Friends of Chamber Music BCS (Bryan/College Station) Texas World Cultural Heritage Chamber Music Composition Competition for Shakuhachi

Originally from China, shakuhachi is a traditional Japanese bamboo flute with five fingerholes and a notched mouthpiece. In the 17th century, the Fuke sect of Zen Buddhism chose the blowing of the shakuhachi as their chief spiritual exercise; they believed you could find the world in a single tone. After this unique and powerful beginning, shakuhachi evolved into a singular and fascinating instrument. The elemental qualities which make it notoriously difficult to play also make it capable of deep expression. Rather than aiming for a homogenous, even style, shakuhachi technique developed by going deeply into the inherent qualities of the instrument and the essence of each note—with emphasis on the strength and resonance of stronger notes contrasting with the darker, quieter, mysterious timbre of the notes in between. The shakuhachi is now known and loved around the world in nearly every genre of music, freely crossing geographical and cultural borders. With this competition, we hope to add a wonderful new work to the growing repertoire of shakuhachi chamber music.

In collaboration with WSF 2025, Friends of Chamber Music BCS Texas seeks applications from emerging and mid-career artists born 1975 or later, of any nationality, to compose a new 10-12 minute work for shakuhachi plus 1-4 instruments, drawn from the following: koto, shamisen, string quartet, clarinet, piano, percussion, or jazz trio. Invited WSF guest artists, members of the WSF Planning Committee, and professors of composition at an institution of higher learning are not eligible to apply. The commissioned work will be premiered at the World Shakuhachi Festival 2025 at Rudder Theater, Texas A&M University in College Station, April 17-20, 2025. The winning composer, who must attend the entire festival, will receive R/T transportation to College Station, hotel (5 nights), WSF 2025 registration fee waived, and a $2,500 cash/commission award. No per diem is provided, but there will be several catered meals; the winner is responsible for paying for the remainder of their food. The winner is expected to give a talk/Q&A regarding his/her music and the commissioned piece during the festival. For winner requiring a visa to enter the US, a letter supporting the application for a visa may be provided, but the festival cannot pay for visa fees.

  • Fee: $0
  • Application Deadline: November 15, 2024
  • Winner/recipient decided and announced: December 15, 2024
  • Instrumentation of the commissioned work and performers decided: December 31, 2024
  • Score/parts due: March 15, 2025

Anonymous submissions accepted worldwide via Google docs (link below). Items requested include:

  • short biography of the composer (100 words or less)
  • narrative, maximum 300 words: Why are you interested in composing for the shakuhachi?
  • three representative scores with no markings indicating who the works were composed by
  • recordings of these works (if available; MIDI accepted)

The three works submitted as part of the application process do not need to include shakuhachi, but the work commissioned for WSF 2025 must include shakuhachi and at least one more instrument (or voice).

SUBMISSION LINK

Questions? Email wsftexas2025@gmail.com