DEADLINE EXTENDED!!! Lithuanian Composers’ Union and New Vocal Music Collective Melos invites composers to apply for a residence in the Lithuanian resort town of Druskininkai
Two applicants will be selected. Each of them will receive a €400 one-time scholarship.
In addition to that, the successful candidates will receive free accommodation and workspace at the Druskininkai Artists' Residence.
AiR should take care of their travel costs and health insurance.
The residence will take place 20 June through 2 July, 2022.
The two selected composers are expected to work individually during the first week, while during the following seven days they will rehearse together with the Melos. The concluding performance will take place in Church of Saint Mary's Scapular in Druskininkai.
The applicants are expected to prepare a single PDF document which must include the following:
- A curriculum vitae (1 page);
- Samples of his or her works, in the form of online links to the maximum of three audio or video pieces;
- A free-form outline of the concept of a new piece and/or a draft of the piece to be performed by the Melos (1 page).
Selection guidelines:
- The piece should be either a cappella or electro-acoustic;
- The live performance of the piece should involve no more than 7 female voices;
- The composers are free to use electronic and other tools in preparation of the musical material;
- Duration of the piece should be approximately 15 minutes.
Looking for ideas that explore and focus one or few of the following:
- Space;
- Monochromous pallet of female voices;
- Textures;
- Single process.
Applications are to be emailed by 25 May 2022 – [email protected].
Please go online for more information on the Druskininkai Artists’ Residence: https://www.artdruskininkai.lt/en/about/
For more information about about the New Vocal Music Collective Melos, please visit: https://www.meloscollective.com/
Composers from outside Lithuania should check the most recent information in regard with travel conditions and restrictions provided by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania: http://sam.lrv.lt/en/
Please make sure your country of residence allows travel to Lithuania before sending an application.
The residence is supported by Lithuanian Culture Council.
Druskininkai - Hållnäs Art Residency exchange, Sweden, August 15-28, 2022
Lithuanian composers and sound artists are invited to apply for the Druskininkai - Hållnäs art residency exchange program in Sweden.
The duration of residency is 14 days, August 15-28, 2022.
Artist-in-Residence (AiR) will receive a €400 one-time scholarship and covered travel expenses (up to €200). AiR will be given free accommodation for creative activities and living, as well as administrative and tutorial assistance, if wished for. Lunch each day is also included. AiR should take care of their health insurance. The AiR will get the opportunity to present their work at the end of the stay. Composers and sound artists are invited to submit their ideas and project for the residency, before the 20th March.
Hållnäs peninsula is a beautiful area with a long, untouched rocky coastline, quiet old villages and good trails and roads for walking and cycling. The nearest town with a train station is Tierp. It is a very quiet place. The open sea can be found a five minutes’ bike ride away.
AiR will have their own studio space and private room in a guest cabin, which are cosy but rustic. Kitchen and bathroom is shared with other AiR present. The cabins have wireless mobile broadband of slightly limited capacity. There are bikes for guests to use.
More information about Hållnäs Konstkoloni can be found here: hallnaskonstkoloni.com
Any questions about practical aspects of the residency can be put to Åsa Norling at Hållnäs Konstkoloni via [email protected].
During the Covid-19 pandemic Hållnäs Konstkoloni wishes that the AiR can present a valid EU Vaccination Certificate upon request. In case of travel restrictions due to Covid-19, the residency will be postponed to a suitable time, to be agreed between AiR and Hållnäs konstkoloni.
Composers and sound artists resident in Lithuania are invited to submit applications; in one PDF document in English. Application includes:
- a curriculum vitae;
- samples of music: links to sheet music and recordings;
- ideas or sketches of the piece they will complete during the residency.
Site-specific applications are welcome.
Applications are expected until March 20th by email [email protected]
Questions about the application can be put to the administrator at DAR at above email.
The Hållnäs - Druskininkai residency exchange in collaboration with Region Uppsala and supported by Lithuanian Culture Council.
International Arts Residence for composers
May 14–28, 2021
Lithuanian Composers’ Union in collaboration with the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater, Master Program for Performance of Contemporary Music, invite young composers to apply for a spot at the International Arts Residence in the Lithuanian resort town of Druskininkai.
The 14-day event is scheduled for May 14–28, 2021. Successful applicants will each receive free accommodation in Druskininkai, a 300 euro allowance and up to 100 euro to cover travel costs.
During the first week the composers are to work individually on a new compositions, while the second week is to rehearse their works with the ensemble.
At the end of the residency, the new written works will be performed at the Druskomanija Festival. Later that year, July 9, the new works are to be played at the Kintai Music Festival and at the Interdisciplinary Festival “N žemė“ in Nida (to be confirmed in march 2021).
Age limit: 35.
Instrumentation: percussion ensemble of five performers, without electronics (see below the list of instruments)
Duration: ca. 10 min
The score may be presented in traditional or graphical notation.
March 15, 2021: the applicants must submit a single pdf document containing:
- a curriculum vitae;
- samples of music: links to sheet music and recordings;
- ideas or sketches of the piece they will complete during the residency.
March 22, 2021: the decision about the selection will be communicated.
May 1, 2021: a preliminary score and parts for the musicians are expected.
Applications are to be emailed to [email protected]
Choice of instruments:
Vibraphone (1)
Marimba (1)
Gong (1)
Snare drum (3)
Piccolo snare drum (1)
12” tom tom (2)
13” tom tom (2)
16” tom tom (2)
Bass drum (3)
23” ride cymbal (1)
20” ride cymbal (2)
16” crash cymbal (2)
12” hi hat cymbal and stand (1)
Pair of wooden claves (2)
Any type of small percussion (wooden blocks, metal blocks, various cans, triangle etc.)
Vykintas Baltakas and Arnas Mikalkėnas are the curators of the residence.
The residence is supported by Lithuanian Culture Council and public institution “Kintai Arts”.
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Vykintas Baltakas, Conductor / Composer
Born in Vilnius in 1972, Vykintas Baltakas already caught attention as a musician and leader of two vocal ensembles, as well as a competition award winner, before studying composition with Wolfgang Rihm and conducting with Andreas Weiss in Karlsruhe from 1993 to 1997. He subsequently studied in Paris at the Conservatoire National Supérieur and took a one year course at IRCAM.
Conductors and composers make up two sides of the coin for the busiest of musicians. “One composes through playing, one plays through composing,“ he says – an attitude shared by Peter Eötvös who was his teacher between 1994 and 1997.
In the meantime he is a regular guest at festivals and with ensembles throughout Europe. Institutions that have commissioned works by Baltakas include the WDR Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Biennale, the Wiener Festwochen/Klangforum Wien, the Ensemble Modern and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra/musica viva.
Vykintas Baltakas has in recent years conducted renowned orchestras such as the RSO and DSO Berlin, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the WDR Symphony Orchestra as well as ensembles including Ensemble Resonanz, the Ensemble Modern and Scharoun Ensemble. He has also collaborated with composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen, Georg Friedrich Haas and Dieter Schnebel. In 2009 he founded the Lithuanian Ensemble Network (LEN) of which he is the driving force.
Vykintas Baltakas’ works have been awarded with prizes such as the International Claudio Abbado Composition Prize (2003) and the Siemens Advancement Award (2007). CD recordings of his compositions were recently made by the Ensemble musikFabrik Cologne and the Ensemble Modern.
Currently V.Baltakas is professor for composition at the conservatories in Maastricht and at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre where he theaches performance of contemporary music, a program which he created together with Liudas Mockūnas in 2016. In 2020 Vykintas Baltakas started curating the series of contemporary music at the No Business Records label.
http://www.baltakas.net/
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Arnas Mikalkėnas
For Arnas Mikalkėnas, jazz, improvisation and electroacoustic music are the preferred areas of his musical life. As an artist, he is known for his particularly delicate attitude to sound. He is not afraid and indeed often keen of breaking conventional boundaries in the search for a very personal relationship with music. From studies in classical music and jazz to stage experiences involving musique concrète, rock, and heavy metal, his musical horizons have been remarkably broad.
