Still working on an entry for the festival’s composition competition? Not quite done engraving that duet for oboe and English horn? Not to worry. The festival is extending its deadline for the composition competition to November 10. All other deadlines are staying the same, but we’re giving everyone a few extra days to finish up any newly composed works. We’re happy to see the entries so far and look forward to the remaining submissions.
Author: Nicholas Smolenski
Competition Winners – Where Are they Now?
This year’s score calls and composition competition are in full swing and we’re happy to see all the submissions so far. Have a recent wind quintet for performance? Send it along! Looking to enter the competition for double reed duos? We can’t wait to see your scores!
In the meantime, we’re checking in with our former competition winners. Where are they now? What are they up to? Now its fourth year, the competition has had quite a varied group of winners including Sang Mi Ahn, a doctoral candidate at Indiana University whose blend of electronic and acoustic works have garnered numerous international awards; Karen Power, an Irish composers whose output inhabits stunning soundscapes across the globe (currently making her way through the Arctic Circle of all places); and Anna Rubin, whose richly layered music creates amazing orchestral and electronic narratives.
Look for more details in the coming months on these amazing composers, along with others who have shared their music with the festival. And keep sending those scores!
2014 Festival
The Women Composers Festival of Hartford announces its 2014 festival scheduled for Thursday, March 6, to Sunday, March 9, at the historic Charter Oak Cultural Center. Andrea Clearfield joins the festival as guest composer, featuring the Philadelphia-based composer in multiple events. The festival includes performances of Dr. Clearfield’s music, in addition to an international selection of historical and living women composers.
2014 Composer-in-Residence: Andrea Clearfield
Andrea Clearfield is an award-winning composer of music for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, dance, and multimedia collaborations. She has been praised by the New York Times for her “graceful tracery and lively, rhythmically vital writing”, the Philadelphia Inquirer for her “compositional wizardry” and “mastery with large choral and instrumental forces”, by the L.A. Times for her “fluid and glistening orchestration” and by Opera News for her music of “timeless beauty”. Read more about Andrea and other guest artists…
2014 Guest Artists: Oboe Duo Agosto & Sylvanus Ensemble
The Sylvanus Ensemble, through its exotic combination, breathes new life to established works, and gives modern music a fresh voice. The core group of oboe, English horn, strings and piano brings an expanded, flexible repertoire to concerts that provides a great deal of variety. Read more about the guest artists…
Wednesday, March 5
ICAM Composers Seminar Presentation (PRE-FESTIVAL EVENT) – 5:00PM
The Hartt School, Room 410/12
University of Hartford
200 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06117
Thursday, March 6
CCSU Music Forum (PRE-FESTIVAL EVENT) – 3:00PM
Founders Hall
Central Connecticut State University
1615 Stanley Street
New Britain, CT 06050
Festival Welcome/Reception – 5:00PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Concert Winds – 7:30PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Concert Reception – 8:30PM
Peppercorn’s Grill
357 Main St
Hartford, CT 06106
Friday – March 7
WCForum Session One “Electric-Drama” – 10:00AM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
WCForum Session Two “2014 Composer-in-Residence Presentation” – 12:00PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Lunch Reception – 1:00PM
Peppercorn’s Grill
357 Main St
Hartford, CT 06106
Oboe Duo Agosto – 7:30PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Concert Reception – 8:30PM
Peppercorn’s Grill
357 Main St
Hartford, CT 06106
Saturday, March 8
Out of the Shadows – 11:30AM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
WCForum Session Three “Winds and Song” – 3:00PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
WCForum Session Four “On Song” – 5:00PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Sylvanus Ensemble – 7:30PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
Concert Reception – 8:30PM
Peppercorn’s Grill
357 Main St
Hartford, CT 06106
Sunday, March 9
Brunch Reception – 10:00AM
LOCATION TBA
Strings and Other Things – 1:30PM
Charter Oak Cultural Center
21 Charter Oak Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
The Women Composers Festival of Hartford has, for the last thirteen years, provided an enriching platform for the promotion of women’s music. Recognized as a champion of women’s music by institutions such as the International Alliance for Women in Music and the Women’s Education and Leadership Fund, the festival’s goals include fostering music by female composers, living and historical, through performances, outreach, and development. Continuing our tradition of diversity in performance and outreach takes a great deal of resources. Please consider making a donation to support this effort. Read more about how you can donate.
Catching up on recent announcements…
Rather than wrap up the week with more photos of past festival, this week is an opportunity to remind everyone of the recent news regarding 2014. First, be sure to read up on Andrea Clearfield, our guest composer for March. We’re excited to be featuring her music and look forward to her presenting at the festival’s events. Additionally, anyone interested in submitting music to the upcoming festival should check out the multiple score calls available. We look forward to looking through all the works being sent.
2014 Festival and Guest Composer Andrea Clearfield
Hartford, CT – August 1, 2013 – The Women Composers Festival of Hartford announces its 2014 festival scheduled for Thursday, March 6, to Sunday, March 9, at the historic Charter Oak Cultural Center. Andrea Clearfield joins the festival as guest composer, featuring the Philadelphia-based composer in multiple events. The festival includes performances of Dr. Clearfield’s music, in addition to an international selection of historical and living women composers. For additional information, visit www.womencomposersfestivalhartford.com.
Andrea Clearfield is an award-winning composer of music for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, dance, and multimedia collaborations. She has been praised by the New York Times for her “graceful tracery and lively, rhythmically vital writing”, the Philadelphia Inquirer for her “compositional wizardry” and “mastery with large choral and instrumental forces”, by the L.A. Times for her “fluid and glistening orchestration” and by Opera News for her music of “timeless beauty”. Dr. Clearfield has been awarded fellowships from the American Composers Forum at the American Academy in Rome, the Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center and Civitella Ranieri in Italy and Fundaciòn Valparaiso in Spain. She was awarded a 2012 Fellowship at Montalvo in California and 2013 residencies at Moulin à Nef in France and the Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos, NM. Other awards include fellowships at Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, Ragdale and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is founder and host of the renowned Philadelphia Salon concert series now completing its 26th year featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, electronic, dance, and world music and winner of Philadelphia Magazine’s 2008 “Best of Philadelphia” award. As composer-in-residence, she is speaking at The Hartt School’s Institute for Contemporary American Music and Central Connecticut State University’s Music Forum. Information on her music and a complete bio can be found at www.andreaclearfield.com.
The Women Composers Festival of Hartford has, for the last thirteen years, provided an enriching platform for the promotion of women’s music. Recognized as a champion of women’s music by institutions such as the International Alliance for Women in Music and the Women’s Education and Leadership Fund, the festival’s goals include fostering music by female composers, living and historical, through performances, outreach, and development.
Festival details, and programming specifics are available at www.womencomposersfestivalhartford.com. For more information email info@womencomposersfestivalhartford.com.