Iron Composer Returns!

ANALOG arts ensemble’s
Iron Composer Omaha

A Robert M. Spire Student Composition Competition
Presented as a part of ARTSaha! 2008,
Omaha’s new music festival

September 4, 2008
Strauss Performing Arts Center
University of Nebraska at Omaha

Five student composers (ages 18-26) will be chosen to compete in person.

PRIZES
First Place - $500
Second Place - $250
Third Place - $100

Entry Requirements
• Submit one representative score that was composed within the past five years.
• Submit a cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Deadline for receipt of submissions (not postmark) is June 15, 2008.
• Send scores via mail to Iron Composer Competition, c/o Ken Bales, Department of Music, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182-0245 or via email at kbales@unomaha.edu. Electronic submissions MUST be in the form of a PDF.
• There is no entry fee.

Five finalists will be selected by a panel and notified that they will participate on or before July 15, 2008. Finalists will be given the option of free housing with a local host and reimbursement for up to $300 of their travel expenses to Omaha.

Iron Composer Omaha Student Competition Rules and Procedures

• Composers between the ages of 18-26 (on September 4, 2008) who are currently residing in the United States are eligible.
• Only those composers who submit a cover sheet and scores that are received by the competition officials on or before June 15, 2008 are eligible.
• Composers must be available to participate in the event on September 4, 2008 between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the Strauss Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
• At 10:00 a.m., composers will be given a specific instrumentation and the “Secret Theme Ingredient”, which could be any kind of musical raw material, such as a chord progression or a found object.
• Composers will have five hours to compose the work and produce a score and parts.
• The facilities of the UNO Department of Music computer lab will be made available to finalists. Those computers are loaded with Finale 2006 and are connected to a printer. All scores and parts prepared on personal computers must be converted to PDF’s in order to print in the UNO facilities.
• At 3:00 p.m., music must be submitted to ANALOG arts ensemble for rehearsals.
• All works will be performed and judged at the Final Ceremony, which will take place at 7:30 p.m.
• Judging will be done by a 3-person panel. Judging will be based on the following point system:

o Use of the Secret Ingredient: 15 points
o Originality: 15 points
o Technical Command: 10 points
o Overall Presentation: 10 points

• The composer with the highest number of points will be awarded first place, the second highest number of points will be awarded second place, and the third highest number of points will be awarded third place.
• In case of a tie, the contestant who scores highest on the Use of the Secret Ingredient and Originality will be awarded the prize.
• The decision of the judges is final.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN IRON COMPOSER?