separate events in different locations, we can reach more people, and if an event has to be postponed due to a lockdown, other concerts are not necessarily affected.
We will be having an online AGM on the 28th of February 2021. Due to the difficulties experienced in the previous year, we have had to postpone the AGM until now. Details concerning the time and platform for the AGM will be released closer to the time. We look forward to seeing you all there.
In three upcoming concerts, which have been made possible through the generous support of the Rupert Music Foundation, we will celebrate anniversaries. Each concert will feature the music of several composers, including a newly commissioned work. The names of the performers and more detailed information will be announced soon.
CONCERT 1: Sunday 7 March, 3 pm, Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre, Sophiatown, Johannesburg:
Works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (230th anniversary of death), Todd Matshikiza (100th birthday), and Dimitri Voudouris (world premiere; 60th birthday)
CONCERT 2: Sunday 4 April, 3pm, Kalashnikov Gallery, Johannesburg
Works by Igor Stravinsky (50th anniversary of death) and Hannes Taljaard (world premiere; 50th birthday)
CONCERT 3: Sunday 9 May (TBC), 3pm, venue TBC, Cape Town
Works by Ludwig van Beethoven (250th birthday in 2020), Joseph Shabalala (1st anniversary of death in 2021; 80th birthday in 2020), and Neo Muyanga (world premiere)
III. Call for Scores
We are announcing two calls for scores:
1. A call In conjunction with the three concerts above.
2. A call for the ISCM World New Music Days in September 2021, in China.
Call 1: You are invited to submit scores to be performed at the three concerts in March, April and May.
For Concert 1, you may submit works for violin and viola (either instrument solo, or as a duet).
For Concert 2, you may submit works for clarinet and percussion (either instrument solo, or as a duet; percussion is primarily marimba).
For Concert 3, you may submit works for violin, cello and piano (any of these instruments solo, any duo configuration of these instruments, or as a trio).
Also, for any of the concerts (please indicate preferred concert), you may submit a solo work that you will perform. This can be for any instrument as long as you bring your own instrument. If you would like to perform on piano, an instrument will be available at concerts 1 and 3, but not at concert 2. If you would like to perform on electronics, a p.a. system will likewise be available at concerts 1 and 3, but not at concert 2. Please note, however, that we are not able to pay any honorarium for performances originating from the call for scores.
If holding public events is impossible due to Covid restrictions, concerts will either be recorded without an audience, or postponed. In any case (with or without audience), they will be recorded on video for later posting online.
The works to be performed (including those performed solo by submitting artists themselves) will be selected by the musicians solicited by NMSA to perform at that concert.
There is no limitation on age, nationality, etc. of composers, nor on when the piece was composed or first performed. Works may be in any style and use any approach to notation; however, please be aware that the performers are generally classically-trained and most accustomed to the notational conventions of contemporary classical music. Works may already have been performed, or may be premieres. They may be of any length, though shorter works probably have a better chance of being selected (please indicate the length of the piece in your submission email). No fees will be paid to the composer(s).
Please submit proposals by email to  . Proposals should include a score and recording where available (the latter can be a MIDI realisation), as well as all relevant information (title, duration, instrumentation, any other information you deem necessary). If files are too large to send in an email message, please send these files via wetransfer to the same email address, and also send an email with information, indicating that you are also sending file(s) via wetransfer.
The deadline for ALL submissions for this call for scores (regardless of which concert it is intended for) is SUNDAY, 7 FEBRUARY at 23:59 SA time. Late submissions will not be accepted.
By submitting works to this Call, composers are agreeing that if their work is selected for performance/presentation, they automatically grant permission for the NMSA performance/presentation of their work to be recorded, broadcast, and streamed from the website without additional financial liability to NMSA.
Call 2: The 2021 edition of the ISCM World New Music Days is scheduled to take place in Shanghai from the 17th to the 20th of September and in Nanning from the 21st to the 25th of September, China. You can submit works for peformance in two ways:
a) Through NewMusicSA. This submission is free; works to be forwarded to the festival’s selection panel will be preselected by a NMSA panel that will choose 6 works across at least 4 of the 12 score categories (see below). At least one of the works forwarded by NMSA will be selected by the festival's selection panel for inclusion in the festival. The deadline for submissions is SUNDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2021 at 23:59 SA time.
Please submit proposals by email to  . Proposals should include a score and recording where available (the latter can be a MIDI realisation), as well as all relevant information (title, duration, instrumentation, any other information you deem necessary). If files are too large to send in an email message, please send these files via wetransfer to the same email address, and also send an email with information, indicating that you are also sending file(s) via wetransfer.
b) Individually. You can submit your work via www.iscm.org; there is a submission fee of EUR 53.05 payable by PayPal at the time of submission. Here your submission goes directly to the festival's panel which will select several works from among all individual submissions. The deadline is 16 March 2021 (Shanghai time).
Below are the 12 score categories in which both NMSA and the festival panel will be accepting submissions, as well as further guidelines for your submission (valid both for submissions via NMSA and individual ones):
Thank you and best wishes,
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ISCM WNMD SUBMISSIONS
Priority will be given to works within the recommended duration for each category. Furthermore, priority will be given to works written since 2012. Only one work per composer may be submitted, by either Individual submission or Official submission.
By submitting works to this Call, composers are agreeing that if their work is selected for performance/presentation, they automatically grant permission for the ISCM performance/presentation of their work to be recorded, broadcast, and streamed from the website without additional financial liability to the ISCM or the Festival Organizers.
Information required for each Work to be submitted is:
0. The composer’s personal and contact information: Given names; Family name; Name as it should appear in the programme; Date of birth; full Mailing address; Gender; Phone no.; email address; website (if applicable).
0. Work information: Title; Submission Category; Accurate duration; Year of composition; Statement of whether the work has been previously performed.
0. The score (.pdf document preferred), or audio/video documentation if the work does not have a written score - as described in the Work Categories.
0. An audio or video recording of the work (if available).
0. Programme notes for the submitted work in English (maximum 100 words).
0. Technical rider specifying all equipment necessary to perform the work.
0. Short biography of the composer in English (maximum 100 words).
0. High-resolution digital photograph of the composer.
Category I: Orchestral Works
0. Instrumentation: 3 fl (II=picc, III=picc,afl). 3 ob (III=corA). 3 cl (III=bcl). 3 bn (III=dbn). – 4 hn. 3 tpt. 2 trbn. 1 btrbn. 1 tuba - 3 perc. 1 timp. 1 hrp - full strings
0. Soloists are NOT allowed in the Composition, nor Piano.
0. Works shorter than [12 minutes] will be given priority.
Category II: Works for Chinese Orchestra
1. Instrumentation: 2 Bangdi (I=Xiaodi, II=Qudi 2). 1 Qudi. 2 Xindi. 2 Soprano Sheng, 2 Alto Sheng. 1 Bass Sheng. 2 Soprano Suona.1 Alto Suona. 1 Tenor Suona. 1 Bass Suona. 1 Guan in C. 2 Yangqin. 2 Liuqin(II=Zhongruan). 4 Pipa. 4 Zhongruan. 2 Daruan. 1 Sanxian.
2 Guzheng. Timpani. 3 perc. Chinese Strings (Gaohu, Erhu, Zhonghu, Violoncello, Double
0. Soloists are NOT allowed in the Composition, nor Piano.
0. Works shorter than 12 minutes will be given priority.
Category III: String Quartet
0. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
0. Extended techniques are allowed.
Category IV: Chamber Music Group A
0. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
0. Instrumentation: 1 fl. 1 cl. 1 vln. 1 vc. 1 pno.
0. Composers may choose any combination of 2 - 5 among the above instruments.
0. Extended techniques on each instrument allowed.
Category V: Chamber Music Group B
0. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
0. Instrumentation:1fl. 1ob. 1cl. 1trbn.1perc. 1pno. 2vln. 1vla. 1vc. 1db. 1dizi. 1erhu.1pipa
0. Composers may choose any combination of 6 - 14 among the above instruments, but at
least 1 must be included from Dizi, Erhu or Pipa.
0. Extended techniques on each instrument allowed.
0. The intro video of Chinese Instruments: Dizi, Erhu and Pipa will be posted on the official
0. The list of percussion instruments is attached at the end of Call for Works.
Category VI: Choir Works (SATB)
0. Works shorter than 5 minutes will be given priority.
0. It can be a capella. If not, the only instrument that can be included is piano.
0. Extended piano techniques will not be accepted.
Category VII: Solo Piano Works
0. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
0. Extended techniques allowed on piano, performers are allowed to play inside the piano.
0. Prepared piano works will not be accepted.
Category VIII: Percussion Works
0. Works shorter than 8 minutes will be given priority.
0. The list of percussion instruments that can be used is:
1 Tempo Block (5 Blocks) 2 Bongo 2 Conga
If the work requires any percussion instrument not listed above, the composer must bring the instrument to the rehearsals and concert.
0. Compositions may be for 2-8 percussionists.
Category IX, X, XI, XII: Electronic Music
0. Works shorter than 10 minutes will be given priority.
0. There are four (4) Electronic Music Categories; be sure that the composition submitted fits
Category IX : Electronic Music (Fixed Media/Tape Music Only)
0. Composers must provide an audio file of the work in .wav format. The audio file can have maximum 8 channels. (Format options are: stereo; 4 channels; 5.1; and 8 channels.)
0. Composers must supply a diagram showing the speaker layout.
Category X : Electronic Music with 1 Instrumentalist (Fixed Media/Tape Music)
0. Composers must provide an audio file of the work in .wav format. The audio file can have maximum 8 channels. (Format options are: stereo; 4 channels; 5.1; and 8 channels.)
0. Composers must supply a diagram showing the speaker layout.
0. Only one (1) instrument should be included, selected from the following instruments:
Flute; Oboe; Clarinet; Bassoon; Horn; Trumpet; Trombone; Violin; Viola; Violoncello; Dizi; Erhu; or Pipa.
Category XI : Electronic Music (Live Electronics Only)
0. Only one (1) Operator is allowed for live performance.
0. It is recommended that the Composer or the operator bring their own laptop for the live
performance. Only 1 laptop is allowed in the performance.
0. No instrument can be linked to the electronics in this Category. The work can have
maximum 8 channels, and the composer must supply a diagram showing the speaker
0. Any special sensor or devices that the composer used should be brought to the performance
by themselves. We don’t provide any kind of sensor or trigger devices.
0. If the composer needs to use our Mac or PC for performance, the only software we can
provide is Max-MSP. We strongly recommend you bring your own laptop.
Category XII: Electronic Music (Live Electronics with 1 instrumentalist)
1. The performance allows only 1 operator and 1 instrumentalist in this Category.
2. Only one instrument may be selected from following instruments: Flute; Oboe; Clarinet;
Bassoon; Horn; Trumpet; Trombone; Violin; Viola; Violoncello; Dizi; Erhu; or Pipa.
3. The selected instrument can be linked to the electronics. But the sensor or any linked
devices should be provided by the composer.
4. We strongly recommend that the devices that the composer provides are common and
universal, with connecting ports such as USB2.0, USB3.0, USB-C or any audio port.
Bluetooth is recommended for any wireless connections.
5. We suggest the Composer or the operator brings their own laptop for the live performance.
Only 1 laptop allowed in the performance.
6. The work can have maximum 8 channels, and the composer must supply a diagram
showing the preferred speaker layout.
NMSA Newsletter - October 2020
NMSA hopes you are healthy and in good spirits. As you know, the year 2020 has brought about unforeseen challenges. We had a very successful New Music Indaba at UNISA in December 2019, and for NMSA, our main concern going into the new decade was and is, how can we best serve SA composers and musicians while providing and facilitating original programming that is relevant artistically and socially?
And then, COVID struck… and with it, as we all know, an impossibility to program concerts and a huge amount uncertainty as to the future of the performing arts in general… And all that forced us to leave 2020 as a "blank year” as far as public activities are concerned.
But we are now gearing up for our next activities, which we anticipate will be the first in a gradual intensification of NMSA’s programming, and we are very happy and grateful to announce that we have received significant funding from the Rupert Foundation and the Arts and Culture Trust to do just that.
We can now announce two upcoming projects.
