Ruzickova Competition

@bbunker Thanks so much for listening and for your feedback. I had to look up rail shooters (don't get out much) and appreciate the perspective!

I love that you got 'wired to the warp engines' with NotePerformer (looked up NotePerformer, too) and it sounds so good! I toyed with importing MIDI into Spitfire Solo Strings, this morning around 5 a.m. and it sounded like a shaved cat and eight hours of work. I promptly submitted the MuseOrchestra, everything panned center, and had a very nice morning!

Edit: pasting here from the Noteperformer expectations thread, user @Kalli, post #1,144 on page 58.

I just needed to share my enthusiasm here. I wanted to test how BBCSO Pro and NPPE would handle fast repeated string notes, so I threw something at it which I was almost certain it wouldn’t pull off. Well, let's just say I was wrong. I would need to spend at least 10x the time to achieve the same result in a DAW.

Thank you, @Wallander, for developing this amazing piece of software!

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I somehow missed this in the rules: "Scores and individual parts should be submitted." I received an email requesting the parts and explaining - the jury PLAYS THROUGH the submissions when considering them. Amazing!

Yay, I finally managed to connect my vst-instruments to Sibelius today! I used SA Abbey Road One (my only orchestra for now) and NI Stradivari Violin. If I had more time, I should have explored NotePerformer. Honestly, I didn't even know about it, until @bbunker mentioned=) Well, next time then. At least now it doesn't sound so midi-sh as before.
NI Stradivari Violin acted funny in Sibelius, adding crazy shifts glissando in fast passages. So I had to use another project just for audio exporting, where I added lots of staccato to avoid shifting glissando and removing some grace and chords notes.

So here is my entry. I inclined totally to the baroque style influence.
I decided to stay with 2 movements attacca. I started composing with the fast movement first. The main theme idea came to me quite quickly, when I just read about the competition. I also wanted to start with just a solo violin and cello/bass ostinato with the D Minor scale passages. That was inspired by Vivaldi's concerto for two violins in D Minor, where it starts just with 2 soloists playing around D Minor arpeggio and scale.
For the slow movement I was just improvising on my violin one cloudy day, and the theme came to mind. I also decided to start my piece just with the violin solo only, in order to create a feeling of the theme being developed from an improvisation.



Anyway, I want to thank @Inherently and @bbunker for motivation! Your posts here pushed me to dedicate my time and energy for this composition. Without you I would never consider composing a baroque piece in the near future!..
If I don't succeed in this competition, I plan to include this piece to one of my performances this fall or winter. @Inherently, thank you very much for sharing the information about this contest! It was really fun!

Wishing good luck to three of us!
Has anyone else here on the forum composed a piece for this competition?

@Gedren - just listened and wanted to say immediately how much I enjoyed being carried away by this. The opening feels so much like a Siciliana, so searching! Congratulations!

I love knowing that this is going to another violinist, who plans to actually PLAY it with the jury in the process of considering it.

bbunker said:

Just a heads-up: I didn't get any kind of e-mail confirmation, either on the initial "click here to let her know that you're applying," or on the submitted materials. I'll try to post if that does come through eventually, but if anyone comes down to the wire and submits and doesn't hear anything back, don't panic!! Not that that's been me in years past or anything.

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I've just received an email confirmation today that my submission was accepted and all my files were saved.

@Inherently, oh thank you so much for listening and for your kind comment! I'm very happy that you enjoyed it!=)

@Gedren - oops, I should have posted after last weekend that she had indeed messaged me confirmation, it just took a little time!

Lovely piece, too!!! - it nails the atmosphere of the slow introduction, without resorting to any opening cliches. Tons of great figuration for the violin (almost like you know what works on the instrument, or something?!? ) and plenty of opportunities to show off. Some of my favorite moments have to be those arpeggios that score very highly in the 'looks harder than it is' category!! The harmonic language adds just enough chromatic spice, and the melodic content is tight and memorable - you definitely have a winner there, if the mood strikes them!!

