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I Edition Electo Silva Internacional Choral Composition Competition

Announcement 2020-2021

SANTIAGO DE CUBA FROM OCTOBER 28 TO NOVEMBER 1, 2021

ELECTO SILVA – 92 ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

REFERENCE

Electo Silva Gaínza (Santiago de Cuba, 1928 - 2017), pedagogue, composer, arranger, violinist and choir director, was one of the most representative Cuban figures of the second half of the 20th century in the musical field. Founder in 1960 of the Orfeón Santiago (one of the most prestigious and oldest choral institutions in the archipelago), in turn director of the University Choir and of the Polyphonic Singers, who was considered in life as the Dean of choral music in the Mayor of The Antille.

His legacy as a pedagogue has been reflected in multiple publications on the history of singing, musical teaching and working with choirs, texts that are mandatory referendums in the schools, conservatories and universities in the country. His performance for decades as a teacher of Esteban Salas contributed to the training of choir directors who today take their place and are prominent exponents of contemporary Cuban vocal music.

Maestro Silva has a proliferation of compositional work including his 30 arrangements of contemporary Cuban traditional music, its Marasa eiu Caribbean Mass, three songs with Violin, 6 songs with text by Nicolas Guillén, and his book of Childrens songs, among other choral and chamber works. His compositions have been interpreted around the world and today they are part of the repertoire of important choral groups both Cuban and foreign.

Member of juries of the most important competitions at national and international level, Electo Silva created and organized the International Choir Festival of Santiago de Cuba, one of the most outstanding choir festivals in Latin America, grouping every two years important vocal groups from our island and from different continents. This festival endures and enjoys excellent health maintaining its prestige 60 years after its foundation.

For his extensive work in the development of choral music and in recognition of his fruitful life highlighting Cuban teaching and culture he received the Order Felix Varela in 1988; the National Music Award in 2001; and the title Doctor Honoris Causa in Humanities from the University of the Orient in 2016.

PRESENTATION

The International Choir Festival "Electo Silva" of Santiago de Cuba, in collaboration with the Cuban Institute of Music, the National Center for Concert Music and the Marketing Company of Music and Shows "Miguel Matamoros", summons all Cuban and foreign authors, to participate in the II International Choral Composition Competition "Electo Silva", in tribute to the 4th anniversary of the death of Master Electo Silva, it will take place from October 28 to November 1, 2021, in Santiago de Cuba.

The "Electo Silva" Contest aims to stimulate and promote the musical creation of contemporary Cuban and foreign composers. This opportunity, unique of its kind in the East of the archipelago, has the mission of building a space that supports new tendencies, genres, and styles of concert vocal creation to stoke the interest of the choral groups of the country to enrich their repertoire with these composers.

The vision of this competition is to make Santiago de Cuba, a proactive meeting place for interpreters, compositors and writers where the most representative of musical and literary avant-garde converges the world generating a positive impact from the point of socio-cultural view on its inhabitants.

COMPETITIONS DESCRIPTION

The First Edition of the “Electo Silva” Choral Composition Competition invites you to participate in these categories: Original Works and Choral Arrangements. Entrants may compete in ONE or BOTH categories if they wish. The number of works submitted by each entrant should not exceed TWO in any category. The form of this edition will be free even though it is strongly suggested that the contestants use elements, styles and /or genres of Cuban cultural heritage and music.
The shape is encouraged to be inspired by texts by Cuban poets and writers, preferably contemporary, in order to promote the country´s young literary talent. The jury, -comprised of prestigious composers, some artistic personality and an adviser in literature-, will award Three prizes to the best Original Works and three awards to the best Choral Arrangement, as well as the mentions that it deems pertinent to highlight the quality of the contestants´ works. The jury has the right to leave one or all prizes deserted if none of the submitted works meet the required technical-musical requirements. The decisions of the jury will be final.

THE JURY

The jury of the Competition will be constituted by the following personalities.

  1. MSc. Daria Abreu (Director of Orfeón Santiago and President of the “Electo Silva” International Festival of Choirs).  

  2. Dr. Guido López Gavilán (Composer, Orchestra Director, President of the Music Section of UNEAC and President of the Jury of Electo Silva Competition).

