CALL FOR PROPOSALS | The Harry Freedman Recording Award 

Deadline: Coming Soon

About: The Canadian Music Centre Harry Freedman Recording Award provides a cash prize ($3,000 CAD) to a winning composer in order to support the first commercial recording of a composition. 

The Harry Freedman Award was established by the Freedman family to commemorate the legendary Canadian composer—2022 would have marked Freedman’s 100th birthday. The award contributes to the creative costs (rehearsal and editing of a piece), or the recording costs associated with making audio recordings of Canadian composer’s music for a confirmed future commercial release—in any physical and/or digital format.

  • The applicant must be a CMC Associate Composer in good standing as of 2021. 
  • Composer-performers are eligible to apply with a composition that they will record 
  • The proposed work is a solo or chamber piece (a maximum of 8 performing parts, with or without electroacoustics), or is acousmatic. 
  • The proposed work has been premiered prior to the release of the commercial recording. 
  • The recording will be the first commercial release of the proposed work.
  • The proposed work can be released individually, or as part of a full-length album 

Proposals will be submitted through an online form, and should include the following: 

  • Written responses: provide responses to the following questions: 
    • How will the award support the refinement of the proposed piece? (Character limit 1500) 
    • How will this recording project (and the proposed piece in particular) support the career goals of the composer (and where applicable, the musician/ensemble)? (Character limit 1500) 
    • What additional steps are you taking (or will you take) to ensure the project is properly resourced? (Character limit 750) 
  • Protocols/Consultations (PDF): Where applicable, if the proposed composition engages with or borrows from musics, histories, narratives, and/or other cultural forms existing beyond the composer’s personal history and identity, the applicant will provide information on the protocols and consultations which guided the development of the piece. 
  • Timeline: A brief outline that includes rehearsal, recording, and release dates (Character limit 2000) 
  • Budget: Indicate the creative costs that will be covered by the award (Character limit 2000) 
  • Documentation of Premiere (PDF) 
  • Composer CV (PDF) 
  • Collaborator CV (PDF): Where applicable, a performer/ensemble CV or bio should be included 
  • Letter(s) of Agreement (PDF):  
    • Where applicable, the composer and performer/ensemble sign a statement of intent that confirms their collaboration on the recording project. 
    • Where applicable, submit a short letter from a record label confirming a future release. 
  • Score/Instructions of the proposed work (PDF): Where applicable 
  • Link* to streaming audio/video of the proposed work: MIDI realizations of acoustic works are not acceptable. If the archival recording does not feature the performer(s) collaborating on the commercial recording, a separate link to streaming audio/video of the collaborating performer(s) must be submitted 
    • *Streaming audio/video files should be hosted on a reliable site and remain available until March 2022. 

Proposals must be submitted electronically using the online form. Proposals must be received before 11:59 pm PDT on January 14, 2022—the online form will be closed at that point. 

Proposal Evaluation:  Proposals will be evaluated on a competitive basis by a jury selected by the Canadian Music Centre. The jury will consist of 4-5 members from the Canadian music community. The decision of the jury is final and there is no procedure for appeal. The successful applicant(s) will be announced in spring 2022. The CMC will work with the winner to determine a suitable opportunity for a public presentation. 

Conditions of the Award: The awarded project must be completed within two years of receiving the award. The commercial recording must acknowledge the support of the Harry Freedman Recording Fund and the Canadian Music Centre in the liner notes.

Questions & Clarifications: Should you have any questions regarding the Award, please contact joseph.glaser@cmccanada.org. Please refrain from detailed inquiry in the final two business days leading up to the deadline—we cannot guarantee a satisfactory response under those conditions.