Submissions for scores and applications for guest artists are open on our website! Click here if you have a score you'd like us to play for our New Music Festival on October 15th-16th, 2022, and click here if you're interested in performing a 30-minute set on one of the concerts. The Festival will feature three concerts in downtown Eugene, from the Park Blocks to the First Christian Church and the New Zone Gallery. The Light and Art show in the Park Blocks will draw on the energy of ArtCity's BEAM, with amplified music and an interactive light exhibit for audience members. Our audience participation concert draws trained and untrained musicians alike into a collective sound-making space at the First Christian Church, and our concert at New Zone will set pieces for the ensemble in an inviting visual atmosphere. The Call for Scores closes June 1st, and the Guest Artist Application closes July 1st.
Start your application now here!
EDME is accepting scores for our 2025 New Music Festival. Selected scores will be programmed at the New Music Festival taking place October 3rd-5th, 2025, in Eugene, OR, USA. Selected composers are encouraged to attend. They will also be interviewed as part of our radio show, The Sound of Curiosity. This year's Festival will be in collaboration with IMPULSE Ensemble at the University of Oregon for the second time.
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLES
Eugene Difficult Music Ensemble (EDME) performs and commissions underrepresented experimental works in order to open ears and minds. We work to expand the definition of what music can be and what music is capable of achieving, as well as who is capable of achieving it. Learn more about us here.
IMPULSE New Music Ensemble is a student-run performance group based in Eugene, Oregon, USA that is committed to playing music by living composers as well as exploring different ways to interact with music in a performance setting. Check out their Instagram.
ELIGIBLE COMPOSERS
Composers of all ages and nationalities may apply. Previously accepted composers are welcome to apply with a piece that has not been performed at any of EDME’s past New Music Festivals. Composers from historically underrepresented groups, including non-white, female-identifying, and LGBTQ+ individuals, are strongly encouraged to apply.
SCORE REQUIREMENTS
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Composers may submit pieces to be reviewed by:
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EDME
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IMPULSE Ensemble
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Both
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Scores cannot mix instruments across ensembles
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EDME can accept solo or chamber music compositions submitted for 1-15 performers with the following instrumentation:
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Flute/Piccolo (1 performer)
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Bb Clarinet (1 performer)
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Oboe (1 performer)
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Trumpet (1 performer)
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Trombone/Bass Trombone (1 performer)
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Violin (2 performers)
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Viola (1 performer)
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Cello (2 performers)
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Double Bass (2 performers)
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Mezzo Soprano (1 performer)
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Piano (1 performer)
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Electronic keyboard or acoustic instrument
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Extended technique is limited to what can be accessed from an upright piano
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Percussion (1 performer - mallets and standard instruments)
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Found Objects (any number of performers)
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Electronics
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IMPULSE can accept solo or chamber music compositions submitted for 1-9 performers with the following instrumentation:
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Flute/Piccolo (1 performer)
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Tenor Saxophone (1 performer)
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Trombone/Euphonium/Voice (1 performer - range: A2-F5)
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Violin (1 performer)
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Double Bass/Electric Bass (1 performer)
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Piano (1 performer)
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Piano/Celesta/Harpsichord (1 performer)
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Percussion (2 performers - mallets and standard instruments)
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Found Objects (any number of performers)
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Electronics
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Scores for both ensembles can include theatrical elements, physical movement, text-only instructions, graphic notation, improvisation, audience participation, video, projection, and lighting effects
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Scores for EDME can also include video-based/animated notation
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Open instrumentation works are welcome
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Composers may perform their own work or supply their own performer(s) if they wish
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Tech riders are required for works with electronics
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Max inputs: 4
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Stereo output
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Live processing or fixed tracks are accepted
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Fixed media works are accepted
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Maximum length is 15 minutes. Portions of larger works are accepted, and the part of work considered for performance should be specified in application
Composers may submit TWO scores for selection. If more than two scores are submitted, all pieces submitted after the second one will be disqualified. There is a $10 fee for each submission. This fee is important to help EDME’s operations and continue our mission. If the fee causes financial hardship, it may be waived. Please email Secretary@edmensemble.org to request to waive the fee.