Ąžuoliniai Berželiai (Oaky Birch Trees) is the name of the free jazz trio Arnas Mikalkėnas has been a member of for several years. He has shared stage with a number of great musicians from Lithuania and beyond, such as Arkady Gotesman, Dalius Naujokaitis, Liudas Mockūnas, Gailė Griciūtė, Kenny Wollesen, Haakon Berre, Anne Liis Poll and many more. In collaboration with Justinas Kalinauskas, he took part in happenings and alternative theatre projects.
In addition to his various stage engagements, Arnas Mikalkėnas has been giving lectures at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. More recently, he launched, together with the business woman Daiva Masaitytė, the Jazz Academy which serves as a centre for informal musical education in the country’s second-largest city of Kaunas.
EXTENDED DEADLINE! Lithuanian Composers’ Union and a string ensemble Twenty Fingers Duo invites composers to apply for a residence in the Lithuanian resort town of Druskininkai
Two applicants will be selected. Each of them will receive a €400 one-time scholarship. In addition to that, the successful candidates will have their travel costs covered (up to €200) and receive free accommodation and workspace at the Druskininkai Artists' Residence. AiR should take care of their health insurance.
- A curriculum vitae;
- Samples of his or her works, in the form of online links to the maximum of three audio or video pieces;
- A free-form outline of the concept of a new piece;
- A draft or complete score of the piece to be performed by the Twenty Fingers Duo; only previously unperformed pieces are eligible;
- An outline of the implementation of the proposed project, including artistic and technical requirements.
- The piece should be either acoustic or electro-acoustic;
- The live performance of the piece should involve no more than two acoustic instruments, a violin and a cello;
- The composers are free to use electronic and other tools in preparation of the musical material; if required, a composer can become a performer;
- Duration of the piece should be approximately 20 minutes.
Please go online for more information on the Druskininkai Artists’ Residence:
https://www.artdruskininkai.lt/en/about/
Please make sure your country of residence allows travel to Lithuania before sending an application. We hope the borders will soon be open for everyone.
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Twenty Fingers Duo is a string ensemble created by brother and sister who see new experimental music as their primary target, but are also keen to take part in the projects involving other genres. Although it was quite recently that cellist Arnas Kmieliauskas started performing with his sister, violinist Lora Kmieliauskaitė, they are a “ticking” duo with a distinct creative prospect.
The ensemble has been behind the recent launch of Performa, the multimedia programme aimed at commissioning new works of music from composers who (de)construct new forms of performance. The initiative points to the duo’s resolute desire to look for new and even somewhat radical creative challenges.
Both Arnas and Lora are versatile and experienced performers and keen participants of international competitions, masterclasses and festivals held in Lithuania and abroad. They have played in a number of ensembles created for different artistic projects.
The duo has won multiple prizes both at home and internationally for their artistic initiatives and interpretation of music.
By Asta Pakarklytė
Lithuanian composers and sound artists are invited to apply for the Druskininkai - Hållnäs art residency exchange program in Sweden
In order to benefit from the possibility of exchanging residency, composers and sound artists are invited to submit applications; in one PDF document in English. Application form contains:
Lithuanian composers and sound artists are invited to apply for the DAR- Hållnäs Konstkoloni residency exchange program in Sweden
The duration of residency is 14 days, September 1 - 14, 2019 (Hållnäs, Sweden); residents will receive a €400 one-time scholarship and covered travel expenses (up to €200). Composers and sound artists are invited to submit their ideas and project for the residency.The AiR is expected to present their work in concert or other suitable format at the end of the stay. The details of this can be discussed and will be confirmed closer to the residency.
