Call for New Works
The School of Music & Theatre at Heidelberg University is pleased to announce a Call for New Works written by artists currently attending high school in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, or Pennsylvania. Heidelberg’s Call for New Works encompasses works for choir, symphonic band, chamber ensembles, and theatrical scenes, as outlined in the category descriptions below.
The Call for New Works is part of the School of Music and Theatre’s Honor Festival, offering high school students the opportunity to perform with our Honor Choir, Band and Theatre Troupe. The SMT Honor Festival is an artistic exploration of Heidelberg University’s MLK Jr. Day ON!, a day of celebration, reflection and giving back to the community. New Work submissions need to reflect on and/or portray themes of Community, Inclusivity, and Belonging as shown through the diverse and expressive lens of music and theatre.
There are four categories in which a composer/playwright may submit works for consideration:
CATEGORY ONE - Heidelberg Concert Choir (Dr. Greg Ramsdell)
- Works written for SATB chorus, with or without piano accompaniment
- 3-5 minutes in duration
- English Language Text
- Difficulty level appropriate for collegiate students
- Works including fixed media or instrumental obbligato will be considered
- Premiered by the Heidelberg University Concert Choir or Heidelberg University Chamber Singers
CATEGORY TWO - Heidelberg Honor Band
- Works for flex band (3-5 wind parts, up to 4 percussion parts)
- 3-5 minutes in duration
- Difficulty level appropriate for medium to advanced high school students
- Works including fixed media will be considered
- Works may not include extended solos
CATEGORY THREE - Chamber Music
- Works can encompass any aspect of chamber music, mixing vocal, brass, woodwind, percussion, keyboard and theatrical elements.
- 3-5 minutes in duration
- Difficulty level appropriate for an advance high school student
- Works including fixed media will be considered.
CATEGORY FOUR - Theatrical Scene
- Scenes for 2 to 5 actors
- 3-5 minutes in duration
- Difficulty level appropriate for advanced high school or collegiate thespians
- English Language Text
- Theatrical scenes will be performed in a black box style
Submission Details
- Artists may submit up to two works in the same or different categories
- All scores and theatrical manuscripts must be in pdf format
- All audio files (recording or MIDI) should be in either .mp3 or .wav format
- DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS DECEMBER 11th.
Winners will be contacted by January 1, 2024. Selected works will receive workshop sessions with School of Music and Theatre Faculty Greg Ramsdell, Rod Miller, Karla Kash alongside Heidelberg Composition faculty Matthew Kennedy. In addition, Winners will receive an honorarium of $200 and their works will be performed at the 2024 School of Music & Theatre Honor Festival Concert on January 15, 2024.