Masterprize International Composing Competition | |
---|---|
Awarded for | Orchestral composition |
Sponsored by | Coutts & Co. (for 1998)[1] |
Date | April 1996 | [2]
Venue | Barbican Centre, London[3] |
Country | United Kingdom |
Reward(s) | GBP £25,000 (in 1998)[4] GBP £30,000 (in 2001)[2][5] GBP £30,000 (in 2003)[3] |
First awarded | 1998 |
Last awarded | 2003 |
Website | https://www.masterprize.com ![]() |
Masterprize International Composing Competition, informally known as Masterprize, was an international composing competition founded in April 1996 by author, investment banker and former diplomat, John McLaren.[2][4] The brief for the inaugural competition was "to find new and original works for symphony orchestra with artistic integrity with the potential for broad and lasting appeal".[1] Additional specifications were that the compositional entry should be of a duration of 8 to 12 minutes and that composers could be of any age or nationality.[6] For the 2001 competition, the submitted works had to have been scored for orchestral forces of between 50 and 90 players and have a duration of between 6 and 15 minutes.[7] Composers who were awarded first place received a monetary prize of either £25,000 for the 1998 competition, or £30,000 for the 2001 and 2003 competitions, respectively.[3][4][5]
The first Masterprize competition which culminated in 1998 was supported by significant institutions, such as the European Broadcasting Union,[8] the BBC orchestras, BBC Radio 3, EMI Records, the London Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Music Magazine and the Worshipful Company of Musicians.[9] The final round of the competition was held at the Barbican on 7 April 1998[1] where the London Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Harding performed the six finalist works in full.[10] The gala concert was attended by Cherie Blair who presented the winning composers with their prizes.[9]
The winner will receive a cash prize of £30,000.
...or have heard the works broadcast by the BBC and other members of the European Broadcasting Union to determine the winner.
The winner will be announced today at a gala concert in London of all six finalists, again played by Harding and the LSO.