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Black Pencil Prize 2023

Regulations

Application deadline: 15 October 2023

 

There is no age limit and no application fee. The competition is open to composers of all nationalities. The duration of the composition should be minimum of 4 and maximum of 8 minutes.

The Black Pencil Prize will be awarded to a new composition written for the instrumentation of the Black Pencil ensemble: recorder, panflute, viola, accordion, percussion (all five of the ensemble's instruments). The piece can also include harpsichord, (live) electronics, video and/or theatrical elements.

Black Pencil will also be ensemble in residence in the 2023 edition of the Prix Annelie de Man, 29 November - 03 December 2023 at the Orgelpark Amsterdam. It means that you can count on the expertise of the virtuoso members of Black Pencil for writing new compositions, making use of the instrumentation of the ensemble.

Jorge Isaac – Recorder (blockflute), Artistic Director

Matthijs Koene – Panflute

Esra Pehlivanli – Viola

Marko Kassl – Accordion

Enric Monfort – Percussion

 

For detailed information about each one of the instruments and how to write for Black Pencil, please visit blackpencil.org/forcomposers.


Prizes 

  • EUR. 2.000

  • A professional studio recording of the winning composition

  • Performance of the piece during a selection of concerts of Black Pencil

  • Additional prizes will be considered

Jury
ALL members of Ensemble Black Pencil

Roderik de Man 

The jury will choose 3 to 5 works to be performed during the festival Prix Annelie de Man, 29 November -03 December 2023 at Orgelpark Amsterdam, from which the winning composition will be selected. We reserve the right to make necessary planning and programme order during the concert.

Application
Candidates should supply:
- Most recent biography of max. 200 words (in English)

- A recent photo of the composer in high resolution

- A program note: a description of the composition.

- If applicable: a brief description of any special features, such as preparation of instruments, electronics, visuals, props, complex staging, etc.
- The score and parts of the piece, together with the necessary performance instructions in PDF. Please use your real name: a pseudonym is not needed.
- A MIDI audio file (in mp3 format) for reference

Note: a composer is welcome to submit more than one composition.

2021

The winner of the Black Pencil Prize 2021 is

Mayako Kubo (Japan): Reset II

 

Two Honorary Mentions:

Florence Anna Maunders (United Kingdom): Desert Spaces

Erik Valdemar Sköld (Sweden): Álfheimr

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Mayako Kubo: Reset II (Black Pencil Prize 2021)
Play Video

Finalists of the Black Pencil Prize 2021 (in alphabetical order):

Umut Eldem (Turkey) : …and we look into the waves

 

Mayako Kubo (Japan): Reset II

 

Florence Anna Maunders (United Kingdom): Desert Spaces

 

Gerson de Sousa Batista (Portugal) : The Creation Anima Animus

 

Erik Valdemar Sköld (Sweden): Álfheimr

2020

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The winner of the Black Pencil Prize 2020 is

Andys Skordis (Cyprus) for his work “Uz...u”

 

Two Honorary Mentions:

Arda Yurdusev (Turkey): “Seyyah Trilogy”

Florence Anna Maunders (United Kingdom): “Bursting Out"

Finalists of the Black Pencil Prize 2020 (in alphabetical order):

ANTHONY LEIGH DUNSTAN "quantum foam" for recorder, panflute, viola, accordion, percussion and reverb system.

FLORENCE ANNE MAUNDERS   "Bursting Out" for harpsichord, recorder, panflute, viola, accordion and percussion.

GERMÁN MEDINA CALLE   "Apocryphal" for harpsichord, recorder, panflute, viola, accordion and percussion.

FINTAN O'HARE   "So Sa Si" for recorder, panflute, viola, accordion and percussion.

ANDYS SKORDIS   “Uz...u” - ...lament for harpsichord, recorder, panflute, viola, accordion and percussion.

ARDA YURDUSEV   "S
eyyah Trilogy" for harpsichord, recorder, panflute, viola, accordion and percussion

2018

Black Pencil Prize 2018, 1st Prize 

Fred Momotenko: Danco Konsonanco

Black Pencil Prize 2018, Honorary Mention 

Cinzia Nistico: Obscure alternatives

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2020
2018
2021
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