Winter 2021 Call for Scores

The Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra is excited to announce a call for scores, inviting composers with a demonstrable and meaningful connection to our uptown communities to submit a work for string orchestra to be considered for our spring 2021 recording project.

Our call for scores is now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a work for consideration! We will contact you only if we have further interest. We’ve received many fine pieces, and beyond our spring recording project, we hope to consider some works for additional projects or concerts at a later date.

What we’re looking for
Submit a short to medium length piece (approximately 4-15 minutes) for string orchestra not to exceed a string count of 8-6-6-4-2. The work should not have been professionally recorded, and if it has been premiered, it should hold a very limited performance history. In other words, if the work has been read, archivally recorded, played once or twice, it’s okay! But our intention is to release an authoritative recording of an as-of-yet unknown work.

Who is eligible
Composers of any age or stage in their career who hold a meaningful connection to one of our uptown communities: Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, or the Bronx. In the form below, describe your connection.

The Project
We intend to select 3-5 works to record in the spring of 2021. Works will be selected blindly by our Music Director and a panel of performers from the WHCO. Each composer we select will be given a $600 honorarium. If selected, you will collaborate with us to format digital parts to our specifications, but we will assume all other costs of creating and printing. The project will be released via audio and video.

Submitting
We’re in a pandemic, and you’re a classical composer: Submitting is free! We ask that you offer no more than two works for consideration. Do us a favor and take your name, year, and any other possibly identifying information off of the score. This will help us to evaluate the scores blindly, and it will show us you’re serious. You can also submit an archival recording or midi realization. (Yes, we know midi is garbage and isn’t reflective of how music breathes, etc. But if it helps us get a sense of your musical language more quickly, send it. It won’t hurt you.) Please submit your piece to us no later than April 15, 2021.

Questions
”Will you consider my string orchestra piece that requires Dolby 5.1 surround-sound distorted pan flute samples and obbligato Acid House DJ?” Maybe. Actually that sounds cool. But don’t write to ask. If you submit something that goes slightly beyond the string orchestra, it had better be the cat’s pajamas.

Afterwards
Sit back and relax! We will contact you if we have further interest.

Thank you for taking the time to consider our call for scores! We look forward to seeing your music.