One will be a series of three concerts (yes, live, we do hope!) in Gauteng and Cape Town, roughly between February and April 2021, celebrating three international composers (W.A. Mozart, L. v. Beethoven, and I. Stravinsky) as well as three South African ones (Todd Matshikiza, Joseph Shabalala, and Hannes Taljaard), all of whom have some sort of an anniversary in 2020 or 2021. And of course there will be more new music from SA. More or less, this programming will replace the festival we have not been able to stage in 2020, and given the persistently unpredictable situation, we thought that having separate concerts, on separate dates and at separate locations, will be safer than planning for a more concentrated event.
The other will be an online concert in the first half of 2021. There will be an open call for contributions, and the focus will be on composers/improvisers performing their own work - solo or in collaboration with an artist from another medium.  We are interested in music that contains improvisation (though it is not a requirement) as well as aspects that benefit from the online nature of the event - for example, we encourage contributions from artists living in areas where access to concerts is not normally easy, so that the online aspect serves more than just coronavirus avoidance. Stay tuned for information about the open call and exact requirements/procedures.
We invite you to a General Meeting on Sunday 8 November 2020 at 11am. On the agenda will be a discussion of our upcoming plans detailed above. Also, it has come to our attention that our original constitution, dating back to the founding of NMSA, is no longer in compliance with current not-for-profit laws, so we will vote on an updated memorandum that brings us into compliance and allows for easier and more flexible management of the organisation. The meeting will take place online; please RSVP via email to  members@newmusicsa.org.za to obtain the link if you plan to attend.
Thank you and best wishes,
The NMSA Board (Diale Mabitsela, Douglas Scott, Lukas Ligeti)
The Accademia di Studi Pianistici «Antonio Ricci» of Udine, in collaboration with the Casa Musicale Sonzogno of Milan, the Archivio Smaregliano of Udine, the Teatro Nuovo “Giovanni da Udine” and the University of Udine, with the sponsorship of the Regional Council of Friuli Venice Giulia, Udine Town Council, the Fondazione Friuli, the Fondazione Carigo, Filologica Friulana Society and Ente Friuli nel Mondo are pleased to announce the 6th ANTONIO SMAREGLIA INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION
The Competition is divided into three sections as follows:
Section A: compositions for solo piano of between 5 and 10 minutes.
Section B: compositions for solo voice and piano of between 3 and 6 minutes. For section B, the choice of text is at the discretion of the composer, provided that: - the text has been published (or translated) in one of the following languages: Italian, French, English, Spanish or German; - the text is in the public domain, or the composer has requested and obtained the author’s and/or translator’s explicit permission to use the text (or the permission of his/her legal heirs and/or legal representatives, see § 7)
Section C: compositions for solo voice and piano of between 3 and 6 minutes, with a text in Friulan language. The composer will be able chose freely the text, as long as it is in the public domain, or the composer has requested and obtained the author’s explicit permission to use the text (or the permission of his/her legal heirs and/or legal representatives, see § 7). It will be possible to find a selection of texts on the website www.filologicafriulana.it, through the page dedicated to the competition. The Società Filologica Friulana, patronage of the competition, can provide an additional selection of texts in Friulan language with a possible translation in Italian, German or English, and also audio files with reading of the texts themselves (contact to biblioteca@filologicafriulana.it). For neither section will the use of electro-acoustic equipment be permitted. Only ‘Prepared piano’ techniques may be used.
The competition is open to participants of every nationality and there are no age restrictions applied. The works presented must be unpublished, never performed, never awarded nor rewarded or reported in other competitions, nor be found in any way or in any form (neither on the web, nor on physical media, nor on LP, nor on CD etc.).
The Jury Commission (five members) will consist of eminent musicians of international acclaim and a representative of the Artistic Director of the Casa Musicale Sonzogno of Milan.
Competition entries and scores, with all files specified in point 7, must be delivered no later than 31st October 2020, only by electronic means and in PDF format, to: concorsosmareglia@libero.it
Participation in the competition is subject to the payment - by bank transfer - of a registration fee (nonrefundable)
For more information, see:
With everyone being confined to their homes for the last while, many composers have taken the opportunity to upload material for us all to upload. One such composer is Jaco Meyer. You can find many recent uploads on his YouTube channel.
We are always excited to share new material produced by our members, or even just things that our members find interesting or inspiring.
