Artwork by Wendy Case

Deadline: Oct. 1, 11:59 pm EDT

Application Fee: $20

Deus Ex Musica is pleased to announce a competition for a new work to be recorded by award-winning violinist Wendy Case on her upcoming Deus Ex Musica Records release.

One composer will be selected to write a new 4-5 minute unaccompanied violin piece inspired by one of the Biblical psalms.  This new piece will join contributions written by a diverse group of Christian composers representing a wide variety of traditions, including Ivan Moody, Sungji Hong, and Shawn Okpebholo. In addition to appearing on the recording, the winning piece will form part of a touring program intended to promote Christian unity through live performance and ecumenical dialogue. 

Information for Applicants: 

Deus Ex Musica is a new ecumenical organization that promotes sacred music from the Christian tradition as a resource for learning and spiritual growth.  Part of our mission is to provide opportunities for collaboration and fellowship between Christian composers and performers. For more information about our vision, please visit our ABOUT page.

Deus Ex Musica recognizes that extraordinary sacred music has been (and continues to be) written by composers from all faiths - and none. However, since our mission is to provide opportunities for our collaborators and audiences to share and discuss the intersections between music and their own faith, we ask only composers who self-identify as practicing Christians to apply. Questions may be sent to Deus Ex Musica founder Delvyn Case (no relation to Wendy.)

Deus Ex Musica is committed to anti-racist work through intentional examination of the ways our participation in societal structures and individual biases to perpetuate inequality. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, sexuality, or gender identity.

Application Process:

Composers should submit a pdf score of one solo or chamber work that demonstrates skill in writing for strings. The work does not need to be sacred. A recording is not necessary.

Application Fee: 

We ask applicants to support this project by providing a $20 donation. Composers for whom this fee presents an obstacle do not need to submit a donation, no questions asked.   

Judges:

The winner will be chosen by a committee made up of Wendy Case and members of the Deus Ex Musica leadership team, based on the merit and creativity of each composer’s submitted work. The committee reserves the right to select no winner.

Timeline:

Applications Due: Oct. 1, 2020.

Winner Announced: Nov. 1, 2020

New Work finished: March 1, 2021

Recording sessions: Summer 2021

Proposed release date: Fall 2021

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1: Fill out the form below:

To complete your submission:

• STEP 2: Visit the website of our fiscal sponsor, Arts-Religion-Culture, to make your $20 donation.

• STEP 3: Take a screenshot of your confirmation page.

• STEP 4: Send an email to us including the pdf of your score and your screenshot as attachments.

Thank you!