GILGAMESH INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITION competition 2023

Discover the winners and highlights of the previous GILGAMESH INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Gilgamesh International Composition competition 2023

We are pleased to announce the results of the 2022 International Gilgamesh Composition Competition! Our esteemed jury of Oscar Bettison, Saad Haddad, and Nina Shekhar, recently gathered to review the submissions and make their selections. Everyone was impressed with the strength and stylistic diversity of the submissions and we are very happy to be able to share the work of the winning composers with you. The winners and honorable mentions listed below will all receive recordings of their compositions, which will be shared online at a later date.

Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all the composers who applied.

1st Place, $1,000 – Mortal, Mehrnoosh Zolfaghari
2nd Place, $500 – Plunge, Zachary Gulaboff Davis
3rd Place $250 – Epope, Akın Kilis

Winners

Meet our award-winning composers!

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Mehrnoosh Zolfaghari

From Tehran, Iran

1st place

$1000

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Zachary Gulaboff Davis

From Jersey City, USA

2nd place

$500

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Akin Kilis

From Instanbul, Turkey

3rd place

$250

Honorable Mentions

Meet the talented composers who received Honorable Mentions. Their works will be showcased on our Gilgamesh II album.

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Thomas Crawley

From Westcliff-on-Sea, UK

Performance of the piece
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Jay Rauch

From Seattle, USA

Performance of the piece
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Ryan Carraher

From Seattle, USA

Performance of the piece
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Aurés Moussong

From Mexico City, Mexico

Performance of the piece

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Bracha Bdil

From Jerusalem, Israel

Performance of the piece

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Shayaan Sepehrmand

From Tehran, Iran

Performance of the piece

Musicians

Experience the brilliance of the winning music, performed by the renowned Gilgamesh Ensemble.

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Jon Stehney
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Dustin Donahue
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Aron Kallay

Juries

Discover the brilliant minds behind the GILGAMESH INTERNATIONAL COMPOSITION COMPETITION.

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Oscar Bettison
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Nina Shekhar
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Directors

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Honiball Joseph

www.honiball.com

GICC 2023

About Competition

For this year’s competition, Gilgamesh Trio, comprised of some of Los Angeles’ leading interpreters of contemporary music, is in residence and we are accepting scores for bassoon, percussion, and synthesizer.  Please see below for information about Gilgamesh Trio and the specifications for their setups. Winning composers will receive a cash prize and/or a recording of their work by Gilgamesh Trio.

Guidelines

  • Eligibility – All composers regardless of age, nationality, and professional level are eligible.
  • Work history – Works need not be premieres or composed specifically for this competition. If selected for performance, the composer must make the score and parts available to the competition organizers free of charge.
  • Instrumentation – Scores should be composed for any combination of bassoon, percussion, and synthesizer. Scores of all styles and aesthetic inclinations are encouraged. Please contact us with any specific inquiries about the instrumentation.
  • Duration – 5 minutes maximum; multi-movement works and excerpts of larger works accepted.
  • Entry fee – A non-refundable entry fee of fifteen US dollars (15.00 USD) is to be paid online at the time of submission via PayPal. Please contact us if you don’t have access to PayPal.*
    Number of submissions – Unlimited entries are allowed; each must be submitted separately with the entry fee.
  • Anonymous submission – The composer’s name and any other identifying information must not appear on the score or in any accompanying materials submitted online.
  • Judges – Judges – This year’s esteemed judges are Oscar Bettison, Saad Haddad, and Nina Shekhar. Last year’s judges were Du Yun, Thomas Kotcheff, and Arshia Samsaminia.

Theme

The Epic of Gilgamesh, regarded as the earliest surviving work of notable literature, is an ancient Mesopotamian epic with themes as relevant today as when it was written. It begins with five Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, dating from the Third Dynasty of Ur (c. 2100 BC). Gilgamesh became the quintessential hero of the ancient world, exerting substantial influence on Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey, among others. Gilgamesh was an “adventurous, brave, but tragic figure symbolizing man’s vain but endless drive for fame, glory, and immortality.” In the spirit of this, the competition is looking for chamber music that is in some way inspired by the story, elements or themes of Gilgamesh and Assyrian culture.

Submission Requirements

  • Score format – Anonymous PDF. Please be sure to remove all identifying information.
  • Audio file (preferred, but not required) – Live recording or MIDI mockup in mp3 format.
  • Biography – PDF of a current bio (two pages maximum).
  • Photo – at least one photo in landscape format.
  • Deadline: Monday, February 28, 2022, 11:59pm PST.

Awards

  • 1st Place: $1,000 and recording of composition by Gilgamesh Trio.
  • 2nd Place: $500 and recording of composition Gilgamesh Trio.
  • 3rd Place: $250 and recording of composition Gilgamesh Trio.
  • Honorable Mentions: in addition to the above awards, several more pieces will be selected for recording by Gilgamesh Trio, such that a total of approximately 45 minutes of music will be recorded.

Writing for Gilgamesh Ensemble

Bassoon: Jon Stehney has prepared a document about extended techniques and their notation. You may download it HERE

Percussion: Vibraphone, assorted cymbals, 4 toms, and any small instruments that can easily fit on a trap table (e.g., woodblock, triangle, glass bottle, etc.). We can also include frame drum from various traditions (tar, bendir, daf). If you have another percussion need, please contact us and we may be able to accommodate you.

Synthesizer: A digital piano will be connected to a Macbook Pro with Kontakt, Digital Performer, Max/MSP, MainStage, and Logic, plus many additional plugins. Composers can either submit a Max/Kontakt/Logic/MainStage patch or simply describe the sound that they want and Aron will work with you to get it right. If you have another hardware or software need, please contact us and we may be able to accommodate your request.

Important Dates

  • Competition opens: Monday, September 27, 2021
  • Submissions due: Monday, Feb 28, 2022, 11:59pm PST.
  • Announcement of winners: on or before Monday, April 25, 2022.
  • Performance Presentation & Final Prize Announcement: Spring/early Summer 2022

Additional Documents

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Competition