Presenting the rising stars of early music and historical performance since 2018.
In-Person for 2022!
We are hopeful and looking forward to presenting the Emerging Artists Showcase in-person as part of the Berkeley Festival & Exhibition, June 5-12, 2022, in Berkeley, CA. This marks EMA’s fourth appearance at BFX, our last in 2016. We are also welcoming applications for a separate Virtual Emerging Artists Showcase to premiere in early June 2022.
Applicants are welcome to apply for both the in-person and virtual showcase using a single application submission. Selected artists will appear in-person or virtually but not both. Proposed programs should be 20-30 minutes in length.
The applications are open now with a deadline of Friday, February 14, 2022 at 11:59pm U.S. Eastern Time.
All selected applicants will receive a Showcase Grant to aid in travel to the Showcase and/or production of their program ($1,500 for In-Person or $1,000 for Virtual).
Guidelines for Application
Eligible Applicants
- The applicant should be a current member of EMA, with either a Personal, Student, or Household Membership or an Organization membership for the ensemble prior to the application deadline. Both are not required in order to apply. Please ensure your membership is current at the time of submission.
- First year student memberships are free, and students pay a reduced rate after the first year.
- “Emerging artists” means artists of any age who have not otherwise performed regularly in major festivals or concert series.
- No individual performer may be included in more than one Emerging Artists Showcase application (e.g. Jane Smith is a member of Ensemble A and Ensemble B. Only one of the ensembles may apply with her as a member. Likewise, if Ensemble A applies, Jane may not apply separately).
- All applicants must be residents of the USA, Canada, or Mexico. Citizenship not required.
- Although the term “early music” is understood in different ways, for the purposes of this Showcase, it involves the following criteria:
- Due interpretive attention must be given to matters of historical performance practice.
- Applicants are expected to perform with period instruments. Please inquire if the pandemic has limited your ability to access appropriate instruments for your repertoire
- Past Showcase programs have typically featured repertory composed before ca. 1820, although we welcome repertory from later eras, so long as it meets the criteria above.
- Artists who are a part of an ensemble under consideration for Young Performers Festival may apply separately for the Showcase, so-long as they or their ensemble are not university sponsored. University-sponsored applicants should apply only for the Young Performers Festival (YPF).
Required Materials
Ensemble/Performer Information
- Soloist or Ensemble Name
- Names of all performer or artists proposed for your EAS program
- How long has the ensemble been performing together? Please include information about a past ensemble project – description or concert program is acceptable.
- Short soloist/ensemble bio (for promotional material)
- Artist/Ensemble mission/relationship with historical performance and early modern instruments
- Title and description of your proposed 20-30 minute Showcase program. (max. 500 words)
- Brief description of how your group is emerging and how you see your future in the early music field
- Are there any elements of mixed media in your program? Ex. images, cartoon, original artwork, lecture performance, etc…
- Is this program already produced or would it be produced specifically for the EAS?
- Please describe any other funding sources for this project and how the grant funding from EMA of $1500 will help you accomplish this project.
- Are there any resources you need (that you do not currently have) to make this program possible? Ex. Recording equipment, editing software, other items related to producing virtual programs.
Performance recordings that meet the following requirements:
- Live video performance recordings of the applicant – MAXIMUM of 20 minutes in length.
- Submitted performance recordings must be no more than two years old.
- Submitted performance recordings should be of the highest video quality possible.
- Video recordings should be shared as Youtube links – videos may either be public or unlisted.
- Recordings can be multiple short selections or one long selection.
- Please submit a list of personnel represented in your recordings, and a list of the pieces performed. Recordings should reflect, as much as possible, the personnel indicated in your program proposal, meaning that each person in the proposal should have be reflected in a submitted recording.
- Submission recordings may be of your proposed program, but it is not required.
Showcase Grant Payment Details (one required)
- Check (Payee name, contact phone, mailing address for check)
- Paypal (Payee email)
- Zelle (Payee phone number or email address associated with Zelle account. USA only.)
Judging
A panel of judges designated by EMA will assess all applications on the following three criteria categories.
- Technical proficiency
- Artistic quality
- Ensemble cohesion/chamber music skills
- Awareness of and attention to historical performance
- Audience Engagement
- How do you represent yourself as an artist?
- How are you communicating the music beyond playing the notes in a historically informed way?
- Innovation in presentation and/or repertoire
- Creativity and originality using available resources
- New and attainable ideas – is the size of the proposed project realistically attainable within the three month preparation and production period?
- Are you conducting new research related to the project?
- Feel free to consider a lecture component or a specific audience demographic focus. Lecture components should account for no more than 25% of the final project time. The focus should remain on the performance of the music.
Selections will be based on the strength of the proposal and the level of artistry displayed in recorded submissions.
All applications will receive feedback from the judging panel, regardless of the success of their application. Accepted ensembles may receive recommendations from the panel to be incorporated into their final product.
Intellectual Property Agreement
Artists will retain ownership of any virtual projects and agree to allow Early Music America to archive an Emerging Artists Showcase branded version on the EMA YouTube channel. EMA agrees to use the virtual projects only in promoting the current and future Emerging Artists Showcases and will secure permission from the artists before utilizing the projects in any other way.
Application Details
Application Deadline: Monday, February 14, 2022 at 11:59pm U.S. Eastern Time
We highly encourage all applicants to submit your application at least ONE WEEK prior to the deadline in case there are any issues with your application, so we can resolve them in a timely manner before the deadline.
All required materials MUST be submitted via the application form.
Those selected for the Emerging Artists Showcase will be notified by Monday, March 7, 2022.
Selected applicants’ programs (20-30 minute each) will be featured on a single Showcase concert on Friday, June 10 in Berkeley, CA.
Please submit questions to info@earlymusicamerica.org.
2021 Virtual Showcase Performances
Videos of previous all Showcase performances from 2018 to the present can be viewed in EMA’s Video Resources.