Intimacy of Creativity (IC) 2023 — The Bright Sheng Partnership:

Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong 

Introduction

Hailed by the Financial Times as a festival with a “finely hewn sense of craft,” Intimacy of Creativity (IC) – The Bright Sheng Partnership: Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong returns for another innovative season from 24 June to 2 July 2023, presented in partnership with the renowned Curtis Institute of Music.

Intimacy of Creativity explores the creative process through public, in-depth Open Discussions on the campus of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), which presents the festival. The revised compositions will be formally presented in the Preview Concert to be held at the HKUST Shaw Auditorium, and in the World Premiere Concert to be held at the Hong Kong City Hall Theater.

The 2023 season launches the second partnership between HKUST and the Curtis Institute of Music. IC Founder and Artistic Director Bright Sheng (HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study Helmut and Anna Pao Sohmen Professor-at-Large) is joined by Guest Artists, including Kristina Bachrach, faculties of the Curtis Institute, the Viano String Quartet, and selected Guest Artists from Hong Kong and around the world.

IC2023 is presented by the HKUST Hong Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study together with institutional partner Curtis Institute of Music. The season is presented with support from Helmut and Anna Pao Sohmen.

Eligibility and Guidelines

1. Up to three (3) Composer Fellows will be selected to participate in season events.
2. Applicants MUST be between the ages of 20 and 35 at the time of the festival.
3. Selected Composer Fellows MUST be willing to work with Bright Sheng and distinguished guest artists (composers and performers) to make necessary revisions to their score and parts BEFORE events begin.
4. Selected Composer Fellows MUST also be comfortable working with Bright Sheng and distinguished guest artists (composers and performers) DURING PUBLIC, OPEN DISCUSSIONS to make additional necessary revisions to score and parts before the final public concert presentations.

Terms**

Each selected Composer Fellow will be offered:

• round-trip economy airfare to Hong Kong;
• accomodation;
• per diem.

Submissions

1. Each composer may submit up to three (3) instrumental chamber works for 2–6 performers drawn from the following instrumentation: flute/piccolo, clarinet (no bass-clarinet), two (2) violins, viola, violoncello, piano (two hands only).
2. Only ONE (1) work from each selected Composer Fellow will be featured on the IC2023 season.
3. Works incorporating electronic elements will not be accepted.
4. Each work submitted should be from five (5) to eight (8) minutes in duration.
5. Past IC Composer Fellows (except those who participated in the 2020 & 2022 seasons) are ineligible to apply.

Adjudication

1. All submissions will be reviewed by a First Round Selection Panel.
2. Final Round Selection will be made by Artistic Director Bright Sheng, who may request initial revisions prior to confirmation of selection.

Submission Materials

Composers are asked to submit the following online (see submission link below) on or before 29 December 2022:

1. legible, professionally-prepared score for each work submitted (PDF format only);
2. legible, professionally-prepared part of score for each work submitted (PDF format only); 
3. accompanying performance recordings of the submitted work(s) if available (MP3 format only);
4. CV, including education background and contact information (only) for two (2) professional references (PDF format only);
5. program note in English (and Chinese, if available) for each work submitted – maximum 150 words/100 Chinese characters (PDF format only);
6. biography in English (and Chinese, if available) – maximum 200 words/150 Chinese characters (PDF format only);
7. high-resolution color headshot (at least 1MB in size).     

Please label submitted files in the following format:

1. Score PDF file(s): IC2023.[First Name].[Last Name].[Work Title].SCORE.pdf
2. Parts PDF file(s): IC2023.[First Name].[Last Name].[Work Title].PART.pdf
3. Recording MP3 file(s): IC2023.[First Name].[Last Name].[Work Title].REC.mp3
4. CV PDF file: IC2023.[First Name].[Last Name].CV.pdf
5. Program Note file: IC2023.[First Name].[Last Name].[Work Title].NOTE.pdf
6. Biography file: IC2023.[First Name].[Last Name].BIO.pdf
7. Headshot photo file: IC2023.[First Name].[Last Name].PHOTO.jpg 

Timeline (updated as of 15 December 2022)

1. 29 December 2022: Deadline to submit e-application via application link below
2. January-February 2023: Notification of shortlisted Composer Fellows and phone consultation with Bright Sheng regarding initial revisions to selected works
3. February 2023: Deadline to submit final revised scores and parts for short-listed candidates for final consideration
4. March 2023: Announcement of final selected Composer Fellows
5. 27-28 June 2023: IC2023 Open Discussions (HKUST)
6. 30 June 2023: IC2023 Preview Concert (Shaw Auditorium, HKUST)
7. 2 July 2023: IC2023 World Premiere Concert (Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall)

Online Application

Online registration was closed on December 29, 2022. Results will be notified to the applicants in April 2023.