Deadline Extended to March 1, 2022!

Indigenous Composers Choral Composition Competition

This call for scores by the University Chorale at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro specifically seeks to amplify the voices and compositions of composers who identify as Indigenous, Native peoples of the Americas, and/or First Nations, and write in any compositional style for voices. Works which encourage the embodiment of story, narrative, and improvisation will be given special priority, as will works in indigenous languages.

Composers will receive an honorarium as specified below. Works written and selected in response to this call will be premiered by the UNCG University Chorale in concert on April 24, 2022. All works submitted will be evaluated by a panel of students and the Associate Director of Choral Activities. Finalists will receive a recorded reading of the work. The winning composition will receive a $500 honorarium. The second-place composition will receive a $250 honorarium as well as a recording of the premiere.

Submission criteria for the call

Composers must identify as Indigenous, First Nations, and/or Native peoples

Composition must be 4-6 minutes in length

Unpublished and unperformed

For SATB choir (with possible limited divisi in S/A) and piano (flute, drum, and small percussion instruments playable by ensemble members are also encouraged)

Pieces with texts in native languages should include a pronunciation guide (either written or recorded) and will be given special consideration. We are particularly interested in compositions which include elements of storytelling and narrative.

Other information: Rights to texts must be cleared, and evidence of copyright holder’s permission must be shown. Composer will retain the copyright of the piece. UNCG University Chorale will reserve the right to the world premiere of the piece. For payment processing, composers must be citizens of the United States or Canada.

Submissions are due via this form on March 1, 2022. A small committee of members from the University Chorale will review the works and assist in choosing finalists. Finalists will be notified by March 8, 2022 and winners by March 15, 2022. The performance of the chosen works will occur on April 24, 2022 at 5:00pm as part of the University Chorale concert at First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, NC.

For more information or questions, please contact Dr. Carole Ott Coelho, Associate Director of Choral Activities at UNCG at .

New Year, New Songs: Art Songs for Studio, Performance, and Study

Contributing Editor: Jonathan Campbell

Whatever your new year will be, singers need to remain active. Art songs provide an opportunity for a single voice to either perform with a collaborative pianist, or to create a relatively simple, virtual performance. Either way, Graphite has a wide variety of art songs useful to the soloist, student, or voice teacher.

Timothy C. Takach’s “Mantra,” from his cycle “How to Triumph Like a Girl,” is unusual for its contemporary text as well as portions of audience participation. The humorous poem engages the audience with texts such as, “…actually exercise, instead of just Googling it.” Several call and response passages make the song a communal experience. “Mantra” forges a deep connection between poet, singer, pianist, and audience.

Tegan Miller performs ‘Mantra’ by Timothy Takach and Sierra DeMulder, accompanied by Assaf Gleizne. 2020 American Traditions Vocal Competition; February 17-21, 2020; Savannah, Georgia.

Jenni Brandon’s ten-minute song cycle “Imperceptible” is an exotic window into the mysteries of love and loss seen through the lens of Japanese poetry translated into English. Brandon incorporates some extended musical effects, such as singing into sustained piano strings. “Imperceptible” offers moments of eerie silence, haunting sounds, and intense drama.

In “We’ll Find a Way,” Paul John Rudoi has crafted a more experimental song with elements of aleatoric rhythm and a chant-like melody. A pedal point—played with the right hand—contrasts with the left, which fills in the harmony. It’s a clever musical construction that draws attention to the text and the message of love and hope. Available for soprano or alto or tenor.

“Arise, Shine,” an aria extracted from Timothy Hoekman’s oratorio “Prophet Songs,” is appropriate for the concert stage, or for a liturgical service. A tour de force for soprano, “Arise, Shine” could be paired with a variety of Baroque arias. Clear, consonant harmonies and passages of coloratura evoke “Rejoice Greatly” from “Messiah,” or even arias by Mozart. High notes are prepared well, and Hoekman understands where the best colors of the voice lie.

