ICF Opus Concert Café (July 15, 2019)

Open to ICF members only

The Iowa Composers Forum is excited to announce our fall new-music project: a concert at the Opus Concert Café in Cedar Rapids with guest composer Michael Daugherty and the Durward Ensemble. The performance curated by Jerry Owen is scheduled for Sunday, October 20 at 2:30 P.M. The concert will include a chamber music work by Daugherty with the remainder of the program comprised of compositions by ICF members. The Durward Ensemble is organized by Matt Driscoll, and Michelle Perrin Blair is the group’s conductor. There will also be time for social and professional interaction with Michael at the conclusion of the concert. Daugherty is originally from Cedar Rapids and now teaches composition at the University of Michigan. His tuba concerto will be performed that weekend by Orchestra Iowa.

We welcome submissions of pre-existing chamber music works from ICF members for this program. The effective instrumentation of the Durward Ensemble for this concert is: flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxes (1 player, any sax), trumpet, trombone, piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass. Due to the limited stage space at the venue, please submit pieces for no more than five performers of the ensemble’s instrumentalists. Please submit only one piece of ten minutes or less in duration. Submitted works may have a performance history but must not have been performed previously by the Durward Ensemble. Recordings are helpful but not required.

All submissions should be made electronically via e-mail to iowacomposersforum@gmail.com. Include in your e-mail:

• A subject field with your last name and “Opus Concert”
• a brief note, describing your submission
• the score of your piece as a .pdf file
• a current bio (75 words or less), attached as a .doc or .pdf file
• optional: attachments of mp3 files, no larger than 10MB, or links to these files.

If selected for performance:

• Composers must be in good standing with the ICF for 2019-20 (renewals due by June 30)
• Final scores must be submitted to the Durward Ensemble by August 1st.
• Composers must attend the concert
• Composers are highly encouraged to arrange a time to coach their music with the ensemble prior to the performance. Most performers are based in the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City area.

Deadline for submissions is July 15, 2019. Selected composers will be notified in August.