BRITISH COMPOSER ADWORDS

Student Competition

Thu,30 April 2013 18:17:00 -0500

BASCA is delighted to announce details of the fourth British Composer Awards Student Competition. To apply, students must submit an original work for solo viola of 4 to 5 minutes duration. The winning work will be performed by celebrated British violist Sarah-Jane Bradley at the British Composer Awards ceremony in London on 3 December 2013 and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on Sunday 8 December 2013.

The closing date is Friday 23 August.

For more information click here

Nominations for the 2013 British Composer Awards

Thu,24 April 2013 16:55:00 -0500

Nominations are invited for works that have received their UK première between 1st April 2012 and 31st March 2013 and are welcomed from all those involved with the promotion, publication and performance of new classical and jazz music and may include music of any origin.

“Thank goodness there is an organisation like the British Composer Awards to showcase the talents of living composers.” Sir Harrison Birtwistle

Please visit the NOMINATING WORKS page for more information.

2012 British Composer Award Winners Announced

Thu,3 December 2012 13:56:00 -0500

The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) today announced the winners in 13 categories of the 2012 British Composer Awards. Of the 13 categories, nine have been awarded to new winners.

The full list of winning compositions is outlined below:

Instrumental Solo or Duo: Christian Mason Learning Self- Modulation

Chamber: Thomas Adès The Four Quarters

Vocal: Colin Matthews No Man’s Land

Choral: Gabriel Jackson Airplane Cantata

Wind Band or Brass Band: Simon Dobson A Symphony of Colours

Orchestral: Sir Harrison Birtwistle Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

Stage Works: Jocelyn Pook DESH

Liturgical: Francis Grier Missa Brevis

Sonic Art: Ray Lee The Ethometric Museum

Contemporary Jazz Composition: Christine Tobin Sailing to Byzantium

Community or Educational Project: Paul Rissmann The Chimpanzees of Happytown

Making Music Award: Emily Howard Mesmerism for Piano and Chamber Orchestra

International Award: Thomas Larcher Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra

The Awards were presented at a ceremony at Goldsmiths' Hall which opened with a performance of Gareth Moorcraft’s Rondo? – winner of the third Student Competition at the British Composer Awards – performed by members of Endymion.

The British Composer Awards are presented by BASCA and sponsored by PRS for Music in association with BBC Radio 3 who once again will provide exclusive broadcast coverage of the Awards on Sunday 9 December.

Wednesday 5 December 10th Anniversary Concert Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, 7.45pm

Sunday 9 December BBC Radio 3 Sunday Concert featuring the 2012 British Composer Awards, 2pm

BBC Radio 3's Hear and Now

Thu,26 November 2012 00:00:00 -0500

This week’s Hear and Now, BBC Radio 3's primary contemporary music programme, will exclusively look at the 2012 British Composer Awards Shortlist.

Saturday 1 December at 23:00
If you miss the show you can listen again via iPlayer Radio

Student Competition Winner Announced

Thu,20 November 2012 16:03:00 -0500

Gareth Moorcraft's work, Rondo? for wind trio, has been selected as the winner of the 3rd Student Competition at the British Composer Awards.

Rondo? will be performed by Helen Keen, Mark van de Wiel and Amy Harmon of the world class chamber ensemble Endymion at the opening of the Awards ceremony at London’s Goldsmiths' Hall on Monday 3 December 2012.

Gareth Moorcraft (b.1990) is a Welsh composer and pianist. He read music at Worcester College, University of Oxford, where he studied composition with Professor Robert Saxton and was awarded scholarships for his academic studies and musical performance. His compositions have been performed by musicians such as the BBC Singers, the Oxford Philomusica Orchestra and the Cavaleri String Quartet. Gareth is currently studying for an MMus in composition with Gary Carpenter at the Royal Academy of Music, where he is working on a collaborative project with the Bristol Animation School. He is also completing a commission from the Jubilee String Quartet for the Diaphonique project, a series of concerts promoting new music by British and French composers.

The British Composer Awards are presented by BASCA and sponsored by PRS for Music in association with BBC Radio 3 providing exclusive broadcast coverage of the awards on December 9.

Worshipful Company of Musicians Commission

Thu,12 November 2012 12:13:00 -0500

We are delighted to announce that The Worshipful Company of Musicians will award a commission to the winner of the Liturgical category in the 2012 British Composer Awards to compose a new carol, to be performed at the Company's Annual Carol Service.

The Musicians’ Company encourages and promotes musical performance and education to the highest professional standards and particularly supports young musicians.

With its roots in an ancient craft guild, the Musicians’ Company is the only City of London Livery Company devoted to the performing arts. Members, known as Liverymen, are performers, composers, instrument makers, teachers, administrators and music lovers.

For more information about the Worshipful Company of Musicians, please visit www.wcom.org.uk

The winners of the 2012 British Composer Awards will be announced at our 10th Anniversary ceremony on Monday 3 December at Goldsmiths' Hall, London.

PRS for Music Foundation Commission

Thu,5 November 2012 14:00:00 -0500

We are delighted to announce that the PRS for Music Foundation will award a £5,000 commission for a new work to be composed by the winner of the Contemporary Jazz Composition category in the 2012 British Composer Awards.

The PRS for Music Foundation (PRSF) is the UK's leading independent funder of new music across all genres. Widely respected as an adventurous and proactive funding body, the Foundation supports an exceptional range of new music activity - from unsigned band showcases to composer residencies, from commissions for new music to experimental live electronica. Since March 2000 PRSF has given more than £13.5 million to over 4,000 new music initiatives.

For more information about the PRS for Music Foundation, please visit www.prsformusicfoundation.com

The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PRS for Music Foundation.

The winners of the 2012 British Composer Awards will be announced at our 10th Anniversary ceremony on Monday 3 December at Goldsmiths' Hall, London.

British Composer Awards 10th Anniversary Concert

Thu,29 October 2012 16:54:00 -0500

This year we are holding a concert featuring eleven Award-winning compositions performed by Endymion and the Vasari Singers to mark our 10th Anniversary.

Taking place at the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre on Wednesday 5 December at 7.45pm the thought-provoking programme features choral and chamber works that have won British Composer Awards since the founding of the Awards in 2003:

Judith Bingham - Fantasia
Gabriel Jackson - O Doctor Optime
Sir John Tavener - Ex Maria Virgine: Verbum caro and Rocking
James MacMillan - The Canticle of Zachariah and Data est mihi omnis potestas
Sir Harrison Birtwistle - Crowd
Anthony Payne - String Quartet No.2
Ruth Byrchmore - A Birthday
Michael Zev Gordon - This Night
Tarik O'Regan - Threshold of Night
Gary Carpenter - Azaleas
Joe Cutler - Folk Music

Tickets: £15 (limited concessions available)
Box Office: 0844 847 9910
Online: www.southbankcentre.co.uk

The British Composer Awards 10th Anniversary Concert has been generously supported by the RVW Trust.

2012 British Composer Awards Shortlist Unveiled

Thu,25 October 2012 16:36:00 -0500

BASCA is delighted to announce the 39 works shortlisted for the 2012 British Composer Awards. The winners in each category will be unveiled at a ceremony at Goldsmiths' Hall on Monday 3 December.

British Composer Awards Chairman, Sarah Rodgers, said, "In the year in which BASCA presents the British Composer Awards for the 10th consecutive occasion, it is a delight to announce a Shortlist which so clearly demonstrates the range, reach and richness of contemporary composition in the UK today. We are proud to take the lead in celebrating Britain's many talented composers."

Visit our The Awards page for a full list of the shortlisted works.