We are currently preparing to put out a call for contributions to the 2020 Bulletin and welcome any thoughts or suggestions on any aspect of the publication. Also note that the we have deprecated the member login feature on the website, since it was acting more as a barrier to participation than anything else. We continue to seek new ways to make membership rewarding and welcome any suggestions in this regard as well.
​My name is Brianna Ricci and I am the Director of Communications for the São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival.  We are excited to invite composers to apply for the 3rd year's festival, which will happen from October 2nd-11th.
Opportunities include professional ensembles and orchestras to compose for, professional studio recordings, live broadcast of the concerts, lectures/masterclasses with our visiting guests, and exclusive tours of the city.
Participants can apply to have a work premiered with orchestra or chamber music.
We are also happy to announce that composers will be able to collaborate with Núcleo Redes, a fabulous dance company.
Furthermore, we are proud to invite back Christian Schulz, Director of the Vienna Symphoniker, who will be conducting the orchestral works and will also be giving masterclasses. Orchestral works will be premiered by the Unicamp Symphony Orchestra or the Brazilian National Orchestra and chamber music compositions will be performed by one of our chamber groups, including Quartetto Larianna, Fonema Consort, and special guests, Laurent Estoppey, Stanley DeLage, and, Alexandre Ribeiro, amongst others.
There will also be two composers in residence: Katharina Rosenberger and Flo Menezes.
Please share this opportunity with your students and other composers that might be interested.
More information at: www.spccfestival.com
NewMusicSA in a time of COVID-19As our members and subscribers are no doubt aware, this is a difficult time for NewMusicSA, South Africa and indeed the World.
Up to the outbreak of COVD-19 the board of NewMusicsSA had been spending considerable energy and resources trying to re-align our community to meet new challenges and serve the needs of composers in the most effective and positive way. A special thanks must go out to Lukas Ligeti for his continuing efforts in this regard. This has now sadly been placed in considerable jeopardy by world events.
Unfortunately, in this time we all have to reflect on what is important and focus our energies. On a personal level, this means that I can no longer justify diverting time and resources to serving the company in its present form. There are simply too many legacy, structural and organisational issues to resolve in an organic manner. If we are to continue at all, radical changes need to be made.
I invite feedback and discussion on this issue, but much will depend on how the current situation plays out. In the meantime, I thank you for your continued faithfulness and support.
[Note: The website might go down fro a little while over the next couple of days, I am trying to resolve an issue but having difficulty getting technical support at the moment. I will try to keep it up though.] - This issue has now been resolved.
I would also like to share an opportunity: https://www.centraleuropeanstringquartet.com/international-composition-competition.html
The bulletin has now been completed and is available for members here.
At the same time we would like to thank everyone for their response to the request for old copies of bulletins made in the last newsletter. We now have the complete archive apart from the 2001/2 issue available.
ISCM World Music Days
This month brings news that, with the whole world seemingly going on lockdown, the ISCM World Music Days New Zealand has been cancelled.
With great sadness, we must inform you that the 2020 General Assembly meetings and festival in New Zealand cannot take place.
Due to global developments over the past few weeks in relation to the spread of COVID-19, in particular the border closures and other restrictions that an increasing number of individual countries have been putting in place over the past few days, the ISCM Executive Committee has taken the unprecedented step of releasing the New Zealand festival organizer – the Composers Association of New Zealand (CANZ) – from its contractual obligation to host the ISCM World New Music Days in 2020. The unprecedented global crisis we face is clearly a case of force majeure.
The ISCM festival and meetings have occurred every year since the organization’s inception in 1922, the only exceptions being 1940 and 1943-45 during World War II.  The New Zealand   government has announced that international visitors must be subjected to 14 days self-isolation upon arrival in New Zealand. Furthermore, prudent restrictions on large gatherings, in accord with similar measures that are being announced in most other countries around the globe, are likely to be announced by the New Zealand government very soon.
The ISCM Executive Committee is very concerned about people’s health, and we appreciate the only known way to slow the spread of COVID-19 is to radically reduce population movement and large gatherings. The result of these far-reaching measures will mean that for a time many performers cannot work, many festivals and conferences are being cancelled, and the rate at which we have recently enjoyed international movement and in-person cultural exchange will drop significantly for a while.  We are in uncharted territory, and the ISCM must find new ways to continue developing ways to engage with the music and culture of our wonderfully diverse regions.
