Xu Zhimo International Music Competition
The first Xu Zhimo International Music Competition at King’s College, Cambridge, aims to celebrate the centenary of the renowned Chinese poet, Xu Zhimo, who was a graduate student at King’s from 1921 to 1922. The Competition calls for English translations of Xu Zhimo’s poetry to be set for performance by solo voice and a small ensemble of Western and Chinese instruments. Competitors from all ages, genders, backgrounds and nationalities are encouraged to apply. The Competition, which is supported by King’s College, will also honour the Provost, Professor Michael Proctor, on his retirement.
Requirements
Competitors will be split into three age groups: under 14, 15 to 18 and over 18 years of age (open), each of which will be judged separately.
The under 14 category is asked to create a setting of Saying Goodbye to Cambridge Again (number 5 in the list that follows) for a male voice with piano accompaniment.
Entrants in the 15 to 18 and open categories should choose one only from the following five poems of Xu Zhimo in English verse translation listed below. The translations to be used are those that feature in Xu Zhimo in Cambridge – Life and Poetry (ISBN:978-1-5272-9231-4), published by King’s College, Cambridge in 2021 and available from The Shop at King’s, 13 King’s Parade, Cambridge CB2 1SP, UK.
The numbers in brackets refer to the designation in the book Xu Zhimo in Cambridge. Clicking on the poems will open them in PDF format:
Entrants in the 15 to 18 and open categories are required to submit a score set for male voice, (baritone, tenor or countertenor), and up to five instruments chosen from a list of seven, namely piano, flute, violin and cello, and three traditional Chinese instruments, pipa, gugin and guzheng. Instrumental doublings are not permitted. Settings should be no longer than eight minutes in duration.
All entrants must submit their scores in sheet music in PDF form through the online submission platform above. They are asked to upload their submission to an online file sharing platform, such as Google Drive, OneDrive or WeTransfer, and to copy the link to access the file to the field above. Please ensure that the name of the file contains the last name of the entrant, and that the sharing settings allow anyone with the link to access the file.
Submissions will be accepted from 16 November 2022 to 31 May 2023. Entrants are asked to provide their names, age, gender, country of origin and contact details. By submitting their work, the competitors waive any copyright claims to their work for the duration of the competition. Competitors must only submit music that is entirely their own work. The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any competitors suspected of presenting work that is not theirs.
Timeline and Panel of Judges
The submission period will be from 16 November 2022 to 31 May 2023.
Judith Weir CBE, Master of the King’s Music and Honorary Fellow of King’s College has agreed to serve as Honorary President of the Competition.
The Panel of Judges will be chaired by Richard Causton, Professor in Composition at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of Music at King’s College.
The Panel comprises the following additional members:
Ms Zhao Cong, national prizewinner, international artist and Pipa Principal, China National Traditional Orchestra.
Dr Colin Huehns, composer, alumnus of King’s College.
Errollyn Wallen CBE, composer, alumna of King’s College.
Raymond Yiu, composer, conductor and jazz pianist, winner and four-time nominee BASCA Ivors Composer Award.
Final and Prizes
Shortlisted candidates will be informed by 14 August 2023 to allow for travel planning and those requiring visas will be given earlier notice. The finalists will be invited to perform at a concert held in the Hall of King’s College, Cambridge, at 1:30 pm on Sunday 24 September, 2023.
The winner of the open competition will be awarded a prize of £5000. In the 15-18 and under-14 age groups, the winners will be awarded £1000 and £500 respectively. Runners-up may receive awards at the discretion of the judges.
Questions
Questions are welcome and should be directed to Levente Koroes at lkoroes@cambridgerivers.com.