Honestly, I think decisions in competitions like this must ultimately come down to things like mood on the day of a read-through. How many pieces have been selected because one of the jurists pick a salad or a steak for lunch?!? I guess I'd just say - I'm glad that I don't have to decide between the pieces I've heard here, and can just listen and enjoy!

@bbunker, thank you so much for your most kind and detailed feedback!! That's very kind of you!
Yes, those arpeggios and passages just look harder than they are. I always keep in mind how comfortable it's to play on an instrument.

Yep, I think now it will just depend on judges' taste and what they look for in the compositions. I personally think they might tend more to contemporary style touches - where there is something unique, new, unexpected for baroque instruments repertoire, that will be interesting for audience. My piece sounds quite traditional, but I just couldn't resist playing around with the baroque style=)

The deadline is rolling up ('what time is it BST') 55 minutes hence. I am already thinking about doing something next year if the competition is offered again.

If anybody else has entered, or started something and wants to share the work in progress, please share!

Pasting a nice word from the Instagram page here:

adawitczyk

I’m ASTONISHED with the amount of new concertos for baroque violin submitted this year for #ruzickovacompetition . We’ve got 33 pieces submitted from:
Australia, Sweden, Slovakia, Germany, US, Japan, Russia, Madagascar, Italy, Spain, UK, Ireland, Austria, Greece and Singapore and I’m truly amazed!​

Inherently said:

Pasting a nice word from the Instagram page here:

adawitczyk

I’m ASTONISHED with the amount of new concertos for baroque violin submitted this year for #ruzickovacompetition . We’ve got 33 pieces submitted from:​

Australia, Sweden, Slovakia, Germany, US, Japan, Russia, Madagascar, Italy, Spain, UK, Ireland, Austria, Greece and Singapore and I’m truly amazed!​

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I wish I could listen to other submissions... Looking forward to listen to finalists works, very curious how they will sound!

Bumping the announcement date and prizes. It's quite soon, August 1st.

Sending out an extra measure of 'good luck' vibes and 'getting ready to get ready' for the next orchestral project.

Have a wonderful July!

Up to 4 winning compositions will be selected by the jury and announced on 1st August 2023.

Viktor Kalabis Prize – Up to 4 successful works will be filmed in a LIVE concert performance in London this Autumn by film director Simon Helbling and his crew.

Prima la musica Prize - One winning composition will be chosen by the audience from those played LIVE during the concert later this Autumn and published by one of the UK's foremost early music publishers Prima la musica!

Winning compositions will be promoted throughout 2023/2024 by Ada Witczyk* across all social media platforms.

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Congratulations to all participants internationally, and extra thanks to @bbunker and @Gedren for joining the posse and bringing a touch of fun and so much sweetness to this competition.

The winners announcement can be found on Instagram.


Congratulations to the three selected composers for 2023:

• Klaus Miehling - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Miehling
• An Vedi - https://anvedi.org/
• Isidro Albarreal - https://www.isidroalbarreal.com/bio/english/

Well done everybody!

@Inherently, thank you very much for creating this thread and for being a great guide for this contest!
It was indeed fun and a great experience! I've learned a lot new things in composition. @Inherently, @bbunker, congratulations on your works!

Wow, the first guy has lots of recognition already in composers competitions. And the second one won this contest last time.

Gedren said:

@Inherently, thank you very much for creating this thread and for being a great guide for this contest!
It was indeed fun and a great experience! I've learned a lot new things in composition. @Inherently, @bbunker, congratulations on your works!

Wow, the first guy has lots of recognition already in composers competitions. And the second one won this contest last time.

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They seem to have lots of study and lots of practice writing for baroque instruments - I can't wait to hear the ensemble performances!

Here is the updated competition page with winners announced on adawitczyk.com:

Update - performance videos here - stellar performances, remarkable compositions.