OperaUpClose is hosting its third competition for composers and librettists and is looking for new chamber opera submissions. The prize is having your work performed by the company after a year in development.
The opera can be scored for up to seven performers in total, and these can be divided between instrumentalists and singers as desired. To be eligible, you must submit twenty minutes of material for a new opera.
The deadline is August 17, and five shortlisted pieces will have excerpts presented to a judging panel of industry professionals on September 21.
Last year's winner, Greek composer Spyros Syrmos, will have his opera The Blank Canvas shown at King's Head this August. It tells the story of a celebrated painter who fears her hallucinations are a sign of madness, but in fact has to confront the reality that they are caused by Charles Bonnet Syndrome and she is going blind.
Directed by Lucy Bradley, the opera is scored for 3 singers, piano, flute and vibraphone.
Opera composers often present their work at the Tete a Tete festival, which is a platform to show one's work but there is no assistance with staging and no funding provided. Flourish is one of the few competitions tailored to operatic composition offering such a prize in England.
The winning piece will be directed by an established industry professional,and workshopped over a year. Another benefit is the mentoring received in the workshop stage; this year Sir Harrison Birtwhistle led a masterclass on the work.
Guy Harries (Two Caravans), inaugural Flourish competition winner, described the competition process, "OperaUpClose gave a home to Two Caravans—a place where the piece could be developed with a fantastic director, musical director and top level singers / performers, as well as a dedicated and hardworking production team."
The Blank canvas shows for four performances: 31 August and 7/14/21 September.
For more details, see the King's Head web site.