Budding composers are being invited to enter a competition that will result in a commission and a cash prize for the lucky winner. The new piece will be premiered and recorded in 2015.

Oxford Symphony Orchestra has launched the competition in the hope of finishing up with a piece of work that is tailor-made for the skill levels and musical tastes of the players.

“So much new music is so complex and requires special levels of experience in order to be able to tackle it successfully,” explains Robert Max, the OSO’s musical director since 2005. “That’s interesting to do, but we can’t spend substantial amounts of time for the whole orchestra to re-skill in order to do some of the pieces that might be very exciting to do.

“So we thought that something that was written specifically for the orchestra would be really nice, because it can be tailored towards what we are capable of doing well, what we might enjoy and hopefully what our audience might enjoy as well.”

A crucial element in the competition is that the winner must be will-ing to work with the orchestra during the composition process.

“They need to come and meet the orchestra, listen to the orchestra, see what we do well and then write a piece for us, that they think we can achieve with,” says Robert.

“The most exciting thing is that often you’ve got questions about a piece of music, such as: What is the composer trying to say? What did they really want here? Most of the time you only have your own answers. Here, we can ask them! Hopefully, they know what they want and can explain to use how to do it.”

Robert will be on the judging panel along with composer Joseph Phibbs and clarinettist Mark van de Wiel. So what sort of things will they be looking for? “We want the work to be enjoyable to work at and enjoyable to listen to. It can be using the orchestra in a new way, as long as the orchestra is capable of taking on board the playing techniques. Or it can be entirely conventional.

“Also, music has to communicate, so I’d like to see evidence of music that’s going to speak. We want to feel that there’s something being communicated.

“The most important thing is the work and the composer connecting with the orchestra and that connection with the audience for the concert.”

The competition has been financed by two orchestra members, bassoonist Chris Grovenor and French horn player Julian Morris.

It is open to all ages, but is specifically targeted at emerging rather than established composers. Entrants need to submit scores of two existing pieces, along with their CV. The winner, to be announced in April 2014, will have six months to produce the new piece and then engage in workshops sessions with the orchestra before the premiere in March 2015.

OSO chairman Caroline Johnson hopes the new commission will go on to have a life of its own. “There are relatively few contemporary pieces written for an orchestra like the OSO,” she says. “So it would be quite nice if by doing this we can introduce another piece into the repertoire that other orchestras up and down the country.

Closing date: February 3, 2014
Premiere: March 14, 2015
 More details: oxfordsymphony orchestra.org