Masterprize International Composing Competition Explained

Masterprize International Composing Competition
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Awarded For:Orchestral composition
Sponsor:Coutts & Co. (for 1998)[1]
Country:United Kingdom
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Reward:GBP £25,000 (in 1998)
GBP £30,000 (in 2001)[2]
GBP £30,000 (in 2003)[3]
Year:1998
Year2:2003

Masterprize International Composing Competition, informally known as Masterprize, was an international composing competition founded in April 1996 by author, investment banker and former diplomat, John McLaren.[4] [5] The brief for the inaugural competition was "to find new and original works for symphony orchestra with artistic integrity with the potential for broad and lasting appeal". Additional specifications were that the compositional entry should be of a duration of 8 to 12 minutes and that composers could be of any age or nationality.[6] For the 2001 competition, the submitted works had to have been scored for orchestral forces of between 50 and 90 players and have a duration of between 6 and 15 minutes.[7] Composers who were awarded first place received a monetary prize of either £25,000 for the 1998 competition, or £30,000 for the 2001 and 2003 competitions, respectively.

The first Masterprize competition which culminated in 1998 was supported by significant institutions, such as the European Broadcasting Union,[8] the BBC orchestras, BBC Radio 3, EMI Records, the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Music Magazine and the Worshipful Company of Musicians.[9] The final round of the competition was held at the Barbican on 7 April 1998 where the London Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Harding performed the six finalist works in full.[10] The gala concert was attended by Cherie Blair who presented the winning composers with their prizes.

Prize winners

Masterprize Winners and Finalists
Year1st2nd3rdOther finalists
2003 Christopher Theofanidis[11] Nicolas Bacri[12] Bechara El-Khoury[13] Robert Henderson[14] Arturs Maskats[15] [16]
2001 Pierre Jalbert[17] Qigang Chen Alistair King Anthony Iannaccone Carter Panncolspan="1"
1998 Andrew March[18] Victoria Borisova-Ollas[19] [20] Stephen Hartke[21] Zhou Long Carl Vine

Notes and References

  1. Anderson . Martin . 1998 . The Masterprize Final . Tempo . Cambridge University Press . 205 . 16–17 . 944752 . 30 September 2021.
  2. Web site: Academic wins £30,000 music prize . . 11 October 2001 . news.bbc.co.uk . BBC News . 12 October 2021 .
  3. Web site: Write a Masterpiece and Win a Masterprize . . 25 November 2002 . sequenza21.com . Sequenza21 . 28 September 2021 . The winner will receive a cash prize of £30,000..
  4. Web site: Masterprize international composing competition 2000 - 2001 . 8 May 2000 . masterprize.com . Masterprize . https://web.archive.org/web/20000408221513/http://www.masterprize.com/ . 8 April 2000 . dead.
  5. Web site: Austin. Sara. Masterprize International Composition Competition. University of Rochester. Forum of the Symphony Orchestra Institute. 28 September 2021.
  6. Book: American Composers Forum. [{{Google books|ZLg4AQAAIAAJ|keywords="Masterprize International Composing Competition"|page=8|plainurl=yes}} Sounding Board]. v. 24. 1997. 8. sn96044497.
  7. News: . Masterprize . BBC World Service . London . 30 September 2021.
  8. News: Clements . Andrew . 6 October 2001 . New tunes and prizes . . London . 13 October 2021 . ...or have heard the works broadcast by the BBC and other members of the European Broadcasting Union to determine the winner..
  9. Dam, Julie K.L. " The Prize Is Right", Time (magazine), 20 April 1998. Retrieved on 13 October 2021.
  10. News: Henken . John . 7 April 1998 . Composers' Eyes on Masterprize . . Los Angeles . 13 October 2021 . The winner will be announced today at a gala concert in London of all six finalists, again played by Harding and the LSO..
  11. Web site: Druckenbrod . Andrew . Concert Preview: Theofanidis' 'Rainbow Body' is a hit with orchestras . . 15 February 2007 . 30 September 2021.
  12. Web site: Short-changed: an evening of brows worn at the waist. https://web.archive.org/web/20110606052616/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/masterprize-barbican-hall-london-735260.html. dead. June 6, 2011. Anna. Picard. The Independent. 9 November 2003. 8 October 2021.
  13. News: Hewett . Ivan . 3 November 2003 . As hopeless as the others . . London . 8 October 2021. In the case of the French-Lebanese composer Bechara El Khoury, the theme was mankind's ascent from strife and confusion to hope. .
  14. News: Brown . Geoff . 1 November 2003 . Masterprize Final . . London . 8 October 2021. As with the other American entry, Robert Henderson's Einstein's Violin (a scherzo that went nowhere fast, very fast),....
  15. News: Clements . Andrew . 12 October 2001 . Masterprize final . . London . 30 September 2021.
  16. Anderson . Martin . April 2004 . London, Barbican: Masterprize Final . Tempo . 58 . 228 . 63–64 . 10.1017/S0040298204260156 . 3878937 . 12 October 2021 . You Must Finish Your Journey Alone by Anton Plate (Germany, b. 1950)..
  17. News: Clements . Andrew . 12 October 2001 . Masterprize 2001 final . . London . 30 September 2021.
  18. Web site: Taste of Things to Come – New music has no platform than Masterprize . Pettitt . Stephen . 12 April 1998 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20060323064038/http://www.masterprize.com/press98/articles/sundaytimesApril98.html . 23 March 2006 . dead.
  19. Richards . Guy . Jan 2009 . CD Reviews . Tempo . 63 . 247 . 73–80 . 10.1017/S0040298209000072 . 40072907 . Victoria Borisova-Ollas (b. 1969) first came to international prominence when her short symphonic poem Wings of the Wind (1997) took 2nd Prize in the 1998 International Masterprize Competition..
  20. Web site: Music: Masters of the ceremony. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/music-masters-of-the-ceremony-1155269.html . 12 May 2022 . subscription . live. The Independent. 9 April 1998. 30 September 2021.
  21. Web site: Gramophone – The Finalists of Masterprize '98. gramophone.co.uk. February 1999. 30 September 2021.

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