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Masterprize
Tel: +44 (0)20 7233 0111 Masterprize site designed by Room101 Ltd |
BOOST FOR MASTERPRIZE - MARISS JANSONS, CLASSIC FM AND GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE COME ON BOARD (17 January 2001)
Six years after its launch, Masterprize, the international composers' competition, will receive a major boost as Classic FM and Gramophone Magazine join the London Symphony Orchestra and EMI as partners for the third competition.
Underscoring its status as the world's leading composition competition, renowned conductor Mariss Jansons has accepted the post of Artistic Adviser of Masterprize. Mr Jansons will take the primary responsibility for overseeing the jury selection and determining the criteria for judging entries.
As a third major development, Masterprize plans to build on the remarkable success of its education programme by establishing a nationwide project to get youth orchestras playing new music.
*
Masterprize's aim is to encourage classical music enthusiasts to connect more with new music and to help living composers find a large international audience. Masterprize has a unique mechanism which first achieves vast exposure for its finalist pieces through a powerful combination of multiple radio broadcasts, covermount CDs, and the internet, and then gives music lovers a 50% say in the selection of the winner.
The third Masterprize will be launched formally in Spring 2002, inviting composers (without age limit) from around the world to submit short works for symphony orchestra, and will culminate with the Gala Final at the Barbican Hall on 30 October 2003. As in the first two finals, the Gala Concert will be performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under star conductor Daniel Harding.
Our new partners Gramophone and Classic FM both plan significant contributions to the Masterprize process. Gramophone is widely regarded as the most authoritative international music magazine. Classic FM is the biggest specialist classical music radio station in the world, and with its regular audience of over 6.4million will ensure that awareness of Masterprize and its mission is raised considerably. The finalist pieces will appear as a covermount CD on both Gramophone magazine and Classic FM Magazine, which have a combined circulation of over 100,000 and both will provide extensive editorial coverage of the process, including a special supplement in Gramophone. Classic FM will reflect the competition across the station, with special reports in Classic Newsnight and Tonight at 11 and interviews in the Saturday evening programme, Masters of Their Art. The works of the two previous winners of the competition will be showcased on the Classic FM Evening Concert and the station is planning an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the competition in a brand new programme for Classic FM.
During the second Masterprize, an education programme involving seven leading youth orchestras was launched. This programme, which incorporated contributions from the London Symphony Orchestra and EMI, included workshop performances of Masterprize finalist pieces, a special seminar at the Barbican and an award for the best performances selected by Vladimir Ashkenazy and presented by Sir Colin Davis. This innovative programme was hugely successful in overcoming preconceptions about contemporary music and demonstrating to young people that playing new music can be enjoyable and stimulating. Following this, Masterprize intends to develop this scheme on a nationwide basis. Detailed plans will be announced later this year.
Masterprize wishes to record its gratitude to the BBC for the role it played in the first two Masterprize competitions.
Mariss Jansons "I am honoured and happy to be embarking on the challenge of contributing to this initiative, which is so important for new music."
John McLaren, Chairman of Masterprize "We are delighted that Mariss Jansons, Classic FM and Gramophone are joining EMI and the LSO to boost Masterprize's efforts to build bridges between music lovers and new music."
Clive Gillinson, Managing Director of the London Symphony Orchestra "The LSO is delighted to be participating again as a partner in the third Masterprize in 2003, and we are totally supportive of the competition's mission to bring new music by today's composers to the widest public worldwide. We are also very pleased to have the opportunity to take part in the excellent work with youth orchestras planned as a central part of Masterprize. It is a wonderful development for the competition that Mariss Jansons has agreed to become its Artistic Adviser, and we are delighted that Classic FM and Gramophone have agreed to join Masterprize as partners and look forward to working with them to reach their audiences."
Richard Lyttelton, President of EMI Classics "The support of Mariss Jansons, Classic FM and Gramophone magazine adds further distinction to what is rapidly becoming the most important international prize for contemporary composition."
Roger Lewis, Managing Director and Programme Controller of Classic FM "In this, our 10th birthday year, we are emphasising our involvement in connecting audiences with live classical music-making. Over the past decade, Classic FM's belief in classical music as being inclusive rather than exclusive, has contributed to the continued growth of our listenership. To highlight new composers and new music is critical in maintaining a dynamic and vibrant culture and that is why we're so excited about the prospect of working with Masterprize."
James Jolly, Editor of Gramophone "Since its foundation by Compton Mackenzie in 1923, Gramophone has followed the course of new music closely. We are thrilled to have become a partner in Masterprize, an enterprise we are convinced that can only enrich the repertoire and continue to make classical music a thing of relevance and excitement. 'New music' has all too easily be associated with the unapproachable and disconcerting, Masterprize has a valuable role to play in reconnecting a large audience with the music of today. At a time when music in schools is becoming a luxury rather than a necessity, we are delighted that the music education programme that runs in conjunction with Masterprize takes very seriously its mission to bring new music and young musicians together."
Please click on "partners" under "Who's involved" for more information about our partners and links to their websites.
MASTERPRIZE - THE FACTS
- Masterprize aims to encourage classical music enthusiasts to listen more to new music and to help living composers find a large international audience.
- Masterprize was successfully presented for the first time in 1998 and then for a second time in 2001. It is now firmly established as the world's leading composing competition.
- Key features of Masterprize:
- Unprecedented level of exposure for short-listed works through multiple international broadcasts, a widely distributed covermount CD, live performance and international media.
- Voting power in equal balance between the music-loving public and distinguished musical personalities.
- First prize of £25,000.
Highlights of Masterprize 2001
- Over 1,100 entries were received from 62 countries.
- an unprecedented level of support from the musical world (as demonstrated by the partners and level of judges).
- Participation of around 30 independent radio networks across Europe, the US, the Far East, and Russia - reaching an estimated 100 million people worldwide.
- Over 50,000 music lovers around the globe voted for their preferred piece by post and via the internet.
- The five finalists heard their works in a performance given by the London Symphony Orchestra at London's Barbican Centre on 10th October 2001 under Daniel Harding. Following the concert they received awards from HRH The Duchess of Kent.
- Jurors included Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Fedosteyev, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Thomas Hampson, John Harle, Jon Lord, Kent Nagano, Sir Charles Mackerras.
- Masterprize broke new ground with an education initiative that involved seven leading youth orchestras and over 500 young musicians. The programme aimed to generate interest in contemporary music amongst talented young musicians.