3rd ZSÓFIA TALLÉR CONTEMPORARY INTERNATIONAL COMPOSER COMPETITION

  • Faltay Csaba
The Zsófia Tallér Contemporary International Composition Competition will be held for the third time in 2025 to support young composers at the beginning of their careers and provide them with an opportunity to showcase their talent. This year’s competition is inspired by Tallér Zsófia’s piece Odi et Amo, serving as a source of inspiration for the creation of independent and original works. The winning composition will be performed at the gala concert of the 2025 Sofianetta Festival. The grand prize is 1,000 EUR.

Call for Applications

3rd Zsófia Tallér International Composer Competition

“Composing music nowadays is completely individual, and everyone can choose the language they want…” (Tallér Zsófia)

The Tallér Zsófia Contemporary International Composer  Competition will be held for the third time in 2025 in memory of the late Tallér Zsófia, an Erkel, Bartók-Pásztory, and Artisjus Award-winning composer and university professor who passed away in 2021 at the age of 51 after a long illness. She was deeply dedicated to her profession and committed to supporting and fostering the success of the new generation of composers.

Theme and Inspiration

This year’s competition task is inspired by Tallér Zsófia’s piece Odi et Amo, a setting of a famous poem by Catullus. Participants are tasked with creating an entirely original work, using Odi et Amo only as a source of inspiration. Competitors are encouraged to write in their own unique style; The competitors may create a new musical piece in their own individual style; however, no specific or directly incorporated elements from the original Odi et Amo work can be used. Tallér Zsófia’s original piece can be listened to at the following link:

  • Length of the composition: Maximum 5 minutes, minimum 4 minutes.
  • Instrumentation: Mixed choir (SATB – occasional divisi allowed, maximum division: S-MS-A-T-BAR-B).
  • Language: The choir pieces can be in Hungarian, English, Latin, German, or Italian.

Submission and Entry Conditions

  • Anonymous submission: The compositions must be submitted with a pseudonym.
  • Entry fee: None.
  • Age limit: 35 years.

The compositions must be submitted in PDF format, containing no identifying information (e.g., the composer’s name) to ensure anonymity during evaluation. The organizers will generate pseudonyms, and applicants must provide their personal details in the submission email, which will be kept confidential.

Submissions should be sent to competition2025@twelvetones.hu with the subject “Tallér Zsófia Composition Competition.” The body of the email should include the composer’s name and the generated pseudonym. For further questions, the same email address can be used.

An MP3 recording (either MIDI realization or live performance) must also be attached. While there are no specific quality requirements for the recording, it should be of listenable quality.

Prize and Performance

The Pax et Bonum mixed choir will perform the winning piece during the Sofianetta Festival gala concert in 2025.

  • Prize: 1,000 EUR.

All submissions must be sent electronically by February 10, 2025. By submitting their work, participants agree to the public performance of their piece. The organizers reserve the right to use recordings of the performance.

The members of the jury

  • Dr. Szabolcs Mátyássy: composer, theater director, university associate professor, and chairman of the jury
  • Dr. Ádám Brandenburg: composer, university assistant professor
  • Ilona Dobszay-Meskó: composer, conductor
  • Boldizsár Kiss: choir conductor

The jury reserves the right to split the prize or withhold it entirely.

The jury’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

 

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