About the Georgia Young Composers Festival

The Georgia Young Composers Festival (GYCF) is a composition contest that will bring together high school and collegiate music composition students from the state of Georgia, introducing them and their works to today's audiences. Sponsored by the DeKalb Choral Guild, the GYCF will give these young people at the beginning of their careers a chance to work with an accomplished community chorus, give the music community an introduction to its newest faces, and give the public a chance to hear the latest music being produced in Georgia schools and colleges. Through this event, the DeKalb Choral Guild hopes to recognize the great talent present in our state's students, and thereby encourage the continuation of the choral arts.

How the Festival Works

The GYCF will invite students from across the state to submit original works for judging.  The festival will select four finalists each in a high school division and a collegiate division.  The Guild will bring the finalists to Atlanta for a concert weekend where they will participate in rehearsals of their works and workshops with renowned musicians to encourage them in their craft.  The weekend will culminate with the perform the finalists' works at a concert event.  A Judges Committee of renowned names in the Georgia music community will select a Grand Prize Winner from each division.  The Grand Prize Winner for each division will receive a cash award to further their compositional studies.

Application Submission and Compositions

The GYCF has specified selection criteria to define the scope of the festival and the types of works sought, including composer eligibility, the format for submission and the areas in which the compositions will be judged. The GYCF will solicit new compositions from students in Georgia high schools, colleges and universities by sending information packets to music departments across the state. Additional application forms will be available on the festival website. The application packet will contain all the details about the requirements for compositions and the areas in which they will be judged.

Composers must designate a "sponsor" for their composition work, perhaps an inspiring teacher or musician in their community, who will be recognized as well. The sponsor's job is to offer mentoring to the young composer as he or she prepares the work to be submitted.

Each composer will submit one original, unpublished work from four to six minutes in length for SATB chorus either a capella or with piano accompaniment. The text for the composition may come from the composer’s own creation or choosing. If the composer chooses an existing text, the composer must provide assurance that the work is in the public domain or that the composer has permission to use the work.

Selection of Finalists

The GYCF will assemble a Selection Committee who will review the submitted compositions and select the finalists. Finalists will receive an invitation to participate in the festival. The Selection Committee will provide commentary to all composers about their compositions as a way to encourage their continued growth as composers. The Selection Committee will choose four finalists from the High School division and four finalists from the Collegiate division. (By separating the divisions, the GYCF hopes to encourage competition between students who have had a similar level of educational preparation.) The Guild will publicize the announcement of the Finalists to the media in the state, especially in the Finalists' hometowns.

Concert Preparation and Technical Details

The Guild will prepare the Finalists' works during its regular rehearsals, starting in March 2009 and leading to the concert. The Guild hopes to maintain communication with the finalists during the preparation period to inform the Guild’s performance of the works. As the time draws near the concert the Guild will also prepare programs with biographical information and photos of the finalists. The Guild will also work with the technical crew at the venue to plan for audio and video recordings of the concert event. The Guild may also seek the services of a stage director to ensure the concert itself runs smoothly.

Festival Weekend

Before the festival begins, the Guild will select a Judges Committee for the concert event. The Judges Committee, comprised of three well-known composers, conductors or musicians from the Georgia music scene, will play an important role for the finalists during the weekend. They will meet the finalists during a welcome reception on Friday evening. On Saturday, they will conduct workshops with the finalists covering topics of interest to composers at the beginning of their careers. During the concert itself, the judges will evaluate the compositions to determine the Grand Prize Winner for each division.

For the festival weekend, the finalists and their families will travel to Atlanta where they will meet the members of the Guild and the Judges Committee, participate in a dress/technical rehearsal and attend workshops. The goal of this portion of the festival weekend is to provide the budding composers with an educational component to inspire their careers. Meeting the members of the Guild will show the demand present among choral singers for their works. The workshops with the Judges Committee will provide the students with personal interactions with professionals in their craft. The judges can impart their wisdom to, answer questions from and make connections with the next generation of choral composers.

The GYCF concert will be a high-profile event on the Atlanta music scene. In addition to the concept of the event, the "celebrity" surrounding the judges and the concert MC will help attract an audience eager to hear the newest works by the newest composers.