OPEN CALL TO SUBMIT WORKS
Deadline: September 1, 2026
Festival dates: Three concerts in Spring 2027 (Dates TBD)
HEAR NOW strives to reflect cultural equity, equality, and inclusiveness in the diversity of its composers, performers, outreach to its audiences and students, and the makeup of its board and staff. It strives to achieve equity and inclusiveness by reaching out in an Open Call to all composers in the area.
Submissions are open for the electroacoustic concert and two chamber music concerts.
ELIGIBILITY
Open to Los Angeles area-based composers. Experimental works are encouraged. If you are writing contemporary, classical concert music, you live and work primarily in Los Angeles, and you have not had a work performed at the festival since at least 2024, you are eligible to submit a total of one work in either of these two categories for 2027 that fits the following guidelines:
CATEGORIES
Electroacoustic Music
- In addition to the electronic element, 1-6 players can be used. The core ensemble for this concert consists of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and percussion, though other instruments can be included as well.
- NO ACOUSTIC PIANO for this concert.
- Electronics can be live or fixed media. In addition to other materials, a detailed description of technical requirements must be provided with the application.
- We are looking for pieces 15-20 minutes in length.
- Electroacoustic submissions MUST include an additional Tech Worksheet, to be completed before the same deadline as the other materials. Start early, as the forms will shut down automatically at deadline time.
Instrumental and Vocal Chamber Music
- All combinations of strings, woodwinds, brass and vocalists will be available.
- We will have a piano for the chamber concerts.
- We are looking for pieces 15-20 minutes in length.
- Only one submission will be considered by each composer, each year. Please choose the work that best fits these guidelines.
- Submissions may have been performed before.
- Multi-movement works are acceptable.
PERFORMANCES
Performing ensembles available include Lyris Quartet (founding ensemble of Hear Now), Brightwork Ensemble (ensemble-in-residence), and HEX Vocal Ensemble (ensemble-in-residence — up to 8 singers), plus other first-rate musicians in the Los Angeles area.
HOW TO APPLY
STEP ONE
FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS, please fill out and submit the Primary Form, linked here and below: https://forms.gle/wUrxjCozY3K23JUX7 Start early, as the forms will shut down automatically at deadline time.
This form will collect the following information:
- Title of your piece
- Your contact info, including email, phone, and home address
- Instrumentation
- For Electroacoustic, all technical requirements
- Duration
- Any other (brief) information about the piece you would like to share (Will it be a premiere of any kind? Are there stand-alone movements that could be extracted? Recommended local musicians for difficult or thorny parts, etc.?)
- (Optional) If you identify as a member of a historically underrepresented group (also including female, LGBTQ+), please indicate.
- As part of the form, you must agree to the statements below, including: I agree to request and receive permission from all musicians performing my work for the Hear Now Music Festival before posting the recording publicly in any form.*
FORMS
Start early, as the forms will shut down automatically at deadline time.
ELECTROACOUSTIC SUBMISSIONS will also require a Tech Worksheet, available here.
STEP TWO
Please send the following NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 (11:59pm, Pacific) to hearnowcomposersfestival@gmail.com:
Please use the subject line: HEAR NOW 2027 SUBMISSION
- ANONYMOUS Score in PDF format
- ANONYMOUS mp3 audio samples (MIDI acceptable): Please send files which do not show composer/performer/album info when opened in iTunes. MP3 files without watermarks help us maintain anonymity. Please do not send links to recordings on websites such as SoundCloud, YouTube or your personal website.
- Please DO include the title of your piece.
- For all submissions, make sure that these files are ANONYMOUS. Non-anonymous submissions cannot be considered.
Please send from your regular email so that the administrator who codes your submission can match it with your submission form. If your sound files are too large to be attached to an email, please send them via Hightail, Dropbox, or a comparable file transfer service.
Your application will be rejected if you are ineligible for any reason. You will be notified by email.
YOUR SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE COMPLETE UNTIL REQUIREMENTS OF BOTH STEPS HAVE BEEN FULFILLED. All forms and files must be received by the stated deadline.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact artistic director Hugh Levick, general manager Heidi Lesemann, or operations director Lauri D Goldenhersh by clicking here:
The review process is detailed on our website: http://www.hearnowmusicfestival.com/the-hear-now-music-festival-selection-process/
We are very much looking forward to hearing your music!
*The HEAR NOW Music Festival is audio and video recorded, and, if your work is selected for the festival, the recordings are made available to you. By submitting your musical materials, you are agreeing to get a media release from all musicians who perform your work in the festival before posting it publicly in any form (YouTube, your website, etc.). You may submit a recording or video from the Hear Now Music Festival performance as documentation for a grant proposal, or to provide a sample to other musicians or organizations for future performances, which is for private use only, without having such permissions. You also understand that Hear Now may use your Festival recording for artistic documentation for grant proposals and in short (30-60 second) excerpts for promotional purposes without requiring your permission.
PASS IT ON
Please pass this information to any interested persons. You can share this page, or download a PDF copy of this year’s guidelines here:
Please note: the “v2” guidelines include an important change to this year’s program, as there will be NO acoustic piano available for the electroacoustic concert. This has been reflected in the new PDF and in the description above. Thank you!
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