Getting Works Performed

How do you have works performed? I mean, a young composer can't exactly go up to a professional orchestra, offer the conductor his score, and expect it to be performed at the next concert (Or can he? Perhaps I'm wrong.); and I wouldn't even expect a high school or college band director to play his work at a concert, even if it was up to par (Or would he? Perhaps I'm wrong.). So how do you get a work out to the public?

depends on what works you want played.

The likely hood is getting a large ensemble piece performed or even read is very very slim and getting slimmer. Professional orchestras and High School and College orchestras usually cater to the wants of its public, and the public wants to hear things they know, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, ect. They wont jump up to play anything of yours unless they have a really good reason to or the director is in a really giving mood.

Concert Bands are a little more inclined to play new music from lesser known composers. This really applies to high school and college bands, mainly because the audience is not excepting a certain type of repertoire. This also applies to choirs.

The best chance of getting something performed is to write for small ensembles or soloist. In high school, this still might be hard to do, but in college this is somewhat easier (depends on which college you plan to attend). The smaller the ensemble the easier it is to have something read, however getting it performed on a concert is a little bit harder. Getting a performance will require some negotiation on your part.

Another great way to get not only a read through but a performance by really good performers is to enter composition competitions. There are TONS of these competitions out there in where the prize can be a performance by a large ensemble or a really good soloist and sometimes money or publication. You can do a simple search or join a composition organization such as NACUSA, CCPC (even though they are starting to fizzle out), and others. These organizations can keep you up to date about competitions out there.

Another great way to get not only a read through but a performance by really good performers is to enter composition competitions. There are TONS of these competitions out there in where the prize can be a performance by a large ensemble or a really good soloist and sometimes money or publication...

This is a very accurate statement. I enter classical piano music competitions, where the contestants write out pieces in the styles of the Composer of the Year. It sounds lame to some people, I know. This year it was the style of Haydn. When I won, I was given a recording studio package and air-time on the local radio station that backed the event.

I used that as a window for advertising. Afterward, my wedding music business started booming. Everybody wanted chamber music, and many of my clients told me that they heard me first on the radio!

Enlist in a composition competition.

It works.

Plutokat already mentioned some key points.

It's certainly also true that you can't just expect an orchestra to play your first piece if you just walk up to them. But in principle, asking is fine, and I'd even encourage you to do so. Maybe not just walk with your first symphony attempt that you drew up in a week to a major orchestra, but if you have completed a piece that is really thought-through and carefully written, you could certainly approach the conductor of a smaller ensemble or amateur orchestra. Maybe they won't do it, but maybe, if the conductor sees something in your piece and is ready to venture outside the normal mainstream program, they just might.

Unless you are already somewhat known, you can't expect people to just "discover you" out of nowhere. You do have to approach others with your stuff - be that conductors, instrumentalists, local concert managers, etc.

If you want to get performances on a more regular basis, it's in any case important to get in contact with other musicians. Once an instrumentalist has performed a piece of you and liked it, they may be inclined to ask you to write another piece. The same goes for getting in contact with other composers: Often, commissions are "handed round" between composing collegues, maybe because one is already too busy, or he knows someone else who might be more suited for a specific task (or simply doesn't want to do it himself for some reason). For all that it's of course helpful if you are in a college/conservatory, where it's much easier to get in contact with other musicians.

But even without that, go to concerts of other contemporary composers. This allows you to learn a bit about your "musical environment", i.e. what other music is composed these days, as well as to meet people and discuss with them.

Get to know people in your peer group who play instruments or sing.

Write music for these people.

Repeat.

Eventually it all seems to work itself out. You want the experience of working with a very small number of people first. There are a lot of things you don't think about - like how to tell someone that you don't like what they're doing, or how to revise on the spot - that you want to iron out with as few people possible around.

Those are my thoughts. Well, an abbreviated version of my thoughts. Highly abbreviated. But I'm going to go watch Transformers, so....

Its already been said.. but find a friend who plays an instrument and ask them if you can write them some music... and then write something for them to play.

