The "China ConTempo Composition Competition", founded in 2007, has been held for ten sessions. The title "ConTempo" means "following the times". Over the past 15 years, this competition has provided an important stage for young composers to show their artistic talents, and effectively promoted the growth of the new generation of Chinese composers. It has also made important contributions to drawing the attention of young composers in the writing of traditional Chinese instruments, promoting the development of traditional Chinese instruments in contemporary music creation, and presenting the achievements of contemporary Chinese music to the world.
The "China ConTempo Composition Competition " has successively cooperated with many foreign music institutions (music festivals), such as the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation in Switzerland, the Goethe Institute in Germany (China), the "Culturescapes" music festival in Switzerland, the Schleswig-Holstein Musikfestival in Germany, and the Musik für Heute e.v. in Hannover. Therefore, it has become a characteristic composition competition brand.
The 11th “China ConTempo Composition Competition" is planned to be held from November 2022 to July 2023. This competition will continue to focus on the creation of Chinese traditional chamber music, and further promote the creative practice of young composers in the field of traditional Chinese instruments. The relevant matters are hereby notified as follows:
1. Competition schedule
This competition will start collecting entries from the date of the announcement of the competition in 2022. The Judges will make selections in May 2023. The winning works will be premiered in the concert hall of the Central Conservatory of Music on July 10, 2023, by Ensemble ConTempo Beijing, followed by the award ceremony.
2. Requirements
a. Eligibility
The competition is open to composers of any nationality, and under the age of 35 (born January 1, 1988 and later).
b. Entry Requirements
Each composer can submit one composition only. The submitted work must have neither been performed in public nor been published before.
c. Instrumentation and Duration
The submitted composition has to be written for an ensemble of 6 or up to 9 musicians. You can choose from the following Chinese instruments: Bamboo Flute, Sheng, Yangqin, Pipa, Zhongruan (Sanxian), Zheng, Banhu, Erhu (Zhonghu), and Percussion.
Duration: 8-12 minutes
3. Judges and Awards
The competition committee will select famous composers from around the world to form a jury of no less than 6 people.
1st Prize: 20,000 RMB (one winner)
2nd Prize: 15,000 RMB (one winner)
3rd Prize: 8,000 RMB (two winners)
Honorary Award (a few)
(The amount of the prizes are pre-tax)
4. Submission
Deadline for submissions: April 30, 2023.
Please submit the following documents to [email protected] via email:
a. Anonymous version of the score (PDF format)
b. ID card or passport (picture or PDF format) and a recent photo
c. Application form (WORD or PDF format)
*The "Application Form" and the "Performance note" of the score must be written in English.
For more information, please follow our official website: http:/xwyhd/cxgz/1/20221111ConTempo/
Presented by: Central Conservatory of Music
Undertaken by: Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences in Universities, Institute of Musicology of the Central Conservatory of Music, Music Creation Center of the Central Conservatory of Music, Composition Faculty of the Central Conservatory of Music, Ensemble ConTempo Beijing
November 2022
