Composer - South West Open Youth Orchestra
Job description
OpenUp Music is looking for a composer to create an original composition for the South West Open Youth Orchestra - the UK’s only disabled-led regional youth orchestra. We believe that young disabled musicians can radically redefine the very idea of The Orchestra, inspiring new musical instruments and creating new musical forms for the 21st century. We are looking for a composer who can work with us towards realising this vision by:
- composing for a varied and unconventional array of acoustic and electronic instruments
- creating music that expresses the musical identities of the performers
Since its launch in September 2015 the South-West Open Youth Orchestra has performed high-profile concerts at the House of Commons, Bristol Cathedral, Colston Hall and BBC Music Day 2016. SWOYO has also sparked media interest, including features on The One Show, BBC Inside Out West and national press including the Independent, Daily Mail, The Observer and The Sun.
Work for the successful applicant will begin in January 2017 and complete in June 2017. Getting to know the performers, their instruments and their individual approaches to learning and performing music will be pivotal. The successful applicant will be required to invest time travelling, meeting and working with performers in Bristol and other areas of the South West, including (but not limited to) Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Dorset and Devon. A first draft composition will be delivered in March 2017 with the final work submitted in May 2017, culminating in one or more high profile performances in June 2017, potentially including a BBC Music Day broadcast.
Given the young-person-centered nature of this commission, the exact composition brief will need to be developed in collaboration with the successful applicant. The finished work(s) should be at least 10 to 15 minutes duration.
There is a fixed fee of £4,000 available for this position (on a self-employed basis) which will include contact time with performers and music leaders. Additional travel expenses are included but will need to be agreed in advance. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (previously a CRB check) is mandatory for this position and can be paid for by OpenUp Music.
We believe passionately in the strength that diversity brings to a team and welcome applications from all sections of the community. If you are disabled and require any adjustments to enable you either to apply or to work please get in touch at info@openupmusic.org - we would be keen to discuss your requirements.
Making an application:
To apply please send your CV and at least two examples of your music, along with a covering message of no more than 300 words stating why you would like to write for the South West Open Youth Orchestra, to info@openupmusic.org with the subject line 'SWOYO Composer'.
- The closing date for applications will be 27th Nov
- Applicants will be informed by 5.00pm on 2nd Dec if they are being invited to interview.
- Interviews will take place in Bristol on 12th Dec