In relation to the ISCM World New Music days that we can no longer hold in 2020, we are hopeful of a postponement and have asked CANZ if they would instead hold the festival in 2022, including most of the submitted and selected works that were programmed for 2020.
Working with our Legal Counsel, we are in the process of developing emergency measures that will make it possible for us to meet our statutory obligations, and soon you will be receiving an information about the important matters that need to be dealt with this year.
I am deeply disappointed that we cannot welcome you to Aotearoa New Zealand this year, and very much hope we can do so in 2022.
​The rules and conditions of the international composition competition "Città di Udine" (thirteenth edition) are online on TEM - Taukay music publishing house website.
- compositions for chamber instrumental group or solo instrument
Deadline: March 31st 2020
Select the preferred language through the buttons below in order to download the rules and conditions and the entry form.
More info on www.taukay.it
Africa Synthesized: Electronic music pre-MP3
From tape loops and mix tapes to boomboxes and turntables, early developments in sound technology shaped understandings of sound, space and sense-making in Africa. Coinciding with political struggles for independence after WWII, electronic music technologies created the potential to re-envision and rearticulate African modernities. These modernities played a formative role in the development of electronic music globally: not only was the postwar musical avant-garde heavily influenced by field trips to Africa and other parts of the developing world, the World Music and ambient music industries also relied heavily on exoticized sonic worlds extrapolated from Africa. Predating Pierre Schaeffer’s first work of musique concrete by four years, Halim El-Dabh’s tape compositions trenchantly remind us that the global north was not the exclusive harbinger of innovation. Electronic music not only highlights the dynamic between the global north and south, but also between genres and spaces. The same sound technologies and techniques animated music creation in diverse settings, from the formal studios of conservatoires and radio laboratories, to clubs and home studios, blurring distinctions between highbrow and lowbrow.
Africa Synthesized will address electronic music in Africa before the advent of MP3 (c. 1995). The conference will bring together scholars, artists, producers and archivists who work with electronic sound technology broadly defined. The theme cuts across the fields of art music and popular music, and invites dialogue between academics and music producers. Africa Synthesized aims to map 20th-century itineraries of electronic music in Africa, to consider the role of Africa in the development of electronic music in the Western world, and to seek out encounters with sonic artists and practitioners working beyond academia.
We invite 20-minute papers, panels consisting of 3 to 4 papers, panel discussions, as well as performances and artistic responses. Possible topics could include:
Histories of electronic music studios in Africa
The role of Africa in the postwar music avant-garde
Electroacoustic art music from/about Africa
Ambient music from/about Africa
Contemporary uses of analogue sound equipment/recordings
Intersections between environmental sound recording and music
Electronic sound archives in/from Africa
Histories of vinyl and cassette in Africa
DIY studios, synthesizers and other electronic instruments
Electronic instrument builders and collectors in Africa
The Moog in Africa
Please send proposals to Stephanie Vos at svos@sun.ac.za by 15 March 2020. Proposals should include:
an abstract with title (250 words for individual papers, 400 words for panels)
biographical note (not exceeding 50 words), e-mail address and phone number of presenter(s)
any additional requirements (i.e. technical and spatial requirements in the case of performances)
Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 1 April 2020.
The conference is organized by Willemien Froneman and Stephanie Vos (Africa Open Institute, Stellenbosch University) and Carina Venter (Department of Music, Stellenbosch University), and funded by the Interdisciplinary Forum for Popular Music (ifPOP) at Africa Open Institute.
The organisers envisage publishing selected papers in a peer-reviewed, edited volume after the conference.
Composition Contest PREMIO MUSICA NOVA.
The competition is intended for composers of all nationalities, and applies without age limit
Subscription deadline: May, 24th 2020
Award ceremony: September 2020
The challenge is open for receipt of entries for the Second Edition of the International Composition Contest PREMIO MUSICA NOVA.
The competition counts on a very high level Jury even this year: the Maestros Ennio Morricone (President of the Jury) and Franco Piersanti, will be joined by Lucio Gregoretti, Claudio Paradiso, Alberto Giraldi, Stefano Cucci, Paolo Rotili and Albino Taggeo.