About the composers

Reviewed as “gorgeous” (Washington Post) and “stunning” (Lawrence Journal-World), the music of Timothy C. Takach has risen fast in the concert world. Applauded for his melodic lines and rich, intriguing harmonies, Takach has received commissions from various organizations including the St. Olaf Band, Cantus, Pavia Winds, Lorelei Ensemble, The Singers: Minnesota Choral Artists, VocalEssence, the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, The Rose Ensemble, and numerous high school and university choirs. His compositions have been performed on A Prairie Home Companion, The Boston Pops holiday tour, multiple All-State and festival programs and at venues such as the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center and Royal Opera House Muscat. Takach has received grants from the American Composers Forum, Meet the Composer, Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and ASCAP.

Jenni Brandon (b. 1977) is a composer of solo, vocal, choral, chamber, and orchestral music. Her music has been described as “some of the most imaginative, ingratiating recent chamber music for winds” (Steve Turpin, Morning Musicale, WBST), and her style is often influenced by nature and her surroundings. Ensembles and organizations that have commissioned, performed, or broadcast her work in venues across the world, including Carnegie Hall, include Voices of Ascension, The Singers-Minnesota Choral Artists, the Yale Glee Club, Conundrum, Sistrum, the Definiens Project, Sister Singers Network, California Association of Professional Music Teachers, and the Young New Yorkers Chorus. As a resident composer, she has worked with the Vientos Trio in Los Angeles and is in demand as a guest composer.

Paul John Rudoi is an award-winning composer, conductor, tenor vocalist, and arts entrepreneur. Deemed “indisputably unique, confident, and innovative” through the American Prize, Paul’s award-winning compositions have been commissioned and performed by various ensembles and artists throughout North America and Europe. Garnering grants and support from the Jerome Foundation, the ACF, MRAC, MSAB, the NEA, and ASCAP, his music is published through PJR Music alongside Graphite, Santa Barbara, Walton, Morningstar, and ECS music publishers. Paul holds degrees from The Hartt School and the University of Oregon, and his teachers have included Sharon Paul, Craig Phillips, Robert Kyr, Libby Larsen, and Edward Bolkovac.

Composer Timothy Hoekman has written in many genres, but most of his works include the voice. His works have been published by Theodore Presser, Colla Voce, Plymouth Music Company, Recital Publications, and Classical Vocal Reprints. He was named the 2002 MTNA-Shepherd Distinguished Composer of the Year for his song cycle To Make a Prairie, commissioned by the South Dakota Music Teachers Association. Other commissions have come from the Rawlins Piano Trio, the Coastal Carolina Chamber Music Festival, Georgia Southern University, and First Presbyterian Church of Tallahassee, among others. His works have been recorded for Albany Records, Azica Records, and Mark Records.

Our Contributing Editor

Jonathan Campbell received his B.A. from Luther College in 1998, a Master of Sacred Music degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota in 2002, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting in 2015 at North Dakota State University. As a composer, Jon has received numerous awards and commissions, including a Faith Partner’s Residency through the American Composer’s Forum, as well as first place in the Morningstar College Choral Composition Festival. From 2004-2012, Jon conducted the Honors Choirs of Southeast Minnesota Chorale and in the spring of 2011, served as interim director of choral activities at Winona State University. At Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN he recently served as faculty conductor of the Cedar Singers male chorus and the Masterworks Chorale. Jon is founder and was artistic director of the Minnesota Renaissance Choir, and is currently Director of Music and Fine Arts at Claremont United Church of Christ and Lecturer in Music at Pomona College, both in Claremont, CA.

As always, it is a great joy to announce this quarter’s marvelous new compositions accepted into the PROJECT : ENCORE Catalog of Contemporary Choral Music:

Aeterna Christi Munera- Steven Paxton
Consolation (Requiem for Parkland)- John Muehleisen
Four Marian Antiphons-Anthony Mosakowski
Holding Our Breath- Carlos Cordero
Look to this Day- Tom Council
Meditation- Karen Siegel
O Sacrum Convivium / O Sacred Communion Meal- Christopher J. Hoh
Out of the Ashes of Holocaust- Joshua Fishbein
Scars- Michael Bussewitz-Quarm
Song of the Mountains- Greg Bartholomew
Sudden Light- Joseph Gregorio
Three Poems by Amy Lowell- Colin Eatock

We offer a particularly warm welcome to Steven Paxton, who is new to the PROJECT : ENCORE catalog!

