project : encore

Become a Reviewer

Importance of Conductor Reviewers

  • Conductors of significant professional standing and noted performance commitment to new music are vital to the success of PROJECT : ENCORE. Conductors who are not composers themselves are invited to investigate further becoming part of the P:E review team.

Benefits of Becoming a Reviewer

  • Be one of the first to see new compositions
  • Be part of an elite international group of conductors
  • Knowledge that your efforts contribute to the promotion of new choral compositions

Eligibility Requirements

  • Evidence of commitment to contemporary music in last three years of programming
  • Evidence of notable performance caliber within the choral community
  • Reviewer must not be a composer or arranger

Responsibilities

  • Review approximately 5-7 works per quarter
  • Evaluate each work (each of which comes with a sound file) based on your standard of quality and programming value
  • Provide a simple “yea” or “nay” within two weeks of receipt of the works. Analysis is not required; however, optional commentary and suggestions for pertinent search keywords are welcome.

Time Commitment

  • Typically 2-3 hours per quarter

The Review Process

  • The conductor review process is paperless. Scores and sound files are made available to each reviewer electronically with all identifying information redacted. Reviewers are expected to respond within two weeks. Each work is assessed by three reviewers who determine whether the work is admitted into the database.

Application Procedure

  1. Complete and submit the PROJECT : ENCORE Confidentiality Agreement
  2. E-mail Director and Founder, Deborah Simpkin King, (founder@ProjectEncore.org) with an expression of interest and description of your eligibility
  3. Provide pertinent repertoire and review documentation, as agreed to with the Director and Founder

PROJECT : ENCORE Background

Schola Cantorum on Hudson, an organization dedicated to the advancement of the Choral Art, has been honored to premiere a number of works in its relatively young existence. As we collaborated with composers to attain additional performances of some wonderful compositions, we learned firsthand how difficult it can be to gain performances once the cachet of the premiere has been spent.

Long-term, broad-scale thinking about this post-premiere dilemma, and consideration of possible means of remediation within the context of our own organization's mission, lead to the creation of PROJECT : ENCORE. Through this initiative, we seek to provide a pathway between composers and conductors/ensembles and to facilitate greater integration of new compositions into choral programming.