The International Society of Contemporary Music
and World New Music Days
The International Society of Contemporary Music (ISCM) is a global network of members of over 50 countries and over 60 member sections devoted to the presentation and advancement of contemporary music. Its members promote contemporary music within their own countries and provide opportunities for their creators to present their work internationally.
The ISCM holds an annual festival, World New Music Days (WNMD), which showcases composers and creators from its members. The festival is organized and hosted by a different member country each year; its next edition will be held in Auckland and Christ Church, New Zealand from August 23-30, 2022.
Canadian composers, landed Immigrants, and permanent residents can submit their work for consideration to the WNMD festival through the ISCM Canadian Section Call for Scores. A jury selects six compositions to be submitted to the host nation; at least one of these compositions will be presented at the festival. This is a valuable opportunity for CLC members to have their work recognized in an international festival alongside composers from around the world. Selected composers must become CLC members.
ISCM Commissioning Project for Indigenous Artists
The ISCM Canadian Section is planning the biennial commissioning of an Indigenous artist working with music and/or sound. The selected artist will receive:
- a commissioning fee for the work in accordance with the CLC commissioning rate for a 10-minute work for solo instrument with or without electronics (can be for composer-performer),
- a public performance of the commissioned work and a high-quality recording,
- automatic inclusion of the commissioned work as one of the six submissions from the Canadian Section to the WNMD festival, which may be selected by the ISCM host nation to be included in their festival.
The pilot version of this initiative has been launched in partnership with the Canadian Music Centre British Columbia. Composer and cellist Cris Derksen was commissioned to create a new work for piano electronics, which was then premiered by powerhouse contemporary music pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa at “Queering the Air” at the SUM Gallery in Vancouver. “the bells” was then included as part of the ISCM Canadian Section’s submission for the 2023 World New Music Days festival in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa
In June of 2023, we were thrilled to learn that the 2023 World New Music Days had selected “the bells” to represent the Canadian Section at the 2023 festival. Click here to hear Rachel Kiyo Iwasaa perform “the bells.”
For future editions, the Indigenous artist to be commissioned will be selected by a committee of three Indigenous music creators, including the previously commissioned composer, assembled by the CLC.
This project will help to promote Indigenous artists within Canada, creating the opportunity for an Indigenous artist to develop a new work to be performed and recorded, as well as the potential for an international performance through the ISCM WNMD festival.
2024 Friends of Canadian Music Award Winners
The Canadian League of Composers and the Canadian Music Centre are thrilled to announce Cris Derksen as the winner of the 2024 Friends of Canadian Music Award. Cris has selected Sonny-Ray Day Rider to receive support as an emerging artist.
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