Harmonium Offers an Exciting Opportunity for High School Student Composers

Harmonium Choral Society offers high school students an exciting opportunity to participate in its 18th Annual New Jersey High School Student Choral Composition Contest. Interested students are encouraged to view the official guidelines, selected texts, eligibility requirements and additional contest materials at www.harmonium.org/contest.shtml or contact contest coordinator George Moser at ccc@harmonium.org. The Grand Prize is $1,000 with a Runner-Up Prize of $250. Students must submit their original choral compositions to Harmonium on or before February 16, 2015.

Compositions must be five minutes or less in length with text from the selected works by Christina Rossetti, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost or a passage from the biblical “Book of Revelation” (see www.harmonium.org/contexts2015.pdf). A panel of judges consisting of professional musicians, composers, and music educators will select the winning composition which will be performed and recorded live during the Harmonium spring concert “Apocalypse Now” on June 6 and 7, 2015 at Grace Episcopal Church in Madison, N.J.

The contest is open to all students enrolled in grades nine through twelve in any public or private school in the State of New Jersey. It is also open to all students who are legal residents of New Jersey participating in home schooling at the high school level. Every contestant will receive personal comments and advice about their submission from a professional musician and composer.

Visit YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOUYUsUVzqw) to hear Fraser Weist, Grand Prize Recipient 2013 and 2014, and Henry Joseph Mathusek, Runner Up 2014, discuss how the student composition contest has inspired them to continue to pursue a passion for musical creativity and exploration.

Harmonium seeks sponsors to support this innovative program. Please see www.harmonium.org or send contributions by mail to Harmonium Choral Society, P.O. Box 1317, Morristown, NJ 07962-1317. For more information, call 973-538-6969.

ABOUT HARMONIUM CHORAL SOCIETY
Harmonium, one of New Jersey’s leading choral arts organizations, is known for its eclectic programming and community spirit. The chorus sponsors commissions, premieres, and musicianship workshops, as well as an Outreach Chorus which performs in schools, nursing homes and other venues. The choral society has been recognized for its musical excellence and innovative programming. Harmonium has won the prestigious Chorus America Education and Outreach Award as well as the Morris Arts Organization Award. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Eastern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association and at the opening convocation of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) Region II Convention.

Funding has been made possible in part by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.