The Zaragoza Auditorium Chamber Orchestra – The Enigma Group, throughout its 25-year history, has performed more than 700 works, including 300 world premieres and around 200 commissions, and playing the works of some of the leading composers of this country.
The Enigma Group, in its passion for supporting the creation of contemporary pieces, is holding its third edition of the competition, which is open to young composers, resident in Spain, under the age of 35. This competition is named after the late Juan José Olives, who was artistic director and principal conductor of the OCAZEnigma from its beginnings.
The chosen work will be included and premiered in the 2023 Tour of the Enigma Group Ensemble Festival. If for any reason beyond the control of the group the Festival is unable to take place, the winning piece will be performed within the XXVIII concert season (2024).
Applicants
The competition is open to young composers, of any nationality resident in Spain, under the age of 35 on the 31st December 2023.
Requirements
The compositions must be unpublished, with a length of between eight and ten minutes. They should be composed for ensembles made up of a maximum of: 1 flute (piccolo, G alto flute, C bass flute), 1 clarinet (B♭ or A clarinet, piccolo clarinet in E♭, bass clarinet in B♭), 1 violin, 1 cello and 1 piano.
Should a composition include electronics, video or any other element not included in the aforementioned ensemble, it shall be the responsibility of the composer to provide the technical resources needed for each performance. Only one composition is permitted per competitor.
Entry deadlines
Compositions will be accepted from the 1st to the 31st of May 2023. Any entry received after that date will not be accepted.
Compositions must be sent in PDF format, together with the entry form, to the following email:
ocaz.auditorio@zaragozacultural.com
Selection
The compositions will be studied and evaluated by the soloists and the artistic director of the Enigma Group.
Together with the purely technical or musical elements, as well as the originality of the composition, precise and clear scoring will be taken into account, and therefore handwritten manuscripts cannot be accepted.
Results
The winning composition will be announced on the Enigma Group’s webpage on Monday 26th June 2023. The chosen composer must send the fully edited, complete materials (general and parts) including functional page turns, in PDF format, within 2 weeks of the announcement.
Previous winners
- III Edition – 2022: Jannai Torné Puig for his work THERE IS NO SILENCE (2022), for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano.
- II Edition – 2021: Marina Picaporte de las Heras (1996), for her work PANGEA (2021), for flute, clarinet, violin and cello.
- I Edition – 2020: Diego Parra Amigo (1993), for his work KALEIDOSCOPE (2020), for flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano.