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York wins Arts Council grant to support emerging composers

Posted on 20 November 2014

Emerging composers and performers are set to benefit after the University of York’s Music Press (UYMP) secured a grant from Arts Council England to establish a new support project.

Dark Inventions Ensemble

The 'Grants for the Arts' scheme will contribute towards the project 'Mentoring and publishing emerging composers', offered at present to 13 composers, including three current York students and five recent postgraduates. The project aims to provide a platform to increase the international exposure and distribution of the composers’ work through recording and publication, and help them to safeguard their copyright and income as they emerge into the professional industry.

Partnering with two leading young ensembles that champion contemporary classical music - Juice Vocal Ensemble and instrumental ensemble Dark Inventions - UYMP will publish two volumes of new music compositions written for them by the composers.

Juice Vocal Ensemble’s Songspin Songbook will feature pieces from their debut album Songspin, released by Nonclassical in 2011 and awarded ‘Best Contemporary Classical Album’ in the 2012 Independent Music Awards. The Dark Inventions volume, Firewheel, will publish eight new works written for the ensemble’s 2014 UK tour curated in partnership with Sound and Music. Through the project, Firewheel will also be recorded for digital and CD release in Spring 2015 – a first for UYMP.

Running from December 2014 to July 2015, the selected composers will also receive mentoring from professional composers published by UYMP. Enhancing the artistic development of students with group and individual sessions, topics covered will include guidance with professional score presentation, copyright registration and composer rights.

Additionally, UYMP will redesign and launch a new website in February 2015. Featuring interactive recordings and music scores, the new site will provide an innovative format for engaging audiences with new music online.

James Whittle, UYMP Assistant and leader of the funding bid, said: “We are thrilled to have received this grant allowing us to support these emerging composers, who are already producing some exceptional music. The economy of contemporary classical music is a fragile one, so contributing to the professional development of composers and helping them to build successful careers are key activities for UYMP. We are very excited about the future possibilities for the project.”

In 2015, the University of York Music Press will celebrate 20 years as a specialist publisher of new music, recognised internationally for its catalogue’s range of aesthetic backgrounds. UYMP’s 27 published composers include diverse young voices such as Philip Venables, James Weeks and Evis Sammoutis, plus the recent work of Vic Hoyland, Anthony Gilbert, Hilda Paredes, Jo Kondo and Robert Saxton. UYMP also publishes works by eight young composers selected in partnership with Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.

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