INVITATION - Emerging Composers' Workshop 2023

The Montreal Choral Institute invites early-career composers to showcase their talents.

Choral Octet VB8 hosts this hybrid (online and in-person) event where emerging composers can workshop their ideas and sketches for their choral works or hear their creations sung for the first time.

Submissions/applications from across Canada are received, and we select 4-6 emerging composers to work with Artistic Director Andrew Gray and the group.

Before the weekend, each composer discusses their piece and score with the MCI/VB artistic director. During the working weekend, each composer has a 2-hour session with the octet to work and experiment with their piece. We exchange ideas, techniques and performance options and help each participant with their subsequent creative process; we record (audio/video) the sessions.

One work is selected for concert performance by VB8 or Voces Boreales (in liaison/agreement with the composer) and a possible invitation to write an original work for the group. Only a cappella pieces that the SSAATTBB group can perform will be considered.

How to submit your work:

The candidate must provide a CV and biography hosted on an online sharing platform (Drive, Dropbox, etc.).

The candidate should include an anonymous folder containing the submitted piece and a recording or mock file (midi file in MP3). Please note that the entire content of this file must be completely anonymous, so be sure to remove names, dedications and any other indications that might reveal information about the composer.  

An artistic jury consisting of Artistic Director Andrew Gray and Composer-in-Residence Louis Desjarlais will then evaluate the anonymous scores and select all those musically eligible for the workshop. 

A third party will select a panel of 4 to 6 winners from the artistic jury's suggestions, ensuring that the participants are eligible according to the rules of the competition, as well as the diversity of gender and culture of the selected participants.

Emerging composers, submit your work/sketch for free; if your work/sketch is chosen for the workshop, there will be a $40 fee for your session (online or in person). Should the financial situation be challenging, kindly know we will work with you to find a solution.

Please note the logistics below.

Dates: Weekend of Saturday, June 3rd and Sunday, June 4th 2023

Location and time: Montreal - precise details will be provided once your candidacy has been confirmed.  Please note that we will arrange for access for those outside of Montreal.

Deadline for submission: Monday, May 15th, 2023. DEADLINE EXTENTION:  Final date for submission:  May 20, 2023

Questions & submissions to: info [at] vocesboreales [dot] org

We look forward to receiving your offers and will contact you only for confirmation of your successful candidacy.