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We’re calling to music-creators to join a paid development pathway in writing for violin and electronics.

Six music-creators will be mentored through the process by Angharad Davies (composer) and Darragh Morgan (violinist), leading artists in the UK’s new-music scene.

The six selected participants will each receive £500 (plus travel costs within Wales) for taking place in workshops over 7 months, developing their practice in one of two ways:

  • fixed media electronic track with live violin performance

  • live sound processing with live violin performance

Participating artists will come with prior experience in working with electronics (along with the computer hardware and software). We’ll provide microphones, PA, mixing desk and an engineer. And there will be opportunity to create source recordings in the early workshops that can be used to develop electronic tracks.

The focus of the pathway is developing skills and providing a test-bed for exploration. New works that emerge will be recorded for archive use and (where appropriate) published by Tŷ Cerdd Publications.

 

If you’re applying, you must be free for the following workshops and final recording, all at Tŷ Cerdd’s Studio in Cardiff (at Wales Millennium Centre):

  • 1100-1800, Sunday 22 September – workshop #1

  • 1100-1800, Saturday 2 November – workshop #2

  • 1100-1800, Sunday 26 January– workshop #3

  • 1100-1800, Sunday 16 March – workshop #4

  • 1000-1700, Thursday 24 April – recording

 

PARTICIPANTS

Musical genre  We want to be as open as possible to music-creators from a range of genres. You may be a notating composer, or work with graphic scores; you may work in improvisation or with extended techniques; perhaps you are a non-notating electronic artist keen to learn more about writing for an acoustic instrument. Essential will be:

  • some experience in electronic work – the skills and tools to create a fixed electronic track or to live-process

  • an interest in exploring the capabilities of the violin

 

Welsh music-creators  If you’re creating original music and you’ve been based in Wales for at least a year, or you were born in Wales, you’re eligible. Applications are welcomed from music-creators from across Wales and expenses will be covered for artists' travel (within Wales).

 

Diversity  We are keen to receive applications from individuals who are under-represented / have faced neglect or exclusion from the arts community; we particularly welcome applications from disabled people, Black, Asian and ethnically diverse people, LGBTQ+ people, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

 

Welsh language  While the programme will be run primarily in English, we strongly encourage Welsh-speaking artists to apply, and will ensure there is time and space for bilingual discussion. (Angharad Davies is a fluent Welsh-speaker.)

 

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, BUT YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS...

We can chat with you directly by phone or Zoom. Email us to arrange a call. We want to remove as many barriers as we can – so if there’s anything you’d like to talk to us about, let us know and we will try to help to find a solution.

 

TO APPLY...

Upload the following information to our PORTAL:

1. Personal details: name, email address, mobile number, address, confirmation that you are over 18

2. Your practice:  Tell us about your practice, and what you’ve been most proud of. (Max 200 words)

3. Why would you like to be part of this pathway? How do you think this pathway will benefit your practice? Tell us how it builds on your previous experience and what you hope might change and develop through taking part? Tell us about your experience in electronic work, and how you might approach working with electronics and live violin. (Max 750 words)

4. Do you have any access requirements? Tell us if there is any support or any conditions you need to enable you to participate in the pathway.

5. Examples of your work: please attach 2 links or attachments to your music (please send links rather than sound or video files; if you need help creating links, let us know.)

Video and audio applications are also welcomed. Record your answers to questions 2, 3 & 4 above (up to 8 minutes’ duration), and upload a link to your recording, adding the information requested in questions 1 & 5 to the upload form. If you need help creating a link to your video, or uploading your information, email us for help.

 

TIMELINE & PROCESS

Deadline for applications: 1200 midday on Friday 19 July

Panel: Angharad Davies, Darragh Morgan and Deborah Keyser (Director of Tŷ Cerdd)

We’ll let you know the outcome w/b 5 August

Angharad Davies

Angharad Davies is a Welsh violinist and composer based in London, working with free-improvisation, compositions and performance. Her approach to sound involves attentive listening and exploring beyond the sonic confines of her instrument, her classical training and performance expectation.

Much of her work involves collaboration. She has long standing duos with Tisha Mukarji, Dominic Lash and Lina Lapelyte and plays with Common Objects, Cranc and Skogen. She has been involved in projects with Tarek Atoui, Tony Conrad, Richard Dawson, Gwenno, Roberta Jean, Jack McNamara, Rie Nakajima, Tim Parkinson, Éliane Radigue, Georgia Ruth and JG Thirwell.

Most of her records are released on Another Timbre, but she also has releases on Absinth Records, Confront Recordings, Emanem, Potlatch and winds measure recordings. Her first orchestral piece was commissioned by LCMF in 2019.

Darragh Morgan

Irish violinist Darragh Morgan has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician at Wigmore Hall, Aldeburgh Festival, Maerzmusik Berlin, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, BBC Proms, Osterfestival Tirol, Bang on a Can Marathon and National Sawdust in New York, Philips Collection Washington DC, Beijing Modern Music Festival and Shanghai Oriental Art Center. He has recorded more than 75 albums, many of which have received Diapason d'Or and Gramophone awards.

Darragh has worked closely premiering music by a diverse range of composers; Steve Reich to John Tavener, George Lewis to Michael Finnissy and younger creators Ann Cleare to Alex Paxton.

‘A performer who is a creative catalyst for so many new pieces and so many composers…’ Tom Service, BBC Radio 3

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Tŷ Cerdd is a PRS Foundation Talent Development Partner

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