ABOUT

Following in the footsteps of a traditional Open Mic event, this program adapts the idea for a new music context with the chamber orchestral forces of Contemporaneous serving as the band, providing an opportunity for composers of all ages and skill levels in the community to submit their work — in any stage of its development — to be performed in a free performance. 

This program creates an invaluable opportunity for a large number of composers to take risks, try out new material, and hear their music performed in an open environment, where all are welcome to share their music, performed by the extraordinary musicians of Contemporaneous’s ensemble. The event will also be professionally recorded, so that all composers involved will receive top-notch recordings of their work. 

The Open Mic will also serve as a community celebration. With food and drink, the event is not just open to the public, but a space for public creative community, where all can come to gather, see, hear, and chat about the dreams and imaginations of the artists from all backgrounds who make up our creative life.

IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

please contact info@contempraneous.org for any questions!

• NEW! Our call for scores will be open until December 1, 2024, with the Open Mic performance being held in March 2025

• This call is geared towards all composers at any stage of their career.

• Compositions should be no more than 10 minutes in length. Contemporaneous will also accept submissions of excerpts from larger works, also no longer than 10 minutes in length!

• Contemporaneous will accept scores with configurations* of the following instrumentation:

  1 flute (doubling piccolo), 1 oboe (doubling English horn), 1 clarinet (doubling bass clarinet), 1 saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor, and/or bass), 1 bassoon, 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone, 2 percussionists, 1 piano, 1 guitar (acoustic, Classical, electric), 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, 2 contrabasses (one doubling electric bass)

  *Subsets of this instrumentation are welcome!

• Due to the collaborative nature of the event, we are currently only accepting applications from individuals who are residents of NYC or who can find and provide transportation to the city for the event.