Hållnäs Konstkoloni residency is run by artist Åsa Norling and her partner Alex Peck. They moved in 2011 from London to their farm in Hållnäs, with the ambition to create a space for interdisciplinary meetings and creative research close to nature. They live permanently at Hållnäs Konstkoloni with their two children. Hållnäs peninsula is a beautiful area with a long, untouched rocky coastline, quiet old villages and good trails and roads for walking and cycling. The nearest town with a train station is Tierp.
There are three different studio spaces available in the recently converted barn. The 45 m² movement studio features high ceilings and a sprung dance floor surfaced with a 3 mm natural rubber dance mat. The large barn doors can be opened on both sides of the space. Walls and ceiling are not insulated but there is an underfloor heating system for comfort on chilly days. The upstairs art studio features wooden floors and lots of natural light. There is an adjacent smaller workshop with high ceiling, concrete floor and a separate balcony entrance. Downstairs, there is a fully-functional kitchen and bathroom as well as a communal area for meals and meetings. On the south side of the barn, guests can enjoy a sunny space suitable for both bbq’s and outdoor projects. In the rustic but cosy guest cabin nearby, there is a kitchen and a bathroom with shower and compost toilet. The spacious, light living room is also suitable for non-messy work.
During the time of the residency, there might be another artist and volunteers on-site. However, the artist in residence will have their own studio space and private cabin. There are bikes for guests to use. Any questions about practical aspects of the residency can be put to Åsa Norling at Hållnäs Konstkoloni via [email protected].
Resident will be given free accommodation for creative activities and living, as well as administrative and tutorial assistance. Artist should take care of their health insurance. In order to benefit from the possibility of exchanging residency, composers and sound artists are invited to submit applications; in one PDF document in English. Application form contains:
- CV;
- project proposal;
- creative portfolio: up to 10 audio links, photos or videos that should be numbered; sound pieces should be provided in mp3 and pictures in jpg formats. Add reviews from media and exhibition catalogues if there are any.
Applications are expected until June 30 by email: [email protected]
The residency exchange is supported by Kulturenheten Region Uppsala, Lithuanian Culture Council and LATGA.
Lithuanian and foreign composers and sound artists are invited to apply for the Druskininkai Artists’ Residence in collaboration with Contemporary Music Ensemble Synaesthesis
The duration of residency is 14 days, July 25th – August 8th, 2019 (DAR, Druskininkai); residents will receive a €400 one-time scholarship and covered travel expenses (up to €200). Composers and sound artists are invited to submit their works that have not yet been performed as well as ideas for new compositions for following instrumental arrangement:
violin, viola, flute, clarinet (in B, bass, contrabass), piano.
Directed by conductor Karolis Variakojis and pianist Marta Finkelštein Contemporary Music Ensemble Synaesthesis has a growing reputation within the contemporary music world. The team of young and ambitious musicians has taken up the mission of introducing works of experimental Lithuanian and foreign composers to the performance venues. The ensemble’s vision goes beyond sound – but into space, light, movement and narrative – anything that allows for professionally performed music to become a multidimensional creation, blurring lines between genres.
Composers of newly created or first-time performed pieces will work together ensemble Synaesthesis at the Druskininkai Art Residence on July 29th – August 6th. Completed pieces will be presented to the audience in Druskininkai on August 6th. After applications have been submitted, one candidate will be selected by DAR board. Resident will be given free accommodation for their creative activities and living, as well as administrative and tutorial assistance. Artist should take care of their health insurance.
Composers and sound artists are invited to submit applications; in one PDF document in English or Lithuanian. Application form contains:
- CV;
- a sketch of a work that will be created by the resident composer and performed by Synaesthesis ensemble, or the score of a piece already created but not yet performed;
- creative portfolio: up to 10 audio links, photos or videos that should be numbered; sound pieces should be provided in mp3 and pictures in jpg formats. Add reviews from media and exhibition catalogues if there are any.
Applications are expected until May 30th by email: [email protected]