Northern Connection - Open call for new works
Starts
Key music organisations in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Scotland have joined together in partnership to commission and premiere new works, through the project Northern Connection. Apply here!
Northern Connection is an international collaboration aiming to establish creative links between the participating countries. The project has a strong focus on social aspects through strengthening and establishing new contacts, ideas, and networks within the contemporary music scene in the northern area. A composer, a musician or an ensemble, a contemporary music festival, and a music export/information centre will represent each country in the Northern Connection project of 2024.
Deadline to apply: Friday 26th of July 2024
Partner organisations are:
DENMARK: Art Music Denmark and KLANG-festival
FINLAND: Music Finland and Musica nova Helsinki
ICELAND: Iceland Music and Dark Music Days
NORWAY: Music Norway and Ultima Contemporary Music Festival
SCOTLAND: Scottish Music Centre and Sound Festival
Each country’s selected commission will be performed by one of the ensembles or musicians at a festival in at least one of the partner countries, and possibly more festivals. The pieces will then be added to the pool of Northern Connection compositions.
A jury of festival directors will select the composer. There are no submission costs. The composer will receive a commission fee and funds towards travelling.
Submission guidelines for Norway
Apply by using this form at the end of this site. Please answer the questions in English. Applications are processed by the artistic directors of the partner festivals (Musica nova Helsinki, Ultima Oslo, Sound Festival, Dark Music Days and Klang Festival). The decisions will be notified to applicants by mid-August.
Composers who has participated in previous rounds of Northern Connection cannot apply.
Friday 26th of July 2024.
The applicants will be notified by mid-August 2024. Once the composer has been selected, the deadline for submitting the composition is by Friday 20th of December 2024.
Your primary residence must be in Norway. There is no age limit or defined career stage, but applicants must be able to show their career is at a point where they will benefit from international exposure. Please note that we are committed to working with and supporting composers from under-represented groups. Female, trans, gender-diverse and ethnic minority composers as well as composers with a disability are encouraged to apply.
One musician (either instrumentalist or singer) and electronics.
Potential solo instruments: voice, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, saxophone, violin, viola, cello, piano, accordion, acoustic guitar, concert kantele, harpsichord; standard doublings (e.g. alto flute, bass clarinet) included.
Period (Baroque) instruments and some microtonal instrument variants may be considered.
The composer can suggest the solo instrument in the application, but the final decision for instrumentation will be decided in dialogue with the festival director.
The electronic part can be either fixed media or live electronics (stereo PA). The premiere will take place in a chamber music venue with standard sound system. In reference to the sustainability theme of Northern Connection, Musica nova would like to encourage the composers to design the electronics so that after the premiere the work could be performed with the assistance and technical equipment of any professional sound engineer (that is, without the composer travelling and/or special equipment shipped for every performance).
Between 12 - 18 minutes.
We ask the composer to give their interpretation on the theme of Northern Connection; “Borders and boundaries”. In addition to the general theme, the composers are welcome to consider and incorporate in their new work aspects of the theme of Musica nova 2025: "Together" - what exists or evolves between individuals, e.g. communities, communication, organisms, hierarchies, networks, collectives, relationships, trust, ecosystems, rituals, and swarm behaviour.
The new work will be premiered by a Helsinki-based professional musician and sound engineer at Musica nova Helsinki which will take place between February 5-15th, 2025.
The composer will be invited to meet and work with the soloist digitally and in person.
The composer fee will be in line with national tariffs and customs, as published by the Norwegian Composers' Association and NOPA. A travel fund for two travels; rehearsal and premiere, will also be provided.
- Short biography
- Personal Statement: Describe how you would approach this commission and explain why this international exposure would benefit your career. This statement may be a written submission (500 words max), spoken word, or video clip.
- Two recordings or other audio samples of previous, relevant work via a link or mp3
- Performance materials for one of the submitted recordings (score or performance instructions, as pdf)
All written material is to be sent in English
A jury of festival directors in the partner countries will select the composer.
Northern Connection is built on sustainable development and ecological thinking principles, enabling long-term cooperative relationships between contemporary music festivals, musicians, and composers. The compositions from Northern Connection 2022 edition 1, will by November 2024 have been performed 3 times or more.
