The Bowdoin International Music Festival is pleased to announce its third annual competition for student composers. Committed to the creation and performance of contemporary classical music, the Bowdoin Festival has funded residencies and commissioned works from major composers since its founding in 1964. In 2008, the Festival initiated a competition to encourage student composers through the provision of prize money and production of a new work each summer.

The competition is open to all student composers based in the USA who are under the age of 35. A prize of $500.00 will be awarded to the winning composer, and the selected work will be premiered at the Bowdoin International Music Festival’s 2010 Gamper Festival of Contemporary Music, July 29 – August 1, 2010.

The 2010 competition is for works for solo harp or harp with a second instrument including guitar, violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, percussion, harp, or piano.

Competition guidelines:

* Only student composers living in the USA who will NOT have reached their 35th birthday by April 1, 2010 are eligible.
* Compositions must be of of 5 to 8 minutes duration.
* Submissions must not have been published previously or performed in a public concert.
* Parts must be written for double bass without any electronic components.
* Composers may submit multiple works.

Applications must contain the following:

* 3 copies of the score labelled with the title only (scores and parts must be anonymous – they may not be labelled with any information identifying the composer).
* 1 CD recording of the entry with the title only (MIDI is acceptable).
* 1 cover letter including: Name, full street address, telephone number, email address, title(s) of submitted work(s) and approximate playing time.
* $25 Entry Fee for each submitted work (make checks or money orders payable to Bowdoin International Music Festival).
* Proof of eligibility as a student composer (for example, letter from teacher, or proof of enrollment in an academic program in composition.)

All materials must be enclosed in one package. Bowdoin International Music Festival is not responsible for lost or damaged materials. Submissions, including scores, will not be returned.

Submission of an application to participate in the competition confirms that the contestants unconditionally accept all the rules as established in this announcement.

Applications must be postmarked by April 1, 2010, and be addressed to:

2010 Student Composition Competition
Bowdoin International Music Festival
6300 College Station
Brunswick ME 04011-8463

Applications for this competition must be packaged separately from application materials for admission to the Bowdoin International Music Festival.

Application for admission is NOT a requirement for application to this competition and will not be taken into consideration in the judging of the entries.