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Kaplan Commissioning Project
Saint Mary’s University Concert Band

The Saint Mary*S University Concert Band (Winona, MN) sponsors a $5,000 commission made possible by the Helen and Sam Kaplan Charitable Foundation Trust Fund. The funds originally awarded to Saint Mary's University are designed to "…enlarge exposure for the particular talents, skills, expertise and scholarship of recognized Jewish and Israeli intellectuals, leaders, musicians, performing artists and academicians through it's scholar-in-residence program."

In the spirit of the grant, the SMU Concert Band has commissioned a series of band and wind ensemble compositions based on traditional Jewish melodic materials from either religious or folk sources. The commission requires the composer selected for the project must be of Jewish descent and be able to work well with students in an educational setting. Experience with the concert band genre is preferred. The composer will be expected to communicate with the band as the work is being written, and will present a lecture/seminar in conjunction with the premier performance. A travel stipend will be arranged with the composer selected for the project, and other additional involvement (such as conducting the premiere) will be agreed upon by the composer and the SMU Concert Band director.

The seventh Helen and Sam Kaplan Foundation Commission for a new Concert Band composition written by a composer of Jewish heritage is outlined below. Any questions should be directed directly to Dr. Janet Heukeshoven, Director of Bands at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Contact information is provided at the end of this notice.

Amount of Commission:

$5,000.00 plus travel/expense allowance for a campus visit at the premier of the composition.

Description of the Composition:

The work will be scored for standard concert band instrumentation, appropriate difficulty level for advanced high school bands and collegiate ensembles. (A “grade 4” level of difficulty by current educational standards.) The orchestration of the 2012 project may be extended to include solo voice or voices.

The composition is expected to be approximately 5 minutes in length.

The composition will be based on Jewish melodic material, either folk or religious sources.

Expectations of the composer:

The selected composer will interact with SMU band students regarding the composition. He/she will also be requested to attend the premier and present a lecture/seminar on the commissioned work and music composition in general.
Past commissioned composers have spent an average of 4 days in residency surrounding the premiere.

The composer will provide SMU a full score and one set of parts. Additional duplication of parts as needed for the ensemble will be the responsibility of the university.

The composer retains all copyrights and will acknowledge SMU’s role in the commission of the composition upon future publication and/or distribution.

The SMU Concert Band will present the premier performance at a mutually agreed upon concert date during the 2012-2013 academic year. The composer will have the opportunity to conduct the premier performance if she/he chooses to do so.

Application process and deadline:

Interested Jewish composers should send a letter of introduction, resume, scores and recordings of three representative compositions, and a SASE for return of scores and recordings (optional) by March 15th 2011 to:

Dr. Janet Heukeshoven
Kaplan Commission Project Chair
Saint Mary’s University Music Department
700 Terrace Heights #58
Winona, MN 55987-1399

Scores submitted for consideration need not be band compositions, but should demonstrate wind and percussion writing. Composers who have applied for the Kaplan/SMU Commission in the past are encouraged to re-apply.

Please note that application materials will be returned only if a self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed for return postage. If there is no SASE the materials will be kept in the Kaplan Commission Project archive for music student use and study.

For additional information please contact Dr. Heukeshoven at 507.457.1675 or email at: jheukesh@smumn.edu.

Past Kaplan Commissions (1998-2010)

Title of composition	Composer	Premiere
Halleil: Praise the Lord	Steven Barnett	2000
Let Peace Descend	Lee Kesselman	2002
Departure Point	Phillip Rothman	2004
Israeli Rhapsody	Judith Zaimont	2006
Ashkenazi Fathers	Marc Bernstein	2008
If You Could Only See the Frog	Paul Richards	2010

Click here to see press information/photos of the 2010 commission