OperaUpClose & Eclectic Opera Announce New Competition FLOURISH; Deadline Sep 2

Related: OperaUpClose, Eclectic Opera, Flourish

Flourish is a new opera competition, launched by Olivier award- winning OperaUpClose in association with Eclectic Opera.

The competition aims to provide a platform for emerging and established composers and librettists, and to raise awareness of the wealth of contemporary opera being written.

Submissions are invited for the first stage of the competition, which will showcase extracts from up to five short-listed operas at the King’s Head Theatre on 30 September 2012. The deadline for submissions is 2 September.

A panel of industry judges will choose a winner from the short- listed operas at the event on 30 September. The winning composer and librettist will then have a year to develop the piece, culminating in a full-length production, produced by OperaUpClose at the King’s Head Theatre for a seven-performance season over four weeks in autumn 2013.

The first stage of Flourish will be judged anonymously (i.e. the judges will be unaware of the identities of composers or librettists) – it is thought that some composers will want to play or conduct their own pieces at the showcase of short-listed works, so anonymity may not be possible at this stage of the competition.

OperaUpClose is known for work that is large in ambition and small in scale, and the parameters of Flourish reflect this. Composers and librettists are invited to write a piece for up to six performers (divided between singers and instrumentalists as they wish). The winning opera will be provided with a budget for these six performers, a director, designers, stage management and marketing, in accordance with OperaUpClose and the King’s Head Theatre’s in-house Equity Agreement. OperaUpClose and Eclectic Opera will also provide a producer and extensive creative support for the project.

Deadline for submissions: Midnight on Sunday 2 September 2012
Showcase for shortlist: Sunday 30 September 2012
OperaUpClose is located at 115 Upper Street London N1 1QN.
Tel: 020 7226 8561.

To enter FLOURISH, see www.kingsheadtheatre.com.