LOS ANGELES (ASCAP) - Lotte LehmannFrances Richard, ASCAP Vice President and
Director of Concert
Music and Daron Hagen, President of the Lotte Lehmann Foundation (LLF) announced the creation of the first ASCAP/Lotte Lehmann Foundation Song
Cycle Competition. The competition, named for legendary soprano Lotte Lehmann, was established to recognize talented young composers who write for the human voice. Winning works will be selected via a juried national competition from amongst eligible composers under the age of thirty.
First Prize will be a $3,500 commission for a song cycle for voice and piano, publication by E.C. Schirmer of the completed work, and performances of the song cycle in three major American cities, including New York. Second Prize ($1,000) and Third Prize ($500) will be awarded to commission two new songs for voice and piano. The deadline for entries is
September 15, 2005. Applicants must be citizens, permanent residents of the United States, or enrolled students with student visas, who will not reach their 30th birthday by January 1, 2006. One original work per composer may be submitted. A panel of professionals will be convened to select the composers to be commissioned. Guidelines and application can be found at https://www.ascap.com/concert/lottelehmann/
Composer Daron Hagen, President of the Lotte Lehmann Foundation said, "The Lotte Lehmann Foundation is proud to launch this important competition in partnership with ASCAP. We are grateful to Margo Garrett for generously underwriting the commission prizes, and to EC Schirmer for pledging to publish the Song Cyclecreated through this initiative. We welcome presenters whose willingness to join in the presentation of multiple performances will fulfill Lehmann's dream of bringing art song to people everywhere."
World famous soprano Lotte Lehmann (1888-1976) was one of the great musical artists of the 20th Century. Lehmann's glorious voice and expressive interpretive talent enthralled her audiences with material ranging from opera to Lieder (classical German song). Lehmann fled her native Germany for the US in 1938 and became an American citizen. After her singing career ended she continued to write books, give master-classes and helped found the
Music Academy of the West in
Santa Barbara, CA. Her influence in the world of opera, art song and education was enormous.
