The Canadian League of Composers administrates the official Canadian Section of the ISCM

As part of our work, the Canadian League of Composers advocates for Canadian composers both on a national and international scale. Our ISCM committee functions as the Canadian Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM), allowing us to advocate for our members on the international stage through the ISCM’s annual international festival devoted to contemporary music: World New Music Days.

As part of our responsibilities as the ISCM Canadian Section, the CLC is Canada’s official participant organization in World New Music Days. We select 6 Canadian works to be submitted to the international jury through an internal jury process, which ensures the performance of at least one Canadian work during the festival in addition to waiving the score submission fee for the selected composers. Member sections also have the opportunity to host World New Music Days; the CLC hosted the 2017 ISCM World New Music Days in Vancouver in collaboration with Music on Main to great success.

ISCM International

What is the ISCM?

The International Society for Contemporary Music was founded in 1922 and is comprised of an Executive Committee and approximately 50 national sections, each expected to have at least one official delegate (in many cases, two). There are also several ‘Regional Sections’ such as Gotland (Sweden) or Flanders (Belgium), Associate Members, and some Sympathizer organizations. Each section pays a yearly membership fee, and each calendar year one of the sections hosts the World New Music Days in its country or region.

For more information about the ISCM and its history, please visit their website.

ISCM International — What is the ISCM?

The International Society for Contemporary Music was founded in 1922 and is comprised of an Executive Committee and approximately 50 national sections, each expected to have at least one official delegate (in many cases, two). There are also several ‘Regional Sections’ such as Gotland (Sweden) or Flanders (Belgium), Associate Members, and some Sympathizer organizations. Each section pays a yearly membership fee, and each calendar year one of the sections hosts the World New Music Days in its country or region.

For more information about the ISCM and its history, please visit their website.

World New Music Days

What is the role of the Canadian Section?

The basic role of the section is to promote Canadian music on an international level, and to communicate the results of their actions to Canadian composers. The actions taken yearly by the sections are at minimum:

Organizing a jury to select 6 works as the ‘national submissions’ to the upcoming World New Music Days. This is done through a general call for works. The juries are composed of 3 or more Canadian composers/sound artists chosen by the Section. Works submitted must be accompanied by a recording.
Encouraging Canadian Composers to send ‘private submissions’ to each year’s WNMD organizers, by publicizing these calls for works through CLC Newsflashes and other means.
Participating at the ISCM General Assembly, with at least one delegate — preferably 2 whenever this is possible, pursuant to budget, timing, and other considerations.
Helping Canadian composers being performed at the WNMD by providing letters and assistance in applying for travel grants.
Helping Canadian composers and music presenters establish contacts with their counterparts in other countries or regions, through their ISCM national sections or the relationships the Canadian Section has built in the past. This could potentially include facilitation of meetings, recommendation letters, sharing information on places to go for music projects and on possible sources for funding.
Organizing, with partners, WNMDs on Canadian soil. The last Canadian ISCM World New Music Days was held in 2017 in Vancouver, presented by the ISCM Canadian Section with partner Music on Main.

The Canadian League of Composers has been the home of the Canadian Section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) from 1953-56, and from 1981 to present. The current executive of the Canadian Section are:

Rodney Sharman, President, ISCM Canadian Section
Bekah Simms, Vice-President, ISCM Canadian Section

To contact the ISCM Canadian Section, please send an email to iscm@composition.org.

Indigenous Artists Commissioning Project

The Canadian League of Composers and Canadian Section of the International Society of Contemporary Music are launching its pilot commissioning project of an Indigenous artist working with music and/or sound. The presentation of the pilot version of this project will take place in the 2022-23 season, and will further develop into the biennial commissioning of an Indigenous artist in future iterations.