Cycle Six!! Contest Rules
1. The contest is open to composers of any age and level of experience who are residents or full-time student residents of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia.
Entrants must register online (www.rapidocontest.com ) for the contest by 8pm EDT at the deadline, with entry fee of $40 to be paid at registration. Registrants will electronically sign and agree to Terms & Conditions (including eligibility requirements, Participant Release Form, Participant Performance and Recording Agreement). Registration fees are non-refundable. Because registration is limited per region, registration in a region could close early!
Strict composition requirements (and classical instrumentation options) will be emailed to registrants’ email addresses and posted on the Rapido! website at 9am ET on the first day of the 14-day composition period.
Entrants may submit only new compositions written during the 14-day period of June 1-14, 2020 14-day. The submitted work must be NEW and never performed publicly. However, never-performed, partially developed compositions “in the drawer” that become part of the submitted work are allowed. The composition must be in the range of 5-6 minutes. Any work not exactly following the required instrumentation and directions will not be accepted.
Registrants will submit scores and parts as PDF files, and mP3s to their Rapido registration account; instructions will be provided. MP3 sound files should be generated using any standard notation software PLAYBACK function; please use MIDI or a similar electronic musical instrument when generating the MP3 file. 128, 160 or 256 kbps for your MP3 file is acceptable. MP3 files of live performer readings are discouraged. Scores must be submitted anonymously; the composer’s name should NOT appear on any page of the score, parts, or mP3. Only electronic submissions can be accepted.
Electronic submissions MUST BE RECEIVED BY 11:59pm EDT on the deadline date.
The preliminary Semi-Finals Round will be judged anonymously by Rapido! ensemble musicians, renowned composers and music dignitaries. 5 National Finalists will be selected at each of the Semi-Finals Concerts and will receive an award of $500 each.
The Grand Prize Commission of $3,500 will be awarded at the National Finals Concert to one National Winner, to expand to 10 to 15 minutes his or her winning work, for performance by the Atlanta Chamber Players in the 2020-2021 concert season. Upon completion of the expansion, the national winner will be awarded an additional $1,500.
At the discretion of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the national winner may be invited to create a 12-15 minute work for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. (This orchestral score may utilize material from the chamber work or may be a completely new work.) If awarded the commission, the Grand Prize Winner will receive an additional $2,500.
The Grand Prize Winner will also receive a 2-week residency at the Hambidge Center for the Arts in north Georgia, to be used within one year of receipt of Prize. Dates to be scheduled in coordination with the Hambidge Center staff.
Decisions of the judges will be final. Except for the national winner prize, no other winners may be declared if judges determine that the compositions do not meet the guidelines.
The musicians and staff of all Rapido! partner ensembles and all of their immediate families are ineligible to compete in the Rapido! Composition Contest.