If you want a performance, it is almost always easier if you can find a performer BEFORE you write the music.

I'm extremely active in my schools music program.

Whatever I write I just show to my chorus teacher (who actually retired this year, boo), and we perform it.

I guess I was just lucky, lol.

There's always the performance thread... Be on people; do your part and it should work.

Ouioui, Ferky. -> [[Performance Network]]

Good for small scale stuff at the moment - check it out.

I don't know the best way of getting public performances of your work, but I have some thoughts about getting your work performed and recorded for your personal study.

First, if you are a music student at any university or institute, don't be afraid to just ask the music director of any ensemble if they would be kind enough to allow their ensemble to give you a few minutes of their rehearsal time so that you can hear what your music sounds like and record it for your study. You will be amazed at how much they want to help you.

When I was a composition major at Ithaca College (over 30 years ago), I did this several times. Each time, I was given almost an hour of the orchestra's time to rehearse and record the performance. By the time I was a senior, all the orchestra members knew me and I was able to put together a 65 piece orchestra myself, for my senior composition recital.

And one summer when I was 16, I did the same thing at the Chautauqua Institute in New York. I was there on an orchestration scholarship and I approached the conductor of the youth orchestra and asked if he would allow me 5 minutes, so that I could hear what my very first orchestral piece sounded like. They played it for me twice - I recorded it on a cassette player - and I was gone in less than ten minutes. Music directors are very busy rehearsing their ensembles, but they recognize that they have a responsibility to young composers.

You will need to provide the recording equipment of course - but it doesn't have to be elaborate - you're not releasing an album.

If you have a small budget, I would recommend you look into "orchestra.net". In my professional career, I've done a few recordings with them. It's a relatively inexpensive way to have a professional recording of a great sounding orchestra. If I'm not mistaken, the orchestra is made up of members of the Prague Symphony. The music is recorded via digital hook up between Prague and a recording studio in Los Angeles. But for most of you who don't live near Los Angeles, you can hook up to the studio via your own computer.

The website states that a 50 piece orchestra is $2250 per hour (this price includes the recording). And the rates change based on the size of the group. I realize this sounds expensive, but you can have several pieces, by several composers recorded within each hour. (There is a 3 or 4 hour minimum). If a bunch of composers from this site wanted to group together for a session, you could conceivably get a few minutes of your own piece of music, professionally recorded by a top orchestra for a few hundred bucks a person.

This might be cost prohibitive for many of you, but it would be a great experience to hear your work professionally played and recorded.

My high school orchestra director is adamant in performing my works, even though my orchestra class is not good enough to play them. :/

Oy... I wouldn't WANT my high school choir to sing them.

They may be GRAMMY award winning... but, they can't handle my intensity. I don't mean that 'stuck up', either... my music IS "inaccessible". However, it doesn't have to be. haha. It's not gonna be my main career. :D

Unless your school screws you.

In my experience, ensemble directors affiliated with high schools and colleges are extremely receptive to performing new works by composers of the school. If you are at school approach these directors and ask, at the very least, if you can have a section of a piece read during a rehearsal. If you have a decent piece you can ask for the whole thing to be played (bring a recording device with you) and if the ensemble director likes the piece it may get programed into a concert. You might have the best luck with choirs and wind ensembles, but it's worth approaching the orchestra directors as well.

Make friends with performers and offer to write pieces (for free at first) for these acquaintances. Push your music around. Craigslist.com is also an amazing place to find performers and collaborators, although you have to screen carefully (you don't want to put out an ad seeking a video to go with your music only to find that your collaborator only makes snuff films... or maybe you do).

Does anyone know how to actually contact the instrumentalists on the performance network?

Does anyone know how to actually contact the instrumentalists on the performance network?

Try PMing them.

Just ask me! If it's good, I'll perform it in public! :)

As a high school composer, I traditionally write for band. Our band is playing a Christmas Piece I wrote on our upcoming Christmas concert, and a local university is playing a piece this Thursday. Don't be scared to spread your piece out there.