The City of Derry Guitar Festival has launched a competition to encourage the composition of new music for guitar.

Composers can submit works for guitar and electronics to compete for a £500 commission for the 2006 festival. Entries have already been received from Iran, Greece, Russia, the UK and Ireland. 

Composer Frank Lyons, Lecturer in Music at the University of Ulster and director of the composition course at the festival said: “It’s really exciting to see such a response and to be involved in a project that is creating new repertoire for the guitar. The addition of electronics makes it unique and we are looking forward to hearing the winning work live at the festival using our resident guitarists and the University’s state of the art facilities.”

The City of Derry Guitar Festival brings together some of the world’s finest guitarists in a programme of performances and courses for guitarists and composers of all levels. From 25-28 August audiences can look forward to classical, acoustic, electric and flamenco guitar performances from renowned artists such as Carlos Bonell, Magarita Escarpa, Clive Carroll and the Festival’s Artistic Director, Sean Woods. Concerts will take place in the Centre for the Creative and Performing Arts at the Magee campus and also the Nerve Centre.

The City of Derry Guitar Festival is sponsored by Henderson Music LTD, funded by Derry City Council, Awards for All and the D’Addario Foundation, USA, and is promoted by the Classical Music Society in association with the University of Ulster’s Cultural Development Department. For full programme details visit www.cityofderryguitarfestival.com or telephone 028 7137 5550.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office, Department of Communication and Development
Tel: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk