THE £3000 LAWSON-MAY AWARD FOR COMPOSITION
Gianluca Castelli – 2021 winner
“This was an extremely strong field. I hugely enjoyed listening to these seven finalists, who wrote substantial, ingenious works, representing different musical styles.
I’m delighted to award the first prize to the Italian composer Gianluca Castelli, whose cello and piano work Atemkristall is an elegiac evocation of the poet Paul Celan. I was particularly impressed by Gianluca’s sense of pacing: a compelling, contemplative opening that was bold enough to include silence, leading ultimately to a fierce, declamatory climax for both instruments, which was both exciting and visceral. The challenging cello part – with judicious use of harmonics, encompassing a plangent voice – explores the range of the instrument beautifully; the pianistic writing is colouristic and rich. Although short, this skilful piece has something profound and emotionally complex to say. I can imagine it making a big impression in a recital.
The three runners-up all produced terrific music too. Ukranian-born Lilia Yurchack submitted a delightful suite of piano pieces, Pastels, which had Bartókian warmth and wit, rigorous rhythm and colour. Japanese composer Minato Sakamoto’s Hanon Variations playfully touches on minimalism and delicate, glittering tessituras. Its ending is terrifically jazzy and virtuosic – a real showstopper. Lastly, the Iranian composer Mohammad Sebetghadam’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano is imaginative tonally – beautiful writing for the piano, in particular – and can be both dreamy and varied, with spirited dialogue between the instruments.”
Head of Piano
Royal Academy of Music
Eligibility
1) Composers of any age and nationality
2) Compositions must not have been previously published (all entries will be thoroughly checked)
3) Compositions must not have won any prize in a previous composition competition (all entries will be thoroughly checked)
4) Compositions must never have been performed in public (all entries will be thoroughly checked)
5) Only one entry per composer
Length and Format
1) 7-15 minutes in duration
2) Work must be written exclusively for one of the following:
- solo piano
- violin and piano duo
- cello and piano duo
- clarinet and piano duo
Application (deadline 1st July 2021)
1) Short Biography (300 words max)
2) Submissions must only be sent via email to lawsonmayaward@gmail.com
3) Biography and scores must be typeset and attached as PDF files
4) If possible, please attach a recording of your composition (mp3, wav or midi file).
4) There is no application fee.
5) Please submit entries under your own name.
Results
1) The winner and runners-up will be announced on the opening day of the 2021 Solent Music Festival on 20th September. Details will then posted immediately to this page and the SMF Instagram account. The jury’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
Awards
1) One prize only of £3000 to be paid via bank transfer.
2) The winning work will be premiered at the Solent Music Festival in 2022. It must not be performed in public or recorded for public distribution before this premiere.
Jury to be announced