Wigmore Hall has announced a new international call for composers. The Lockdown Commissions will see twelve composers commissioned to compose a new work, reflecting on their experience of life during lockdown.

The scheme is open to composers both in the UK and internationally who have not been previously commissioned by Wigmore Hall. 

John Gilhooly, Director of Wigmore Hall, said:

For some, lockdown has been a time of anxiety and despair, of isolation and crisis, of discrimination and inequality. For others it has been a time of renewal and reflection, resolve and occasionally joy.

By commissioning twelve new works, we want to reflect all of these and many other situations. This is not just a reaction to the pandemic, but to any world or political events in this period that have inspired composers.

Those wishing to apply must submit samples of previous work which will then be reviewed by a panel of judges including Gilhooly, composers Freya Waley-Cohen, Laurence Osborn, Daniel Kidane, Richard Baker and Errollyn Wallen, classical music programmer Toks Dada, and Chief Executive of the Royal Philharmonic Society, James Murphy. The selected twelve composers will be offered paid commissions to write for specific forces and the works will be premiered at Wigmore Hall. 

The deadline for applications is Friday 30 October at 12pm.

For full details, visit https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/news/lockdown-commissions