#FlashCall Conditions & Guidelines

1. Eligibility

1.1 The competition is open specifically to women composers worldwide, regardless of nationality or age.

2.1 Composition: Each participant must submit an original composition written specifically for a single performer who plays the double bass and sings simultaneously.
2.2 Length: The composition should have a duration of approximately five minutes.
2.3 Instrumentation:
- The work must be written for solo tuned double bass (4-string) and coloratura soprano voice (vocal range C3 to G6).
- The piece must be performable by a single musician playing the double bass and singing simultaneously.
- No electronics are prefered.
2.4 Score Format: Composers may submit scores in either handwritten form or created using notation software.
2.5 Submission Format: Scores must be submitted in PDF format. A MIDI recording of the piece is optional.
2.6 Vocal Text: The vocal part can be set in any language, including contemporary or experimental text, but must be clear and legible for the performer. If using a non-Latin script (e.g., Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Arabic, Cyrillic, Hebrew), composers must provide an IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription to ensure accurate pronunciation.
2.7 Submission Deadline: All compositions must be submitted no later than December 20, 2026.

4.1 Preliminary Selection: Submissions will be reviewed by Begüm Aslan, Mikel Urquiza, Kathryn Schulmeister, Sasha Witteveen to determine a shortlist.

5.1 Live Premiere: Selected submissions will be performed live at the Musiques Démesurées festival in March 2027 in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
5.2 Professional Exposure: Selected works will receive professional presentation and performance exposure through the festival and initiative.
5.3 Repertoire Integration: The selected pieces will be added to the repertoire and performed by Begüm Aslan.

6.1 By submitting a composition, participants grant the competition the right to use the performances for promotional and distribution purposes (e.g., streaming platforms, YouTube, social media).
6.2 The composers retain full ownership of their works, but the competition reserves the right to release, promote, and distribute the resulting performances and recordings.

7.1 Selected laureates will be announced following the evaluation phase on the competition website (compositionprize.de) and social media platforms.

8.1 Anonymous Submission: All compositions must be submitted via a Google Form, ensuring anonymous evaluation by the jury.
8.2 The Google Form will not request personal identifying information (e.g., name, institution). Instead, composers must create a unique 5-character code (letters and numbers) to identify their submission.
8.3 File Submission: The composition file (PDF score) must be uploaded via the Google Form.
8.4 Separate Personal Information Form: Composers must also complete a separate form with their name, email, and contact details linked only to the unique submission code, remaining hidden from the jury until after the selection process.

Call Launch: October 5, 2026
Submission Deadline: December 20, 2026
Live Performance: March 2027 (at Musiques Démesurées in Clermont-Ferrand, France)

10.1 Originality: All submitted works must be original compositions.
10.2 Compliance: Composers must adhere to the rules regarding length, instrumentation, and format. Non-compliant submissions will be disqualified.
10.3 Disqualification: The competition reserves the right to disqualify any submission that does not comply with the guidelines or contains inappropriate content.

11.1 The jury’s decisions are final and non-negotiable.
11.2 The selection of pieces is based on professional evaluation of the submitted compositions.
11.3 No appeals will be allowed regarding the jury’s decisions.