The Spanish Resource Center and the Latin American Music Center

The Annual Competition in Performance of Music from Spain and Latin America seeks to promote the knowledge and performance of concert music from Spain and all countries in Latin America, including Brazil.

The competition is open to all students registered in a performance program at the Indiana University School of Music. Winners of the previous competitions have to wait two years before reentering as soloists. They can reenter as parts of a separate chamber ensemble.*

The competitors must present at least one work by a Spanish composer and at least one work by a Latin American composer (born in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, or Venezuela.) Solo or chamber music entries are acceptable. The total duration of the combined selections must not exceed 20 minutes.

For the year 2000 Edition, the Competition has two Prize Categories:

a. Category 1: Open Interpretation Prizes: Two prizes to be awarded for the best performances of the set of Spanish and Latin American works, by any solo voice or instrument; or by any instrumental, vocal or mixed chamber ensemble, except String Quartets, who will have a separate prize category (see below). The first and second prize awards will be of US$1200 and $700, respectively.

b. Category 2: Special Instrumental Focus: This category rotates every year among voice, the different instrumental families, and chamber ensembles. It rewards extraordinary merit in the execution of the repertoire for a specific instrument or ensemble. The Special Instrumental Focus of the year 2000 is assigned to the String Quartet. This year there will be a single prize of $1600.

c. Ocassionally, this competition will include special awards to celebrate the anniversaries of specific composers and other important historical events in Latin American and Spanish music. This year there will be no special award.

Note:All the prize winners will record the total or a selection of their repertoire for a documentary compact disc produced by the Latin American Music Center and supported by the Spanish Resource Center, of 74-78 minutes of duration. Winners may be asked to perform one or more special concerts celebrating the competition at dates and places to be arranged by the Spanish Resource Center after April 2000. Selection of reperttoire for the CD and of performers for the concerts will depend strictly on the demands of production process, but all efforts will be made to include all the repertoire and all the performers on these activities.

The competition involves three stages:

1. Preliminary Round:

a. Applicants will submit a cassette with recordings of their performance of one Spanish and one Latin American work, totaling no more than 20 minutes of music in any proportion. The duration of the selections remains at the discretion of the performer(s). The tape should be clearly identified with the name of the applicant or ensemble, and a listing of the works performed, including the composers' countries of origin.

In addition to the tape, applicants should also submit the items listed below:

b. Letter of application which includes the following information:

• Name, address, phone and e-mail.
• Voice part, instrument or ensemble formation to perform in the competition.
  
• Name of the major teacher or chamber music coach.
  
• Degree program at Indiana University.
  
• Listing of the repertoire to be played in the public competition, including the country of origin of the composers and the timings of the works. (Applicants may chose the same or different repertoire for the tape and the public competition.
  
• A five-line program note for each work to be performed in the competition (not for the works performed in the tape, if different from the repertoire intended for the competition).

BEFORE CONSIDERING YOUR CHOICE OF REPERTOIRE, PLEASE READ THE NOTES ON THE CRITERIA FOR AWARDING PRIZES IN THE COMPETITION.

c. Letter of approval of participation from the applied music teacher or chamber music coach for participation in the competition.

The deadline for submission of materials the preliminary stage is is MARCH 1, 2000.

The jury will select at least four but no more than six semi-finalists for the Open category and at least two but no more than four semi-finalists for the Special Instrumental Focus (String Quartet) category. The jury reserves the right to include additional participants in the semifinal round if it considers it justified and appropriate, but its decision cannot be contested once announced.

The results of the Preliminary Round will be announced on
MARCH 10, 2000

2. Semi-finals:

The chosen candidates must confirm participation in the semi-finalists by sending an e-mail message to the Latin American Music Center by March 22, 2000; and by confirming the final version of the five-line paragraph program note for each work of their selected repertoire, including birth place and dates of the composer, dates of the composition and/or opus number, and other details of historical and musical interest to the listener. If the work is part of another work, this has to be identified according to the standards of the concert programs of the School of Music. The repertoire may be the same or different from the one submitted on tape, but it must include at least one Spanish and one Latin American work, for a total of no more than twenty minutes of music in any proportion. The program notes are REQUIRED. Failure to provide the notes will automatically eliminate the semifinalist from the competition. The contestant(s) with the next highest evaluation will take the place if approved by the jury.

The semi-finals will take place in Auer Hall, Saturday, April 1, 2000, from 10:00 to 2:00 pm. the performers will select the first work to perform. They may be interrupted by the jury. The results will be announced at the end of the deliberation session, and posted.

3. Finals:

The finalists will perform in a public recital in Auer Hall, Sunday, April 2, at 4:00 pm, with the same repertoire as the semi-finals. The repertoire will be played in full. Prizes will be announced the same evening and posted. A reception for all the participants will follow.

Criteria for the Adjudication of the Prizes:

1. The jury will consider the following aspects in balance:
2. Choice of repertoireQinventivenmess in the selection, avoiding conventional choices; musical and technical complexity of the works.
3. Overall musicality and sense of the style of the composers.
4. Technical virtuosity
5. Stage presence and power of communication.
    

Submissions:

All applications and tapes should be mailed or delivered in person to

Spanish Resource Center
2611 E. 10th St.
Bloomington, IN 47408 

(the building just north of the Creative Arts Auditorium at 10th and the Bypass)