ETHEL's Fifth Round Of HomeBaked Composer Initiative Calls For Scores

Acclaimed string quartet ETHEL invites early-career music creators to submit their scores for Round V of ETHEL's HomeBaked commissioning initiative. Composers from a wide range of practices are encouraged to apply before July 1, 2021. This iteration of HomeBaked calls for works for flute and string quartet, as ETHEL will partner in collaboration with their longtime friend, flutist, composer, and producer Allison Loggins-Hull.

The HomeBaked Round V Call for Scores welcomes music that's notational, non-notational and/or improvisatory, that incorporates electronics, found objects, and anything else a composer can think of. "Throughout our history, ETHEL has sought out creators from differing experiences and practices, celebrating voices that have been historically underrepresented," says Ralph Farris, co-founder and violist of ETHEL. "We are always thrilled to work with composers who are just starting out, especially if they haven't yet had the experience of writing for classical instruments."

"I'm so excited to be working with my dear friends at ETHEL and bringing to life new works for flute and string quartet. I look forward to the possibility of discovering music that challenges us to think outside of the box, engaging in processes that may be new to us, and the opportunity to collaborate with young composers who are shaping the future of music," says Allison Loggins-Hull. "ETHEL has always embodied an adventurous and curious spirit, and I'm pumped to go on this journey with them."

Selected composers will have the opportunity to mentor with members of ETHEL and Loggins-Hull, as well as established composers and previous HomeBaked commissionees. The commissions will be in the amount of $4,000 for works of 10-12 minutes. The final works will be considered for inclusion in ETHEL's upcoming touring program with Loggins-Hull, which will also feature a new piece by Loggins-Hull and be performed for multiple seasons.

ETHEL has been approved for a $20,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support HomeBaked. ETHEL's HomeBaked initiative is among the more than 1,100 projects across America totaling nearly $27 million that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2021 funding. "As the country and the arts sector begin to imagine returning to a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce funding that will help arts organizations such as ETHEL reengage fully with partners and audiences," said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. "Although the arts have sustained many during the pandemic, the chance to gather with one another and share arts experiences is its own necessity and pleasure."

Submission Details

ETHEL is using an online application portal. For the application, interested artists must submit two, 3-minute excerpts of contrasting work that demonstrate their compositional style, along with accompanying excerpts of scores (in whatever form they may take). In addition, ETHEL requires a bio, an artist statement, and a brief proposal of what the artists hope to create for the group. The deadline to submit materials is July 1, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Selected applicants will be announced in August.

About ETHEL
"In the hands of ETHEL, American music is alive and well." (The Washington Post) Established in New York City in 1998, ETHEL quickly earned a reputation as one of America's most adventurous string quartets. More than 20 years later, the band continues to set the standard for contemporary concert music. Known for its enlivened playing, blending uptown, conservatory musicianship with downtown genre-crossing, ETHEL has been described as "indefatigable and eclectic" (The New York Times), "vital and brilliant" (The New Yorker), and "infectiously visceral" (Pitchfork). Since its inception, ETHEL has released nine feature recordings (one of them nominated for a Native American Music Award), premiered 225 compositions, performed as guests on 40+ albums, won a GRAMMY with jazz legend Kurt Elling, and performed in 14 countries, 45 states, and 250 cities.

At the heart of ETHEL is a collaborative ethos-a quest for a common creative expression that is forged in the celebration of community. The quartet creates and tours rich, often multimedia, productions including the evening-length ETHEL's Documerica, inspired by the tens of thousands of images shot in the 1970's as part of the Environmental Protection Agency's decade-long Project Documerica; The River, a collaboration with Taos Pueblo flutist Robert Mirabal; Grace, a journey highlighting musical iterations of redemption and featuring ETHEL's own adaptation of Ennio Morricone's moving score to the 1986 film, The Mission; Ancient Airs and Dances, a journey to European Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque Eras; and Circus: Wandering City, which explores the phenomenon of circus through the eyes and insights of people who have created its special thrills and illusions. This season marks the fifth chapter of ETHEL's HomeBaked Project, an initiative showcasing emerging composers. The Class of 2020 composers had their pieces premiered by ETHEL at National Sawdust and was featured in a festival at the Brooklyn Public Library.

ETHEL is Resident Ensemble at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Balcony Bar, Ensemble-in-Residence at Denison University, and was a 2019-20 Creative-in- Residence at the Brooklyn Public Library. ETHEL is Ralph Farris (viola), Kip Jones (violin), Dorothy Lawson (cello), and Corin Lee (violin). www.ethelcentral.org @ethelcentral