2020 CFS
We say it every year, but our Call for Scores is an annual highlight for us, and so we were truly blown away this year when 437 composers from 49 countries applied to work with us. It goes without saying that it becomes a nearly impossible task to pick just two composers to work with, but we are really thrilled to announce that this year’s winners are Jenny Hettne and Alec Hall. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we can’t yet confirm the exact pieces they will write for us, but for now you can find out more about them below. Alongside these commissions, we’ve launched our Zeitgeist solo commissioning project. Each Artistic Board member is selecting a composer from the CFS to commission to write them a short solo piece. You can find out more about that project here. And more about Jenny and Alec, below.
Alec Hall
Born in Toronto in 1985, Alec Hall lives in New York City, where he works on the nature of acoustic materials in the post-Avant-Garde musical landscape. Through samples and field recordings, he engages non-musical subjects within an extensive body of work that focuses on labor conditions in China, environmental destruction in Canada, state violence in America, animal cognition, (un)wellness, and beyond. Hall’s music has been premiered by some of the most preeminent ensembles and soloists throughout the world, among them his own collective, Qubit, which produced his opera, “The House of Influence” in 2018. He has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fromm commission, and the 2019 Jules Léger Prize.
Jenny Hettne
Jenny Hettne (b. 1977) is a Swedish composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music, with the exploration of sound and timbre as her most important focus. She writes mainly chamber music, sometimes mixed with electronics and always in a close and innovative collaboration with the musicians. Jenny’s solo- and chamber music is performed wordwide by contemporary music specialists such as Karin Hellqvist (violin), Sören Hermansson (French horn), Jonny Axelsson (percussion), Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, UmeDuo, Gothenburg Combo and Duo Harpverk.
Jennys music has been selected to festivals such as Seoul International Computer Music Festival, Purpur Festival (Cape Town), MATA festival (New York), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, ISCM World Music Days Tallinn, Two days and two nights of new music (Odessa, Ukraine), Festival Archipel (Geneva), St Petersburg International New Music Festival reMusik, Dark Music Days (Reykjavik), Nordic Music Days, Klang and Sonic Festival (Copenhagen) and the Swedish festivals Kalv, Sound of Stockholm, Svensk Musikvår and Frontside, Gothenburg International Chamber Music Festival.
Jenny studied at Gotland School of Music Composition, Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler, Berlin and the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Göteborg where she finished her master degree in 2008.
Commission Fee
The fees this year are supported by PRS Foundation’s The Open Fund, and are £1750 for each commission, with another £250 available to support travel and/or publishing costs.
