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 looking for guest musicians for our 2025 New Music Festival. Selected musicians will be invited to perform a 25-minute set at the New Music Festival taking place October 3rd-5th, 2025, in Eugene, OR, USA. They will also be interviewed as part of our radio show, The Sound of Curiosity. Selected applicants will be given $200 in compensation. We will also be providing travel and lodging stipends for any selected musicians who are traveling from outside Eugene, courtesy of Eugene Cultural Services’ Downtown Program Fund.
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.
ELIGIBLE MUSICIANS
Musicians of all ages and nationalities may apply. Musicians from historically underrepresented groups, including non-white, female-identifying, and LGBTQ+ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.
Ensembles are eligible to apply.
Open to all genres of music.
EQUIPMENT
EDME will provide the following equipment for the concert:
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Mixer
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Stereo speaker system
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Condenser Microphones
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Quarter-inch and XLR cables
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Projectors
All other equipment must be provided by the guest artist. Our concert will hire a visual artist to produce live video to accompany the musicians.
AGREEMENT
The guest artist grants EDME the right to audio and video record the live performance of the set to use for marketing purposes, including distribution to our patrons and publication through E-news, social media, and our website.
EDME is not liable for any damage to equipment provided by the guest artist.
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.
ADDITIONAL GUEST ARTIST INFORMATION
The musician(s) will be given a 25-minute performance slot.
The musician(s) must attend the Festival in person.
The musician(s) will provide a tech rider upon request.
The performance will be held outside at Kesey Square in Downtown Eugene.
We cannot provide instruments, including pianos, percussion, or electronics.
Selected applicants will receive a $200 payment the night of their performance. If a selected applicant chooses not to perform, they forfeit their honorarium.
Housing and travel stipends are available to all selected applicants, provided by the Downtown Program Fund.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How many output channels will there be?
We can only provide stereo output at this time.
Can you supply a monitor?
We have a spare speaker lying around that can be used as a monitor if you need it.
Can I provide my own visuals?
Yep! Just let us know and we’ll coordinate with the visual artist.
How long are sound checks?
We can provide you with 15 minutes. If you require a longer soundcheck, please discuss that with us in advance.
Can I ask to play with EDME or Impulse musicians?
Not as a guest artist, but you can submit individual works like this to our Call for Scores
What are you looking for in a guest artist?
It depends on a lot of factors. While we often invite noise musicians and experimental folks (these are the bulk of the applicants), we aim to provide a varied concert experience for the audience. There’s tons of room for any genre, from ambient, to EDM, to performance art, to pop, to audience participation cell phone games (for real). We just care that you carve out a distinct, creative niche within your stylistic framework. This application is competitive, and unfortunately we’re never able to program all the amazing applicants we receive each year. In 2025, we are increasing the number of selected guest artists from 5 to 6.
Is this application 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.
How much money is available for travel and lodging?
We have a fixed pool of money from our Downtown Program Fund grant that is designated for travel and lodging for selected guest artists. This is our first year offering a stipend like this, so we’re still discussing the details of exactly how we want to distribute it to everyone, especially since some people may be traveling from within Oregon or from nearby states, and some people may want to fly across the US or internationally. We anticipate reimbursing everyone’s travel expenses as needed and then equitably distributing the remaining funds for lodging. It is unlikely we’ll be able to completely cover an international plane ticket.
This funding is only for guest artists. Under the terms of our grant agreement, we unfortunately cannot extend travel and lodging reimbursements to selected composers.
Can I also submit to the Call for Scores?
Yep!
Can I apply if I've been selected in the past as a composer or guest artist?
Yep!
What do you think about role-playing games?
We are nerds through and through.
Was your question not answered here? Please email Secretary@edmensemble.org