The 2020 Edition (as specifically require Maestros Morricone and Piersanti) is intended to encourage more the young talents creativity and wants to add value and enrich the writing for solo instrument using a contemporary language: the attendees should submit the Commission a composition for solo violin or solo cello with a duration limit of 10 minutes. The challenge is intended for the musicians all around the world, with no age limit. The composition should be unpublished and unexecuted until the end of the competition.
The board of NewMusicSA are exploring some opportunities to bring South African new music to new frontiers. As part of this process we have decided to place a hold on membership renewals, keeping all current memberships active for a further two months. Stay tuned for updates.
At the same time, we always welcome active participation from members and other interested parties, so please never hesitate to contact us with news, requests for, or offers of assistance.
Request for bulletin copies/scans
We would greatly appreciate it if anyone with scanned or physical copies of past Bulletins can get in contact with us so that we can update and complete the archive.
We are specifically looking for anything before issue 14, excluding issues 9/10 of 2010 and 2011.
Resource: African Diaspora Press
About African Diaspora Press
A new voice on the Africana publishing scene, African Diaspora Press is a scholarly imprint specializing in bibliographies about expressive culture of Africa and the African diaspora. Aimed primarily at the library market its works are meant to provide the scholarly community—librarians, researchers, students and others—with state-of-the-art reference tools that help bridge the print world of the past and the digital world of the present and future.
The ULYSSES Platform is an online platform for wide network of artists (musicians, composers, conductors), artistic directors, cultural managers and organizations from all over the world united by a common passion: contemporary music. The platform has to date almost 4000 members and the amount is growing constantly. Becoming a member is and will be free of charge.
As a member, you can use the ULYSSES Platform to:
• Create your profile with relevant information (biography, works…)
• Submit applications to calls
• Spot new works and possible collaborators
• Share artistic content and other documents of your work (scores, recordings, videos…) as well as information about events you’re involved
• Communicate directly with other members
Behind the Platform: The ULYSSES Network
The ULYSSES Network, coordinated by IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) brings together 13 European partner institutions involved in the support and promotion of young artists. These institutions are academies, summer schools, ensembles and festivals devoted to contemporary music and developing of the careers of young European composers and performers. ULYSSES Network and also the current platform are supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
More information about the ULYSSES Network http://project.ulysses-network.eu/
Chesney Palmer is a promising young composer who has been accepted to study for a Masters in Composition at the University of the Free State Odeion School of Music, but has not managed to secure funding as of yet. If anyone has any information, connections or ideas that can help him out, please contact us at members@newmusicsa.org.za so we can put you in contact directly.
Chesney has been involved in music for the past 10 years as a pianist,clarinetist and composer in South Africa. He has had the privilege of studying at the acclaimed National School of the Arts in Braamfontein Johannesburg one of the country's leading art schools. During this period he studied both piano and clarinet and achieved several awards for music such as Half Colours for music and best music student as well as received a place on the Honour Roll of the Royal College of Music for external examinations.
He has recently completed his degree in music with honours and has been under the tutelage of Dr Andile Khumalo, Dr Christopher Letcher, Dr Jonathan Crossley, Dr Cameron Harris, Peter Cartwright and Professor Malcolm Nay and has received master classes from Lukas Ligeti, Kevin Volans and Professor Jeanne-Zaidel Rudolph.
He has had the privilege of also playing as part of the South African National Youth Orchestra in 2019 as well as being a part of the Composers National Collegium which premiered the works of 8 of the best young composers in the country at the University of Pretoria's Music Festival that took place in August 2019. Played by the world renowned Odeion String Quartet with Samson Diamond, Sharon de Kock, Jeanne-Louise Moolman and Animari van de Westhuizen.
His work work for string quartet called "Sketches of Memory" was premiered originally at the University of the Witswatersrand in July scored for String Quartet and Solo Soprano and then adapted for String Quartet and premiered at the Festival which also received a repeat concert at the University of the Witswatersrand.
The work was written to raise awareness about injustice towards women in South Africa and was based on a South African poem. The work depicts the emotional states of a young girl that is robbed of her innocence and has to overcome the fear to speak out against the injustice. The piece is very emotive and circles through different tonal centres to capture her changing emotions and thoughts.