Iron Composer
Encyclopedia
Iron Composer is a music competition where five composers are given just five hours to write a piece of music. Originally organized as part of the ARTSaha!
festival, it is currently held at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music
in Berea
, Ohio
. The competition is open to composers of all ages.
. Bales agreed to fund the first competition, which was open only to Nebraska residents between the ages of 18-26. The following year, the competition was opened to a national field. In 2009, Iron Composer moved to Baldwin-Wallace, where it has remained. The age restrictions were dropped in 2010, and Iron Composer is currently open to composers of any age from around the world.
The five pieces are performed on a public concert that same evening. Since 2009, WCLV
104.9 FM has broadcast the Iron Composer concert live. Three judges comment on each piece and assign them a score. The judging panel always includes a composer, one of the performers on the concert, and a non-musician. The top three finalists are awarded cash prizes ranging from $100 to $500.
In the event of a tie, the composer who scores higher on Use of the Secret Ingredient and Originality will be ranked higher.
1 = First prize; 2 = Second prize; 3 = Third prize
ARTSaha!
ARTSaha! is Omaha's new music festival. Held in the late summer, it is an annual showcase of contemporary music and art that stresses interdisciplinary and collaborative projects. ARTSaha! is produced by ANALOG arts ensemble, a non-profit global collective of artists.-History:ARTSaha! was...
festival, it is currently held at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music
Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music
The Baldwin–Wallace College Conservatory of Music is part of Baldwin-Wallace College which is located in Berea, Ohio. The main building is Kulas Hall. The Conservatory is home to the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival, the oldest collegiate Bach Festival in the United States.-History:The...
in Berea
Berea
Berea or Beroea may mean:In Lesotho:*Berea DistrictIn Romania:*Berea, a village in Ciumeşti Commune, Satu Mare CountyIn South Africa:*Berea, Durban*Berea, GautengIn the United States:*Berea, Kentucky*Berea, Baltimore, Maryland...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The competition is open to composers of all ages.
History
The idea for Iron Composer originated in the composition seminars of Lucky Mosko at CalArts. Mosko would present his students with something like a bag of carrots and give them an hour to write a piece of music using the carrots. While organizing the ARTSaha! 2007 festival, curator Joe Drew presented the idea of an Iron Composer competition to Ken Bales who had recently been appointed to an endowed professorship at the University of Nebraska at OmahaUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...
. Bales agreed to fund the first competition, which was open only to Nebraska residents between the ages of 18-26. The following year, the competition was opened to a national field. In 2009, Iron Composer moved to Baldwin-Wallace, where it has remained. The age restrictions were dropped in 2010, and Iron Composer is currently open to composers of any age from around the world.
Structure
An annual invitational event is organized after an open call for entries. Five finalists are selected on the basis of their submitted scores and biographies. On the day of the competition, the finalists are assigned an instrumentation and a secret musical ingredient at the beginning of the day. They have five hours to write in a private room with a piano. The finalists assemble their scores and parts for the rehearsal. Each composer is given about a half hour with the ensemble to rehearse. The performance order is chosen by a random drawing.The five pieces are performed on a public concert that same evening. Since 2009, WCLV
WCLV
WCLV — branded WCLV 104.9 — is the classical radio station licensed to Lorain, Ohio serving Greater Cleveland and western parts of surrounding Northeast Ohio; WCLV is one of the few remaining classical music stations in the United States....
104.9 FM has broadcast the Iron Composer concert live. Three judges comment on each piece and assign them a score. The judging panel always includes a composer, one of the performers on the concert, and a non-musician. The top three finalists are awarded cash prizes ranging from $100 to $500.
Scoring
Iron Composer is scored on a 50-point scale, allowing for a possible total of 150 points for each finalist. Points are awarded on four different criteria:- Use of the Secret Ingredient (15 points)
- Originality (15 points)
- Technical Command (10 points)
- Overall Presentation (10 points)
In the event of a tie, the composer who scores higher on Use of the Secret Ingredient and Originality will be ranked higher.
Contests
| Year | Composers | Instrumentation | Secret Ingredient |
|---|---|---|---|
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1 = First prize; 2 = Second prize; 3 = Third prize