Performance Finding

As an emerging composer, I am always curious as to ways to get ones work performed. I have looked at competitions as one means but realize that competitions alone will not get my work out to the public. Does anyone have any tips on getting works played?

Yes, two:

a) pay people to play your pieces, in which case you'll see that the performer is not very happy to do the job for you, and depending on the level of the performers they might be either very naggy about everything and have very high standards and expectations about you, rehearsals and the score (in which case they'll be more expensive), or they'll just not be good enough. But in any case, you'll end up spending a lot of money which may end up in a good recording/performance, depending on how your social skills are, how your relationship with the performers develops and how much they like you and the piece.

or

b) Make musician friends.

In which case, of course, they will be more than happy to play your pieces for free (or if they request payment, they'll ask for less), they will be more happy to try and overcome any difficulties or inaccuracies of the score or your inexperience with rehearsals/the instrument, and will try to help you develop, as you will help them develop too, they will most probably invite their own friends to the concert or give the recording to other people (and you will do the same), and that will make sure that both you and the performers get to go a little bit out there. What's more, rehearsals will be a lot more fun and easy, and if they like you and your piece, they might ask you to write a piece for them in the future, whether paid or not.

Fortunately, I'm studying composition in a music school, so 9/10 people I know from my university play at least an instrument, and that's why I've never paid for a performance of a work of mine, and friends of mine keep asking me to write pieces for them because I know them (and the other composers of my year aren't as social).

Unfortunately, I understand that some people might not be able to study composition (because of financial issues, because they are studying something "safer", because they don't really know if they want to do composition, because they are not old enough, because they are not young enough etc), so your best bet would be to go to concerts around your neighbourhood and get to know your local musicians, your local conservatory's musicians, and make friends with them, and their friends. Go to their concerts, and slowly you'll expand your circle of music friends.

You might not always get the best performers this way, but I'd much rather work with a friend of mine who's an amateur but whom I know will do his/her best to pull this through, than work with a professional who's also doing another 100 projects at the same time and thus does not devote the same amount of effort/time in working with me/my piece, but who might be a bit better.

Another way to play your pieces is to play them yourself. If you write pieces for your instrument, then that's perfect, otherwise you can start an ensemble and play other pieces (in churches, schools etc), and start including your own after a while.

There's my 1/50th of a euro/pound (the pound is almost as much as the euro now :O )

It depends what level you're composing at, really. But, a good way for an "emerging" composer is probably just to see what's going on in your local community. I live in a reasonably small (though very musical) city (about 20,000 people), and, twice a year, there's a concert where works by local composers are played. Then, of course, there are also less-specific arts festivals and things like that. For both of these things, you're going to need friends, or at least friends of friends. So, a good way to achieve this is to attend the events mentioned above. You need to support your new-found friends if you expect them to do the same for you!

Anyway, good luck! It's always really helpful to have pieces performed; it's a great learning experience whether it goes well or not, so I hope you find something! If not, keep composing and improving at it. After all, you don't need to have pieces performed the moment you have written them in order to write another.