ONGOING PROJECTS
CRIASONS III
This unprecedented festival is dedicated to tendencies in contemporary Portuguese chamber music. Overflowing with energy and eclecticism, aesthetic and artistic interactions, the 3rd edition of the Criasons Festival will continue to bet on the creation of contemporary music, commissioning unpublished works from renowned composers on the Portuguese music scene. António Victorino d’Almeida, Carlos Azevedo, Mário Laginha, Pedro Caldeira Cabral and Tiago Derriça will be the hosts of this Festival that presents 5 programmes and 15 concerts, each programme designed by one of the host composers, that will also include works from 5 emerging composers, selected during the competition phase.
It's intended to retrieve Portuguese contemporary music, bringing to it the same level of fruition and consumption that other contemporary arts already enjoy.
This edition has the special support of the São Carlos National Theatre, where each programme will be premiered. The Artistic Director of the Festival is the conductor Brian MacKay, who will also preside over the jury of the Criasons competition for emerging composers.
Venues – LISBOA, MADRID, FIGUEIRA DA FOZ, ALMADA, PORTO, ÉVORA, FERREIRA DO ZÊZERE E TOMAR

CRIASONS COMPETITION FOR EMERGING COMPOSERS
REGULATIONS AND CRITERIA FOR INCLUSION
The competition is open to:
1. Portuguese composers living in Portugal
2. Portuguese composers temporarily living abroad for academic, professional or artistic reasons
3. Portuguese descendant composers with proven dual nationality
4. Composers of other nationalities, legally living in Portugal, with postal address in the national territory and holders of residence permits granted by the Foreigners Service of the Ministry of Internal Administration of the Portuguese Republic
5. Composers not selected in previous editions may re-apply
CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Presentation of a portfolio with 3 works chosen by the candidate from among their output, without any thematic, aesthetic or conceptual limitations and with total liberty regarding the morphological structure, stylistic framing, instrumental formation and duration. There is no obligation that the works are unpublished or are written specially for this competition.
JURY
The jury will comprise of the 5 resident composers of the Criasons III Festival (2020-21) – António Victorino d’Almeida, Carlos Azevedo, Mário Laginha, Pedro Caldeira Cabral and Tiago Derriça – and the conductor Brian MacKay, will preside.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Will be defined by the members of the Committee, in full freedom. There may be no appeal against their decision.
REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
The registration – simple and free – requires the submission of the application form on this page and sending of the portfolio of works. The works must be submitted in both printable (PDF sheet music) and auditory form (MP3 electronically generated audio support).
Recordings of live performance will also be accepted (audio or video), whenever accompanied by the score in PDF.
DEADLINES
The contest will be open from May 1st to May 31th 2020. The evaluation committee will announce their choice by the end of June.
DISTINCTIONS
The committee will choose a maximum of 5 composers, to whom will be granted the following distinctions:
1. The chosen candidates will be invited to compose a new work and will be supported in their creative work by the composer in whose program their work is to be included. The work will fit into the vocal and instrumental format defined for that program.
2. Premiere of the work
The premiere of the work will be integrated in the programming of the Festival, with live performances by the Vocal and Instrumental Camerata Musicamera.
3. Delivery of Diplomas
Each of the selected candidates will receive, at the debut concert of their work, a diploma in recognition of the distinction obtained.
4. Discographic publication and edition of the works
All selected works will be recorded on CD with international distribution. An edition of the score of the debut works is also guaranteed.
5. The Jury will reunite after the end of the Festival to select one of the 5 composers, who will be invited to join the Resident Composers panel of the Criasons IV Festival which will take place during the 2022-23 biennium). The jury reserves the right, in certain circumstances, not to select any of the candidates for this distinction.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Any case omitted from the regulations will be decided the Jury. Any legal dispute should be resolved in the Lisbon District, to the exclusion of any other place. Any other doubts that this regulation might cause should be clarified with the management at this e-mail – geral@musicamera.pt.