Anthony Ritchie Composition Prize

In 2011,  the Dunedin Youth Orchestra proudly announced a new award for young composers. This is an annual award for an orchestral composition that is kindly supported by Dunedin composer Anthony Ritchie. The DYO is pleased to be able to support young composers in our community.

The aim of the Anthony Ritchie Composition Prize is to foster and encourage orchestral composition for Youth Orchestras by local composers of a similar age. Entrants should be currently resident in Otago or Southland. Winners receive financial compensation and their winning entry performed by the Dunedin Youth Orchestra.

Rules

  1. The aim is to foster and encourage orchestral composition for Youth Orchestras by local composers of a similar age. Entrants should be currently resident in Otago or Southland.

  2. The Prize is $1000 plus working with the musical director/conductor of the Dunedin Youth Orchestra and having the piece performed by the DYO.

  3. Entries must be submitted to the DYO Secretary (The Secretary, Dunedin Youth Orchestra, 62 Lynn Street, Wakari, Dunedin 9010)  and must be received no later than 8pm on the 1st of June 2023. 

  4. Entrants must submit one printed and notated full score of their work under a nom de plume (pseudonym name) together with a separate envelope containing their real name and email address.

  5. Entrants must submit a sound file with their music score. It can be a MIDI file from any music programme and should be uploaded (e.g. to Dropbox or Google Drive) as an mp3. The link should be emailed to [email protected] (using your real name for this fine).

  6. Applicants should be in the same age range as for members of the Orchestra, ie under 25 years old at the closing date.

  7. The piece should be no more than 10 minutes and should either be for:

    A full symphony orchestra of the indicated instrumentation:
    3.2.3.2/3.2.3/timpani.2 perc/Strings.

    or 2023’s DYO seating structure:

    2 flutes (2 parts, but 3 instruments)
    1 oboe
    2 clarinets in B flat
    4 horns in F
    2 trumpets in B flat
    2 trombones (2nd trombone may be a bass trombone)
    Two percussionists (can play timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, glockenspiel, and some other instruments on request)
    1st violins
    2nd violins 
    Violas
    Cellos

  8. The winner will be announced on the DYO website and Facebook page mid-June (exact date to be confirmed). The piece will be performed in the DYO final concert of the year in September.

  9. The Mozart Fellow will be the lead adjudicator, with Peter Adams and Anthony Ritchie as additional members of the adjudication panel.

  10. The winning composer must produce a set of orchestral parts for the players in time for the first rehearsal in July. These parts must include rehearsal marks, cues, page turns and correct transpositions. Ideally, the full score should be notated in C. Assistance with printing may be available from DYO.

  11. The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. DYO reserves the right not to award a prize in any particular year if the panel feels no piece warrants the award.

Previous recipients include:

2022

  • Georgie Palmer – A Grand Adventure

2021

  • Cameron Monteath – Two Variants: Closer – Farther

2020

  • Megan Kyte – L’aube du printemps (Dawn of spring)

2019

  • Ihlara McIndoe – Creek’s Chorus

2018

  • Isaac Shatford – The Thing

2017

  • Nathaniel Otley – Canvas

2016

  • Sam van Betuw – The Stone Mage and The Sea

2015

  • Merlin Callister – A Run in Ross Creek

2014

  • Sam van Betuw –The Soprano Sorceress

2013

  • Bene Stewart – What If?

2012

  • Alex Campbell-Hunt – Canada Suite

2011

  • Corwin Newall – Hang In There

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