
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
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EUR. 2.000
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A professional studio recording of the winning composition
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Performance of the piece during a selection of concerts of Black Pencil
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Additional prizes will be considered
Jury
ALL members of Ensemble Black Pencil
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




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

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 "Seyyah 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

