Application Form: Hildegard Commission 2024-25
The Hildegard Commission is National Sawdust's mentorship initiative highlighting outstanding women and other marginalized genders composers in the early stages of their careers, supporting them with a commission, visionary mentorship, and access to a network of leading working collaborators. In addition to a $5,000 cash prize, a commission for Pierrot-plus ensemble, a professional performance, and a live recording, the five winning composers will receive one-on-one mentorship with established figures in the field who also serve as judges for the competition. The commissions will be performed and recorded at National Sawdust on Thursday, March 6th 2025.
Details for Submission:
The closing date for submissions is Thursday, August 1st at 6pm ET. Winners will be notified in late August or early September. Some Professional Development sessions will take place at National Sawdust, NYC in September ‘24. International and national applicants are encouraged to apply, however please note that we do not have a budget for travel or accommodations beyond the winners’ fee. All winners must be available to attend both rehearsals and the performance at National Sawdust, NY during March 2025.
Commission Parameters:
This year, the focus is on cinematic collaborations and writing music for film. Welcoming pre-existing collaborations, alternative mediums of music outside of the notated score, and non-visual proposals that have strong storytelling through music, and unique artistic perspectives. Composers as the lead artists must include the details of the collaboration with film in their project proposal. This should include any work samples available from the studio or individual collaborator. The composer's collaborative intentions are to be fully communicated in their project proposal. Proposed musical work to be commissioned must be written for a combination of pierrot instrumentation: flute, clarinet, piano, violin, cello, plus chamber percussion. Additional options can include voice, narrator, electronics. The work must be between 5 and 10 minutes in duration.
Deadline:
The closing date for submissions is Thursday, August 1st at 6pm ET. Winners will be notified in late August or early September. Please send all email inquiries about the proposal parameters to the Assistant Director, Mentorship Initiatives, Eve O'Donnell at eve@nationalsawdust.org *Required
Artist Details
National Sawdust's Mentorship initiatives value diversity, equity, and inclusion and are committed to creating a fellowship program that strives to reach a nomination and applicant pool that is as broad and as gender and racially diverse as possible. By providing this information, you are helping us to achieve that goal. Thank you for your cooperation. *Required
Name
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First Name
Last Name
Pronouns
*
Gender Information
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Please Select
woman/female/feminine
trans or transgender
cisgender
non-binary
agender
gender non-conforming
gender fluid
genderqueer
Prefer to self-describe
The Commission is open to women and other marginalized gender composers.
Prefer to self-describe
Ethnicity Information
*
Please Select
Asian or Pacific Islander +
Black or African American +
Hispanic or Latin+
Indigenous or Alaskan Native +
Middle Eastern or North Africa+
South Asian +
White or Caucasian+
Prefer to self-describe
Prefer to self-describe
Email
*
Website
Social Media
*
Phone Number
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-
Area Code
Phone Number
Address
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Street Address
Street Address Line 2
City
State / Province
Postal / Zip Code
Certification of Eligibility and Intent to Apply
The Hildegard Commission is open to composers who are women and other marginalized genders in the early stages of their careers as defined below. You must fall within these guidelines in order to submit your proposal. *Required
I hereby acknowledge that my professional experience satisfies one (1) of the following criteria:
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I have received no major commissions (defined here as an individual commission fee of $5,000 or more).
I have produced no major recordings that are commercially released with a third-party label.
I have produced no major films that are commercially released with a third-party studio.
Required
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I hereby acknowledge that I am a women or other marginalized gender.
Required
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I hereby acknowledge that I will create a new work, between 5 and 10 minutes long, for Pierrot instrumentation as defined above.
Proposal Information and Supplementary Materials
Please submit the following materials: *Required
Composer and Lead Artist Information
Musical CV/Resume or Bio
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Artistic Statement
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An Artistic Statement (500 words or less) outlining how you relate to your artistic craft and its place in a wider social context along with other information about your inspirations and process that is pertinent to your application.
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Proposal
*
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Description of the work you'd like to compose for music and film. Composers as the lead artists must include the details of the collaboration with film in their project proposal. The cinematic or non-visual intentions of the work are to be fully communicated in the project proposal. Please share your experience with writing for film, the details of your collaborator(s), and the instruments you plan to write. This work must be between 5 and 10 minutes.
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Do you intend to submit a proposal that will include the use of film, or a proposal without film? Any visual non-film elements should be described in the project proposal.
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With Film
Without Film
Score no. 1 (PDF file)
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1 of 2 completed scores that are representative of your work.
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Sound file no. 1 - Online link (Vimeo, Soundcloud, Youtube, Google Drive)
If available (optional), share one online link to a recording sample that corresponds with the submitted score. Please share links with preferred start times where possible.
Sound file no. 1 - (optional) password to online link - If you have a password protected file please enter the password for sound file no. 1 below
Score no. 2 (PDF file)
*
Browse Files
2 of 2 completed scores that are representative of your work.
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Sound file no. 2 - Online link (Vimeo, Soundcloud, Youtube, Google Drive)
If available (optional), share one online link to a recording sample that corresponds with the submitted score. Please share links with preferred start times where possible.
Sound file no. 2 - (optional) password to online link - If you have a password protected file please enter the password for sound file no. 2 below
Collaborator Details
Please submit the details of any collaborator(s) that you may already be working with, or would like to work with for this project proposal.
Studio / Association / Company Name
If your collaborator(s) is a group, association, company or other organization please share their name.
Lead Collaborator Name *if available
First Name
Last Name
Pronouns
Gender Information *if available
Please Select
woman/female/feminine
man/male/masculine
trans or transgender cisgender
non-binary
agender
gender non-conforming
gender fluid
genderqueer
Prefer to self-describe
Prefer to self-describe
Ethnicity Information *if available
Please Select
Asian or Pacific Islander +
Black or African American +
Hispanic or Latin+
Indigenous or Alaskan Native +
Middle Eastern or North Africa+
South Asian+
White or Caucasian+
Prefer to self-describe
Prefer to self-describe
Collaborator Website
Collaborator Social Media
Collaborator Links to Work Samples
Collaborator Additional Supporting Documents
Browse Files
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I would like to be on the National Sawdust commissioning program's mailing list to be the first to hear about upcoming opportunities.
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Yes
No
Contact
Please send all email inquiries about the proposal parameters to Eve O'Donnell, Assistant Director of Mentorship Initiatives at eve@nationalsawdust.org
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