  3. Lic. Conrado Monier (Composer and Arranger).

  4. MSc. Luis Ernesto Peña Laguna (Composer, Teacher, Choir and Orchestra Director).

  5. Lic. Yunier Riquenes. (Writer)

THE AWARDS

The following prizes will be awarded in each category:

  • THREE Prizes: trophy, diploma, premiere and recording of the live work as well as a creative residence of 3 to 6 months to make a new work commanded by the choir that premieres the work.

  • ONE or SEVERAL Mentions: trophy, diploma, premiere and recording of the work live.​

Note: The Organizing Committee will provide local lodging, food and transportation in Santiago de Cuba for Cubans and / or Foreigners who do not reside in the city of Santiago de Cuba if the winner of the competition resides or is abroad in the country in the days leading up to the Festival.  However, this budget will not over national or international travel expenses (Airplane ticket, boat, etc.) If the winner of the competition resides or is abroad in the country in the days leading up to the Festival.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

  1. Submissions must be received by November 1, 2020 at 12pm time of Cuba.

  2. The jury's ruling will be announced to the contestants by telephone or mail on 30 May, 2021.

  3. The winning works will be sent to the participating choirs responsible for the premiere of the winning works which will be held as part of the next “Electo Silva” International Choir Festival which will take place from October 28 to November 1, 2021.

CONDITIONS OF ADMISSIBILITY

1.  They will be able to nominate all Cuban and foreign composers.

  • In the case of Cubans, all born or naturalized, based inside and outside Cuba are admissible.

  • No restriction of sex, age, race or religious belief. Candidates under the age of 18 years must present a letter of authorization signed by their parents or Mentors.

  • With academic or empirical training.

2.  The concurring works

  • Must be Original (Category 1) or Arrangements (Category 2) of songs that are part of the nations or the world´s musical heritage without restriction of time, style or genre. In case of arrangements, if the beneficiaries of intellectual property for the dissemination of their work.

  • They should preferably be written in Spanish or in a dialect/language of African/Haitian origin used in Afro-Cuban culture. This applies both to original works as for arrangements. If the composer or arranger uses a different language, you should include a clarifying document 1 on pronunciation, phonetics and its translation into Spanish. Eventually it´s possible the partial or total use of Latin, English or French texts. If the text is not from the author of the composition or the arranger, you must attach a permit signed by the beneficiaries of the intellectual property if the text is not yet in the public domain.

  • They should not have been published or recorded for commercial purposes, or released before the date of its release as part of the next edition of the “Electo Silva” International Choir Festival.

  • They should not have been awarded in other competitions inside or outside the country. In the eventuality that, after the shipment of the work, and before the decision of the Jury, the work would be the winner in another competitions, the participant should immediately communicate this fact to the organizing committee, as this will automatically invalidate your participation in the competition.

  • They must not have been created under the supervision of a tutor, nor co- authored, nor be the result of a workshop or creative project involving third parties.

 

* In the event that the selected theme of music is not the public domain, the author must comply with law No. 14 of the copyright in Cuba approved by the National Assembly of Popular Power, held from 22 to 24 December 1977. In Chapter X: The Period of copyright validity, Article 43, modified by the Decree Law No. 156 out of 28 of the 1994 somber published in the Ordinary Official Gazette No. 15 of October 14, 1994 says: Article 43- The term of the copyright comprises the life of the author and fifty years after his death of death of each author. The organizing committee of the Electo Silva contest is not responsible for the authenticity of the permit nor legally protect any contestant if a copyright claim is sought by a third party partly or total non – compliance with this point.

TECHNICAL-MUSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPOSITIONS

  1. The Works must comply with the following requirements​

    • Duration total: It must not be less than 3 minutes or exceed 10 minutes.

    • Musical form: of the structural point of view can have one or more revisions as long as all parties have a dramaturgical interdependence (cycles, various sections, mass, oratory, cantatas, etc. However, any of these musical forms must respect the durations stated in subsection “a”. Total duration.

