Wind Quintet Challenge

Hello all, 

this is the first time I'm attempting a challenge, so if I'm doing something wrong or not allowed, just let me know, I rarely go here :(

So, I'm giving composition lessons to a friend of mine, who is a fantastic pianist, and in an effort to try to get him off the piano, and to teach him orchestration, I challenged him to write a wind quintet, by hand, and he must start full score. So, I'm gonna give you this same challenge. 

Rules: 

-write a short piece for Wind Quintet (under 4 minutes, for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Horn, no doubling to alto flute or anything like that) 

-you cannot just write for piano then expand it to wind quintet, you must start with full score

Points: 

Orchestration (40 points): How well did you use each of the instruments? How successful were you in using the instruments to create the voice of the piece? 

Play-ability (35 points): Is it playable? If this were to be sight-read by an actual quintet, how successful would it be? Basically, the easier the better, you want many people to be able to perform this

Presentation (10 points): This is too often overlooked, if they can't read it, they can't play it

Musicality (15 points): How successful were you in using Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Form, Dynamics, etc. to create a coherent, interesting, and unique piece? 

I will give you all the same amount of time I gave my student, around 2 weeks. Remember, it's supposed to be short. If no one can turn it in by the deadline, I'll extend it, but just know that my student, who started composing just this year and is writing his FIRST piece without piano can do it, so don't lose faith! 

Deadline: June 1

This challenge is aimed towards composers who started off on piano and feels that they are too dependent on their piano skills. This is for those who wish to improve their orchestration skills and to compose from the viewpoint of a composer, rather than a pianist (if that makes sense). 

I would be fine with judging this piece, but if anyone else wants to, that would be perfect! (Austenite? Sojar Voglar?) 

Good luck! I hope this challenge will be an excellent opportunity to improve your orchestration skills, as much as it is to improve my teaching skills, I am going to college for music education along with composition so this is a good exercise for me too :)

Finally, we get to the most important part, the prize :D 

I am an All-State level Oboist, and I am now a member of the Oboe studio at Lawrence Conservatory (starting next year, woot!) I will commission the winner to write a piece for solo oboe (and maybe w/ piano accompaniment, although that's kinda against the point of this competition XD) and I will record it to the best quality I can get. I am looking into opportunities to perform over the summer at recitals or competitions, if I find one, I will include your piece in it, basically, I will try my darnest to perform your piece in front of a live audience. 

ok, I think that's everything,

ready,

set....

COMPOSE! 

I'm surprised no one has posted here, lol. Here is my submission: http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/4734/parody-for-wind-quintet

Ok then, are there no other takers? 

I would have taken it, but you wanted me to judge :p ...

I'm working on it, still getting there.

I would have taken it, but you wanted me to judge :P ...

well, whatever you want

Here: http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/4759/flash-flood-warning/

That was...interesting. I don't think I like wind quintets. That's a hard group to write well for. Nice to try though. Thanks for the challenge.

It's too bad not many entered your competition. To hear feedback from those who play the instruments (or at least the oboe) is a great opportunity missed. I linked you my quintet not as an entry, as I wrote it a few years ago, but just something to look through if you and your friends were interested. If I were you, I'd scour the chamber music, you'll find a lot of great pieces that I'm sure the composers would have no problem if you wanted to run through them with your group. PM me if you'll do this again, I just didn't see it in time. 

Sorry I haven't been able to get to everyone yet, I kinda forgot at the time of this competition, that when it ends, I would be in the middle of graduating... so I've been busy, if you'll be patient with me while I try to juggle a billion things around, I'll make sure to get to your pieces! 

Thatguy, are you sure you don't want me to count this as an entry, I honestly don't really care if it was late...? I'm afraid any Wind Quintet I've been in has disbanded since two of us are seniors. The prize for this was that you could write a piece for Oboe and maybe piano for me to record and possibly perform (just so you guys know I already got 2 recitals in, so it's a real possibility!)