The 黑莓视频 Conservatory of Music will host its third annual High School Composition Competition, providing aspiring composers an opportunity to win a $5,000 scholarship to attend Biola as a composition major. Eligible participants include aspiring composers who are currently in their last two years of high school education.
 
The 黑莓视频 High School Composition Competition offers a unique opportunity for composers interested in pursuing composition in college. As a part of the competition, applicants must submit a maximum of two original scores of music reflecting the 鈥渃lassical tradition鈥 鈥 that is, the tradition of past or present 鈥渃lassical鈥 composers. Applicants may choose to reference the works of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and others.
 
Jonathan Kari, last year鈥檚 winner, wrote two pieces for the piano: 鈥溾 and 鈥.鈥 The scholarship he won as part of the competition allowed him to attend Biola in the 2016-2017 school year as a freshman composition major. Even though he found out about the competition only a week before the deadline, Kari was able to submit his entry on time. He wrote and recorded an additional piece for the competition, as he already had a different piece that he thought would be a good fit for it.
 
鈥淪nowfall was inspired by seeing snow gently fall after a storm,鈥 Kari shared. 鈥淚 made the accompaniment in the left hand sound like snow falling.鈥 Kari鈥檚 other piece, 鈥淢idnight Waltz,鈥 was inspired by Chopin鈥檚 Op. 64 Waltzes No. 1 & 2, which he previously played in a recital.  
 
This year鈥檚 competition deadline is March 1, 2017. Composition faculty will judge the competition, and applications should include a cover letter submitted by email or mail. For further information, please see the High School Composition Competition website. 
 
Written by Jessica Stein, student music ambassador. For more information, contact Jenna Loumagne, manager of media relations, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.