AGREEMENT
The composer grants EDME the right to audio and video record the live performance of their piece to use for marketing purposes, including distribution to our Patrons on Patreon and publication through E-news, social media, and our website.
The applicant guarantees that the submitted materials are their original work and sole property, and that the applicant has obtained all licenses necessary to comply with their obligations. If a piece includes a text not in the public domain, the composer warrants they have secured the permissions to reproduce and perform the text used.
TIMELINE
March 17 – Submissions Open
June 2 – Submissions Close
July 1 – Notification
October 3-5 – EDME New Music Festival
We aim to meet the above timeline, but please allow some flexibility. In case of excessive submissions, we reserve the right to delay notification as late as August 1.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I submit a piece that has one or more instruments not listed under the score requirements?
We can’t take pieces outside the listed instrumentation. If you have a score that you intend to arrange for the given instrumentation, make a note of what you intend to change in the application.
My piece has unusual percussion instruments in it. Am I eligible to submit it?
We might be willing to do it, depending on how reasonable the request is. Write an email to Secretary@edmensemble.org and tell us your nefarious plans, and, if it works for us, we’ll give you the go-ahead from there.
I submitted a piece that can technically be performed by both ensembles, but I only asked to be considered by one of them when I filled out the application. Can I still be considered for both?
If you email us about it, then yes. If not, then no. It’s difficult for us to spot pieces like this in the mix and correct for the mistake on our own. Plus, we need to account for the fact that some composers may want to be performed by one ensemble and not the other, even if we both technically have the means to do it.
I’m bringing my own performers or I’m performing my own work. What are the expectations?
You can pretty much do whatever you want, including playing alongside EDME or Impulse. Just please be prepared to make your way to Eugene for the Festival if you are chosen. That is a commitment you make if you say you’ll bring yourself or other performers when you submit your application.
Do I need a recording when submitting? Does MIDI work?
You don’t. Recordings are nevertheless helpful for us in the selection process. Of course, actual recordings are best, but we understand that some pieces haven’t been played yet and will only have MIDI renderings. We also have plenty of experience looking at strange notation, so we’re capable of deciphering your enigmatic digital artifacts without a recording if we must.
What are you looking for in a piece of music?
We are seeking creative, artistically sound, well-designed pieces of music. We want a variety of styles, instrumentation combinations, and people represented in our Festival. “Difficult” pieces should make their difficult aspects worthwhile to learn, just as “easy” pieces should stand out with their cleverness, enjoyability, or another attribute. Selected pieces stand out from the crowd. Some combinations of instruments are more competitive than others, and we’re never able to program all the amazing works we receive every year.
Is this call anonymous?
Nope. We appreciate knowing who people are, and it’s best that we don’t throw in another rule that could accidentally get some people disqualified.
Why do you charge a fee?
We’re a non-profit organization that operates on countless volunteer hours from our administration and members. We’ve been building a base of support from businesses, Eugene community members, and grant-giving organizations through the years, but we’ve yet to establish enough financial security to fully fund venue rentals, marketing expenses, insurance costs, and (most importantly) compensation for our musicians. So we need submission fees to fund the Festival. It sucks that we live in a world of money and that that money is inequitably distributed, and we will happily ditch the fee when we get a chance.
Who is eligible for a fee waiver?
Anyone who asks.
Is there money available for travel and lodging for selected composers?
Not right now. We want to incorporate something like this in the future to help working composers, especially students, attend. Separately, selected guest artists will be provided a stipend for travel and lodging, thanks to a generous grant from Eugene Cultural Services’ Downtown Program Fund. This stipend, unfortunately, cannot be extended to composers under the terms of our contract.
Can I also apply to be a guest artist?
Yep!
Can I apply if I've been selected in the past as a composer or guest artist?
Yep!
What do you think about the sport of golf?
Little.
Was your question not answered here? Please email Secretary@edmensemble.org