Harry Freedman Award – CMC Ontario

Deadline Extended!

The Harry Freedman Award was established by the Freedman family to commemorate the pioneering Canadian composer. Born from Freedman’s desire to address the lack of resources for the rehearsal and refinement stages of a work outside of its premiere performance, the Freedman family set up a bi-annual award to supplement ongoing project preparations, whether for a significant live performance or for a commercial recording of a work.

The proposed work must have been created for 1 – 6 performers (including engineers) or for a composer-performer. The specific activities must be related to refining and revising the work after its première and must be a collaboration between the composer and performer(s). The ongoing project should ultimately lead to a more definitive and satisfactory version of the work. The Harry Freedman Award is valued at $3,000 Canadian.

Eligibility

A CMC Associate Composer in good standing is eligible to apply. CMC Associate Composers in good standing will have paid their $125 annual membership fee for the previous calendar year prior to submission of their award application. Composers must apply in collaboration with a solo performer or an ensemble of up to six performers. Proposals from composer-performers are equally eligible.

Proposal Criteria

The Fund accepts proposals that meet the following criteria:

The proposed work has no more than six (6) performing parts, including engineers in the case of electroacoustic works.
The proposed work must have been premiered prior to the proposed timeline.
The application must include a statement of intent from a performer or ensemble demonstrating a commitment to the proposed performance or recording.
Although not obligatory, members of the jury will favour proposals where the collaboration would be with a performer or ensemble different from that of the premiere performance.
The award funds may not be used for performance fees or recording expenses. This must be shown in the proposed budget.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals will include the following:

Description: (3000 characters max)
1. Description of the work and its artistic relevance to your practice
2. Something specifically about the work you wish to refine or improve
3. The impact this project has on your career as a composer
Timeline: (2000 characters max)
1. Rehearsal schedule with locations (if known)
2. Date and location of expected performance/recording
3. Release date (if applicable)
Budget: (2000 characters max)
1. Include other public/private funding sources (federal, provincial, municipal, etc.)
2. Eligible expenses:
  1. Rehearsal space costs
  2. Composer’s rehearsal fee
  3. Performer rehearsal fees
  4. Equipment rental
  5. Piano tuning (if applicable)
Proof of Premiere (PDF): Documentation of a previous performance, or an upcoming performance for the proposed work. Upcoming performance must be prior to the start of the timeline indicated above.
Résumé or CV (PDF): Both the composer and (all) performer(s) should submit résumés or CVs.
Letter(s) of Agreement (PDF):
1. The composer and performer(s) sign a statement of intent that confirms their collaboration on the project
2. Where applicable, submit a short letter from a record label confirming a future release
Proof of funding:
1. Confirmed funding from arts councils, or;
2. A letter of commitment from private sources, or;
3. A letter of commitment from a concert presenter/ensemble for funding, record label agreement, or,
4. If the project is self-funded/released, a comprehensive plan for producing the event/recording including contracts from performers, ensembles, venues, studios, and/or engineers. If the project is a recording, this should include a distribution plan.
Support Material:
1. A score of the proposed work (PDF) and/or,
2. An archival audio or video recording of the proposed work, preferably in performance or a demo recording from rehearsals (link to streaming audio/video). MIDI recordings will not be accepted.
3. If the archival recording of the proposed work does not feature the performer(s) collaborating on the proposed project, a separate recording of the collaborating performer(s) must be submitted to demonstrate their abilities (link to streaming audio).

Streaming audio/video files should be hosted on Soundcloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Bandcamp, or another reliable streaming site. Files must remain available for 6 months after the application deadline.

A proposal that does not include a score and/or recording of the proposed work will not be accepted.

Proposal Evaluation

Proposals will be evaluated on a competitive basis by a jury selected by the Canadian Music Centre. The Fund jury will be comprised of five members from the national music community who will offer their perspective on the composition, performance, and sound recording, among other topics.

Proposals will be assessed based on:

Artistic Merit
Impact on Composer’s career
The feasibility of the project in the proposed rehearsal time
The appropriateness of the budget for the proposed project, including paying union rates for the musicians involved.

Unsuccessful proposals will be encouraged to resubmit and, where possible, constructive feedback will be offered to encourage the realization of their project.

The decision of the jury is final and there is no procedure for appeal.

Conditions

The successful applicant(s) will be announced and acknowledged at a public event to be held in the Spring (2024) in Toronto, Ontario. The successful applicant(s) must guarantee that they and the performer(s) will be able to complete their selected project no later than the spring of 2025.

All promotional material, programs and/or liner notes must acknowledge the support of the Harry Freedman Fund and the Canadian Music Centre.