Korvat auki is collaborating with Musica nova Helsinki for their February 2025 festival, seeking 4-6 composers or music creators to devise new, original pieces for an ensemble of up to seven players.
In Brief
Who Can Apply: This open call is available to all members of the Korvat auki society. We warmly invite interested new members to join our society and participate in the call.
Submission Deadline: Submit your compositions, ideas or sketches by 23:59 on 15 May 2024. The artists selected for this project will be announced in June 2024, with the premiere of the new pieces occurring at the Musica nova Helsinki festival in February 2025.
How to Apply: Submit your anonymous materials as an email attachment, using a pseudonym, to info[at]korvatauki.net. Please include your full name, contact details and the pseudonym associated with your submission within the email body. More detailed instructions are available below.
Information Forum: On Tuesday, 2 April 2024, from 17:00 to 19:00, Korvat auki will host a forum about the open call at the Helsinki Central Library Oodi, Group Room 4 (Töölönlahdenkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki). This event is open to everyone. We encourage you to join us to learn more about the project and ask any questions you may have regarding the open call.
Full text
Korvat auki is collaborating with Musica nova Helsinki in February 2025, for which we seek new pieces to be commissioned and premiered. We invite members of our association to explore the performative installation as a novel format for the performance of new compositions. In line with the Musica nova Helsinki theme of Togetherness, artists are encouraged to create works that utilise space to diffuse and infuse sound among the various acoustic ensemble players, with the possibility of electroacoustic interactions.
The open call is available to members of the Korvat auki society who have paid the membership fee for the season 2023–2024. If you are not already a member, please see the instructions to become one. Only one application per applicant will be accepted. Participants may enter the open call with a new original composition or musical work. Through this open call, Korvat auki seeks to commission new pieces for premiere at Musica nova Helsinki 2025.
The ensemble, for which the works are to be created, consists of a core ensemble comprising the following six instruments:
- Flute, including standard doublings (piccolo, alto and bass flute)
- Horn
- Concert kantele
- Violin
- Viola
- Cello
Additionally, one may choose an extra instrument from the following list to add to the core ensemble:
- Saxophone, including soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone
- Acoustic guitar
- Accordion
- Soprano voice
Consequently, the ensemble may comprise up to seven players: the core ensemble of up to six instruments plus an extra instrument. Alternatively, compositions can be tailored for any subgroup formed from these seven instruments, possibly utilising a reduced number from the core ensemble without the addition of an extra instrument. It is possible to incorporate electroacoustic elements such as soundtracks into the compositions. However, it is crucial to note that artists must operate the electroacoustics themselves and that the ensemble cannot be amplified. The concept of the ensemble’s spatial diffusion is also open for exploration. A conductor, experienced in performative installations and electroacoustic performance, will be available if required.
Submissions may consist of traditionally notated music or representations in alternative formats (e.g., graphic notation). Final works should be between 6 and 10 minutes in duration. Applicants are asked to provide an estimate of their piece’s final length and a verbal description of the artistic interests behind their submission.
In line with the Musica nova Helsinki theme of Togetherness, all selected works will be premiered in a unique performance set in a public space, allowing for unrestricted observation by the public.
Participants may enter the open call by sending materials as attachments via email to info[at]korvatauki.net. Submitted materials must be anonymised: each applicant will select a pseudonym to accompany their submission and personal details. This pseudonym must ensure the applicant’s anonymity. Should alterations to a submission be necessary, applicants are responsible for making the required adjustments and resubmitting by the deadline.
To submit your materials via email, please follow these instructions carefully:
- Ensure your materials are free from names, ownership marks, artist details, watermarks or any other identifiers.
- Include your pseudonym on each page of your text files, either as a footer or a header.
- Name your file using the format: pseudonym_file_name.fileformat (e.g., Sävelseppä_katkelmat.pdf).
- Attach all materials to your email as attachments.
In the body of the email, clearly provide the following details:
- Full name
- Contact information
- The pseudonym used in your materials
The subject line of the email should read: Application / Musica nova 2025
Please send your application to info[at]korvatauki.net.
Please submit your application by 23:59 on 15 May 2024, following the instructions provided above. An evaluation board appointed by Korvat auki will select the artists for this collaboration. Between four and six artists will be chosen for the project, with their names to be announced in early June 2024. Following the announcement, the selected artists will have approximately six months to complete their compositions. In early autumn 2024, we plan to organise a workshop session, allowing the artists to rehearse and test their materials in collaboration with the ensemble. All final works must be completed and submitted to Korvat auki by 23:59 on 30 November 2024. Musica nova Helsinki 2025, set for February 2025, will premiere these pieces.
Korvat auki is in the process of securing funding to financially support the artists selected for the project, although this funding is not yet guaranteed. The project will be carried out in Helsinki, and the artists are responsible for any necessary travel and accommodation expenses. Jaakko Kilpeläinen, the treasurer of Korvat auki, is overseeing this open call and is available to answer any detailed questions regarding the project.
For more information, contact: Jaakko Kilpeläinen: j.kilpelainen[at]outlook.com
📸 Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash