February 15, 2018 - The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra and Mariposa County Arts Council's 2018 Young Master Composers Celebration has now begun. The MSO is a program of the Mariposa County Arts Council, Inc.
The Young Master Composers Celebration is an annual challenge to all Mariposa County residents aged 8 - 18. Entrants are invited to compose their own classical music following specific guidelines created by MSO Founder/Conductor Les Marsden. In the current 2018 event, young composers are encouraged to write music that might suggest the sound of their favorite superhero characters. Winning compositions in each of three age categories will be selected by Marsden, who will then orchestrate the music. Those compositions will receive their world premiere performances as played by the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marsden at the MSO's annual "Independence Day Spectacular!" Concert, to be held on Saturday, June 30 this year. The three winning contestants will also each receive $50, a score containing all orchestrated winning entries, a certificate and a recording of the orchestrated compositions as realized via the Garritan Personal Orchestra program, using the sounds of actual orchestral instruments played by musicians.
Marsden created the "Young Master Composers Celebration" as a program of the Mariposa County Arts Council over a decade ago. Marsden's simple guidelines serve as a roadmap for student musicians, who can follow that guide to create their own composition in "Sonata" Form - the basic structure of most concert music composed in the 18th and 19th centuries and still in use today. The Young Master Composers Celebration is intended to not only help aspiring young composers compose "classical" music of their own, but to gain appreciation for music that's already been written by some of the greatest composers past and present.
The contest is open to Mariposa County residents aged 8 - 18 who can follow simple guidelines - and it's best if they read music. Deadline for all entries is Friday, March 30, 2018 by 4:00 P.M. Entries must be received via postal mail or in-person delivery in the office of the Mariposa County Arts Council, located at 5009 Highway 140 (Top Floor of Chocolate Soup) at the southern entrance to the historic town of Mariposa. Hours are normally M-F, 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. The office may be reached by calling (209) 966-3155. The winning entries will be announced at the MSO's Spring concerts in Mariposa at the Fiester Auditorium of Mariposa County High School on Saturday, April 14 at 7:00 P.M. and on Sunday, April 15 at 2:00 P.M. in the Majestic Yosemite (Ahwahnee) Hotel in Yosemite National Park.
More information is available online at the Arts Council's website: MariposaArtsCouncil.org/young-master-composers-celebration A link will be found on that page for a direct download of the 2018 contest's guidelines and application. Students without computer access may visit the Mariposa County Arts Council's office during normal office hours to receive a copy of the guidelines in person.