PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
*
The Forum Supports Encore Performances
(Sounding Board, April 2003) For composers, the road to a premiere can be long and challenging, but the road to a second or third performance can be even rockier. Premieres hold an understandable allure for performers and funders of new music, but all too often, new works see their first performance only to be placed on the dusty shelf of forgotten scores. The scarcity of new works making it into the repertoires of ensembles and soloists threatens the vitality of new music.
In March, the Forum launched Encore to address this problem. The program expands contemporary repertoire by subsidizing multiple performances of new works, assists composers in securing the consistent performances that build and sustain their careers, and nurtures long-term relationships between composers and performers.
"Encore is about building partnerships. It's not a commissioning program, and it's not intended to fully underwrite a concert program," says Encore Director David Wolff. "Ensembles and performers apply together. The grants support three or more performances of a work over an 18-month period. The real goal, though, is far more significant. These grants help performers with the initial costs of adding new works to their concert programs. Once they've done that, it's our hope that they'll include these works in their permanent repertoires."
The program specifically nurtures new collaborations. When ensembles and soloists apply, it must be with composers whose work they haven't previously performed. "Though the program funds specific performances, we hope these collaborations will continue after their Encore-supported projects are complete," Wolff says. "We look at Encore funds as an investment in the health of new music."
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ENCORE CONNECTION The Forum is compiling a lists of "composers seeking performers" and "performers seeking composers" to help interested partners connect and collaborate on Encore projects. Looking for your connection? E-mail your information to David Wolff at dwolff@composersforum.org. Composers: If you're interested in having your work listed for performers to peruse, e-mail us with your name; city and state of residence; the title, duration, instrumentation, and a brief description (35 words max.) of each available work; and your contact information (may include e-mail address, URL, and phone). Performers: To be listed on our roster of ensembles and soloists looking for Encore collaborators, e-mail us with your name, contact information, performing forces, and a brief descriptions (35 words max.) describing the kind of work in which you're interested. The lists will be available by contacting David Wolff at dwolff@composersforum.org or (651) 251-2833. |
Encore has its roots in the Forum's Performance Incentive Fund, which was active between 1995 and 1998. Over its short lifetime, the fund supported 46 projects involving 55 composers. These grants resulted in more than 275 performances that reached an estimated live audience of 55,250 people.
When the fund was active, the Forum's chapter network was still in its infancy. The chapter system has since matured, providing the Forum with an extensive national network of composers and performers. That network holds a lot of promise for building new Encore partnerships.
"We really want to take advantage of this network and connect artists who otherwise wouldn't be working together, so the composers and performers must be based in different states," Wolff adds. "The collaborations that Encore supports should be exciting in their own right, but the real thrill will come years down the road when we can look back and see how these composer-performer relationships have grown and what kind of impact they've had on the world of new music."
Due to funder requirements, either the performer or the composer must be based in Minnesota. For more information on Encore, visit www.ComposersForum.org/Encore or contact David Wolff at dwolff@composersforum.org or (651) 251-2833.
Encore is funded through a generous gift from an anonymous donor.
* Contrary to popular belief, the words "Play it again, Sam," are never spoken in the movie "Casablanca." The line appeared on promotional posters when the film was released to theaters for an encore performance. - Ed.