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Other Commissions

General

General commissions are different from the Prize competition. Composers and/or performers may apply for this competition who already have a collaboration agreement to compose a new work for that performer. Only one application per composer is accepted to the competition. There is no limit of applications for collaborating performers. The proposed premiere for the new piece cannot occur sooner than March 1st following an award from the Endowment. The General commissions competition is international and can incorporate any musical genre or performance locality.

Latter-day Saints

Latter-day Saints commissions are different from the Prize and General commissions competitions. Composers who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who already have a collaboration agreement with a performer to compose a new work for that performer may apply for this competition. Only one application per composer is allowed. The proposed premiere for the new piece cannot occur sooner than March 1st following an award from the Endowment. The Latter-day Saints commissions competition is international and can incorporate any musical genre or performance locality.

All application materials must be UPLOADED ELECTRONICALLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT, MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME (MDT) ANNUALLY ON JUNE 1.

All application materials must be UPLOADED ELECTRONICALLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT, MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME (MDT) ANNUALLY ON JUNE 1.

The online application system will close automatically at 11:59pm (MDT) on June 1 and will NOT accept any submissions after that time. The Endowment does not make exceptions for submissions delayed because of natural disasters, faulty internet or applicant neglect. Neither does the Endowment take responsibility for contacting the applicant if the application is incomplete or submitted erroneously.

Please plan accordingly.

If you have questions regarding the application process, please  check the FAQ page. If you experience difficulties during the application process, please call or email us:

801-422-8611

barlowendowment@byu.edu

TO APPLY, SEE APPLICATION PROCEDURES BELOW.

Guidelines for Applying
Eligibility
Application Procedures
Submission and Care of Materials
Deadlines
Judging

Composers seeking General or Latter-day Saints commissions may apply for either but not both, and should submit no more than one proposal to any program. Composers may apply for the Prize and either a General OR a Latter-day Saints commission. FAQS

Composers must have an agreement with the performer(s) for whom they will compose the new piece. Applications may be submitted by the composers, their agents, or performers committed to the premiere. FAQS

We encourage applicants from a variety of musical aesthetics and backgrounds to apply. There are no restrictions or preferences regarding musical style, nationality, age, gender, race, religion, locale, or political persuasion of either the composer or performer(s), nor the locale of performance venues. Since the award is a commission, anonymous submission is not necessary.

The only limitations are:

1) The Barlow Endowment is only able to grant commissions to composers who are not included among the premiering performers, conductors, directors, or agents of the commissioned work.

2) Recipients of previous General or Latter-day Saints Commission will not be considered for subsequent General or Latter-day Saints commissions until the previously commissioned work has been completed. FAQS

3) Composers may not receive a Barlow General or Latter-day Saints Commission for two consecutive years. FAQS

4) Current members of the Barlow Boards, guest judges, or interns are not eligible to apply. FAQS

The Endowment commissions composers who expect the premiere of the commissioned piece to occur no sooner than March 1st immediately following the awarding of the commission.

Note: The Endowment does not fund costs associated with the commissions it awards, including copying costs. The award funds only the composer’s fee; other costs must be funded through alternative sources.

  • Only one application will be accepted per composer.
  • Anonymous submission is not necessary. FAQS
  • Composer award is for composer fees only. Requested fees may not exceed $14,000. FAQS
  • Exactly two (2) pdf  scores TOTAL (1 copy of each score) are allowed: FAQS
    • one must be no more than 5 years old (originally written, not a revision),
    • of the two works submitted, one should be your best work (regardless of instrumentation), and
    • the other should be your best work that is closest to the ensemble/performer requirement for which you are applying. FAQS
    • The Endowment does not provide advice to applicants regarding which piece of music best represents them and their abilities.
  • An uploaded letter of commitment from the individual or group that will be performing the composition. FAQS
  • Recordings of the two scores should be uploaded only as .aac  .m4a or .mp3 formats as part of the application form. No other formats will be accepted (including MIDI). Live recordings are encouraged. FAQS
  • If the audio cannot be extracted from a video file, a video link will be permissible.
    • Prepare your recordings before starting your application.
    • Applications will NOT be accepted without a recording uploaded.
  • Other documents are requested to be uploaded with the materials. See the list under “Submission and Care of Materials” tab.
  • Prepare all materials before starting the application.
    • Please note that all submissions are final
    • After submitting the application, applicants may not change or add anything to their submission.
  • Start the application process for the Barlow General or Latter-day Saints Commission by clicking on the appropriate application link found below.

Barlow General Commissions Online Application

Barlow Latter-day Saints Commissions Online Application

Everything is submitted electronically. During the application process, you will need to upload the following documents as well have a budget prepared for the project:

  • Scores in a PDF format.  FAQS
    • Exactly two (2)  pdf scores TOTAL (1 copy of each score):
      • one must be no more than 5 years old (originally written, not a revision),
      • of the two works submitted, one should be your best work (regardless of instrumentation), and
      • the other should be your best work that is closest to the instrumentation requirement for which you are applying. FAQS
  • Recordings in an MP3, M4A or AAC format. No other formats will be accepted (including MIDI). Live recordings are encouraged.
  • Documents in a PDF format.
    • Composer list of compositional activity
    •  Brief biographical sketch
    • A letter of commitment from the ensemble/performer or composer
    • Video links if audio recordings are not available
  • In preparation for your application, please have the following items ready to upload:
    • PDFs of scores (titled: Composerlastname Firstname Score scoretitle) ex: Doe Jane Score Here Comes the Sun
    • MP3 or AAC sound files of scores   (titled: Composerlastname Firstname Recording scoretitle) ex: Doe Jane Recording Here Comes the Sun.
    • Brief biography – one page (titled: Composerlastname Firstname Bio)
    • List of compositional activities (titled: Composerlastname Firstname List)
    • A PDF of commitment letter from the ensemble/performer or composer (titled: Composerlastname Firstname commitment letter)
    • A PDF of a video link (optional) (titled: Composerlastname Firstname Video Score Title) ex: Doe Jane Video Here Comes the Sun

The Barlow Endowment office must RECEIVE the materials electronically before midnight (MDT) annually on June 1—the application will close automatically at 11:59pm (MDT) June 1. The Endowment does not make exceptions for submissions delayed because of natural disasters, faulty internet or applicant neglect. Please plan accordingly. FAQS

Commission decisions are made during the summer by the Barlow Endowment Board of Advisors. Commissioned composers will be notified before August 31st. FAQS

The Barlow Endowment commissions composers who expect the premiere performance to occur no sooner than March 1st immediately following the awarding of the commission. FAQS