Dionysia Trust is pleased to announce a call for submissions for its international competition for musicians and composers of all ages and nationalities for the Competition for Original Composition 2021, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.

On this historic milestone for Modern Greece, Dionysia Trust is offering a platform to Greek and international composers who, like everyone in the arts, have suffered the frustrations and restrictions imposed on arts and culture over the last year because of Covid-19.

The composers can draw inspiration from the historical events surrounding 1821, the ideals behind them (shared by the French and American revolutions), the trajectory of Greece since that time, contemporary Greece and, of course, the view to the future.

Submissions will be judged on both the music score and the required analytical description of the inspiration behind each composition.

An e-certificate of participation will be given for each valid submission.

A recording of the winning composition in each category will be made at the recording studios of ERT (National Greek Radio and Television) by the Music Ensembles of ERT. These recordings will be premiered on ERT radio in the fall of 2021 (they cannot be performed in public, or recorded for public distribution, before this premiere).

The Dionysia Trust Competition for Original Composition 2021 is held under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports as part of the Initiative 1821-2021 with the support of Music Ensembles of ERT (National Greek Radio and Television).

If Covid restrictions are lifted, Dionysia Trust aims to organize a concert at the end of 2021 or in early 2022 where the winning compositions will be performed by The Music Ensembles of ERT within a Music Program commemorating the Greek War of Independence of 1821.

The competition is divided into 2 categories and each applicant is allowed to make one submission to each separate category.

1) String Quartet or Quintet (5-10 mins)

Violin, Viola, Cello, Contrabass

2) Mixed Chamber Music Ensemble +/-Piano (7-10 mins) with 5-9 instruments of the following:

1 Concert Flute or Piccolo

1 Clarinet (B Flat Clarinet, Bass Clarinet or E Flat Clarinet)

1 Bassoon

3 Trumpets (B Flat Trumpet and/or C Trumpet)

1 Tenor Trombone

1 Bass Trombone

1 Orchestra Tuba (F Tuba)

1 Violin I

1 Violin II

1 Viola

1 Cello

1 Contrabass

1 Percussionist (playing any, or all, of the following: Vibraphone, Marimba, Glockenspiel, Toms, Snare, Cymbals, Piatti, Tamtam, Triangle, Tambourine, Sleigh-Bells, Maracas, Slapstick, Finger Cymbal, Shakers, Woodblocks)

Miltos Logiadis (Conductor, Professor of Conducting at Ionio University)

Dionyssis Mallouhos (Piano Soloist, Radio Producer for the Third Program of the Greek Radio)

Michalis Patseas (Conductor, Founder & Director of Kodály Conservatory in Athens)

Gerald Wirth (Composer, Conductor, President of Vienna Boys’ Choir, Founder & Artistic Director of Wirth Music Academy)

Haris Xanthoudakis (Musicologist, Composer)

Laura Mamakos – Coordinator of the Judging Panel (President & Co-founder of Dionysia Trust, Soprano)

The judging panel’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

On November 9, 2021 the Judging Panel of the Dionysia Trust Competition for Original Composition 2021 completed the evaluation process.

We would like to thank all the talented composers who participated in the competition from all over the world.

The Dionysia Trust Board of Directors is pleased to announce the following results:

Prize in Mixed Chamber Music Ensemble category: Stathis Chomatsas ‘Drosoulites’

Commendation in Mixed Chamber Music Ensemble category: Nikolaos Exarchos ‘1821 Suite’

Prize in String Quartet or Quintet category: Theodoros Grigorakakis ‘Thrymmatismenoi’

Commendation in String Quartet or Quintet category: Giorgos Sgourdas ‘After 1821: three causes’

A recording of the winning composition in each category will be made at the recording studios of ERT (National Greek Radio and Television) by the Music Ensembles of ERT.

More details to come about the Radio Premiere.