Each of these selections has been blind-vetted by at least three of the prominent conductors who serve in our pool of reviewers.An average of just over half of all post-premiere compositions submitted are accepted into the P:E Catalog. Congratulations, all!

CONDUCTORS are urged to sign up to receive the quarterly report, for regular updates on new repertoire! projectencore.org

COMPOSERS are urged to submit compositions that have been premiered, but have not been extensively performed beyond the premiere–as frequently as one per quarter–for review and possible upload into the prestigious PROJECT : ENCORE database at projectencore.org

Calling soprano and alto voices of all genders and gender identities to join the 21V roster for its inaugural performance project, Beyond Binary, exploring the myth of “us vs. them.” Compensation is $450. Please submit an audition request form by January 14, 2022. For more information please visit our auditions page or contact us at .

About 21V

Founded in 2021 by Dr. Martín Benvenuto, 21V explores a broad identity of 21st century music of the Americas, inspiring awareness and advocacy for underrepresented American continent perspectives. To inaugurate its first season, 21V recently released a video performance of its first commissioned work, Praise Song for Tulsa.

Please share this opportunity with your networks, and follow our latest news and announcements on Facebook and Instagram!

After a 6-month international recruitment process, the Toronto Children’s Chorus (TCC) Board of Directors is thrilled to announce that Zimfira Poloz will be joining the Toronto Children’s Chorus as Artistic Director, starting July 1, 2022.

We are tremendously excited to welcome Zimfira as the third Artistic Director in TCC’s 44-year history. Our team is already working closely with Zimfira and her current organization to ensure a smooth transition for both communities. Our Board is exceptionally grateful to TCC Associate Artistic Director, Matthew Otto, for agreeing to serve as Interim Artistic Director through the end of our current season.

Zimfira is a globally celebrated expert in choral artistry for young voices. She established her musical credentials in Kazakhstan, serving as founder and principal of the nation’s first choir school. On her arrival in Canada, Zimfira found her first musical home working with the Toronto Children’s Chorus under our Founder Jean Ashworth Bartle, CM OOnt. She then worked with St. Michael’s Choir School and became Artistic Director of Young Voices Toronto and Hamilton Children’s Choir (HCC). Under Zimfira’s direction, HCC has transformed into one of the most acclaimed youth choral programs in the world, performing across North America, Europe, and Asia, with a long list of national and international “Grand Prize” awards, including CBC Radio National Choral Competition, World Choral Singing Competition, European Broadcasting Union Choral Competition “Let the People Sing”, and 1st Xinghai Prize International Competition. The TCC has enjoyed several collaborative opportunities with Zimfira and HCC, including a joint appearance at the 2018 Podium Choral Canada Conference.

Zimfira teaches choral conducting for children’s choirs in the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, and her curated Canadian choral collection can be found with Cypress Choral Music: The Zimfira Collection. She has been decorated with numerous awards, including Honoured Representative of Education of Kazakhstan, Hamilton’s VIP Award, and the Leslie Bell Prize for Choral Conducting (Ontario Arts Council). She has appeared as an adjudicator and guest conductor around the world, including at the First International Choral Alberto Grau Composition Competition in Venezuela, Europa Cantat, America Cantat, and the World Choir Games.

While her credentials are exceptional, what sets Zimfira truly apart is her ability to create joy, inspiration, and a love of singing within the communities she serves; choristers, parents, and audiences alike. The TCC Board is delighted that Zimfira is returning to her first Canadian musical “home” to lend her vision and joy to building on our legacy and taking our organization forward.

On a final note, I wish to express the deep gratitude of our Board of Directors to the Artistic Director Search Committee spearheaded by TCC alumna, Board Director, and TCI chorister parent Kirstin Grant. Kirstin’s international HR leadership expertise and extensive knowledge of our organization were complemented by a committee of international choral leaders and key partners. Much appreciation to Kirstin and the core committee members, including TCC founder and Conductor Laureate Jean Ashworth Bartle, CM OOnt, U of T Professor Emerita of Choral Studies Hilary Apfelstadt, and U of T Director of Choral Studies and Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting Jamie Hillman. We would not be enjoying the successful conclusion of this recruitment process without the months of hard work, care, and attention that this committee has devoted.

Susan Astington
Chair of the TCC Board of Directors