    • Choir format: Can be conceived for Mixed Choir or Equal Voices (children´s, female, and male choirs) with accompaniment or capella. In the case of accompanying works, the composer can select One from the following instruments suggested here: piano, organ, percussion set (which requires the presence of a single performer), flute, clarinet, oboe, violin, viola, or cello. It is possible to include magnetophonic tape, electronic instruments (synthesizers, tracks, drum machines, etc.) Computer programs (Ableton live, Reason, Reaper, etc.)  used in mixed music as long as the winner provides the necessary technological material for the premiere and recording of the work.

    • Registration-Thesis: Adult choir works may have a view of up to 8 but it is recommended that such harmonic density be used only in precise parts of musical discourse and not from start to finish. For their part, the works for children´s choir must have a maximum of three simultaneous voices. The singers will not issue the notes outside the finger board presented here.

      • Mixed choir: Soprano (Do3 – La4) Alto (Sol2 – Mi4), Tenor (Do2 – Sol3) and Bass (Mi1 – Re3).

      • Women's Choir: Soprano (Do3 – La4), Mezzosoprano (La2 – Fa4) and Contralto (Fa2 – Re4).

      • Male Choir: Tenor (Do2 – La3), Baritono (Sol1 – Mi3) and Bass (Mi1 – Re3).

      • Children's choir: 1st Voice (Mi3 – Mi4), 2nd voice (Do3 – Do4) and 3rd Voice (La2 – La3).

    • Level of interpretive completion: Cuba has a large number (of professional or amateur choirs) of first level with excellent results in the field national and international performance, so this competition invites all composers to let his musical imagination fly and go in search of new sonorities, using unconventional vocal expressive resources, fusion, improvisation and corporal percussion. However, each of the vocal and/or bodily proposals must be humanly possible.

  2. The Scores must comply with the following requirements. ­

    • The works must be written in one of the sheet music editor programs internationally recognized such as Finale, Sibelius, Dorico, etc. In the case of handwritten works must be legible and respect the standards of music writing (size, space, calligraphy, etc.).

    • Scores should be submitted in PDF FORMAT including:

      • A first page (without enumerate) with the little of the work, the name of the composer, the year of creation and the dedication.

      • A second page with the format of the choir duly broken down, the duration and comments (OPTIONAL) the authors for interpretation.

      • A third page with the text of the work (and its translation in case of using one language other than Spanish).

      • A fourth page with the legend in case of work that do not use a conventional musical writing.

    • Each voice (and possible divisi) must be written on a different staff including the letter below.

    • The musical terminology to indicate time, character, dynamics, etc. must be in Italian or Spanish.

    • The edition of the bars by staff should take into account the change of property listed (recommended to include numbers of tests).

    • Avoid systems with empty staves.

REMISSION OF DOCUMENTS AND SHEET MUSIC

  1. The works can be delivered by one of the following ways:

    • In digital format (CD, USB, etc.),

    • Printed (paper letter format in closed envelope),

    • By email to:  concurso.electosilva@gmail.com

      • The shipment must have as it subject 1st “Electo Silva” International Competition of Choral Composition to facilitate the receipt of documents

  2. In addition to the score of the contestant work, the author must attach:

    • A CV (Maximun 3 pages).

    • A MIDI audio reference.

    • A Document with your personal data: name, address, phone number, date birth, etc.

    • If the text or music (in case of arrangements) is public domain include a letter with legal permits for use and dissemination.   

    • A letter of authorization from parents or guardians in case of the contestants of age.

THE WORKS WILL BE SENT TO

E- mail official for the submission of work:  concurso.electosilva@gmail.com

NOTE

  1. Participation presupposes full acceptance of the contest bases. 

  2. The return of the non-award- winning works will be made upon presentation and identification by the author to the   person authorized by the author, at the headquarters of the Orfeón Santiago Choir in the city Santiago de Cuba up to 30 days after the event has ended; past that time, we are not responsible for your return.

Contact in case of doubts or technical problems

Maykel Iglesias (Contest Coordinator)

E-mail: maykeliglesias@gmail.com

Concurso de Composición: Sponsors

Festival Internacional de Coros «Electo Silva» de Santiago de Cuba © 2022. Derechos reservados.

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