Cedille Records opens application process for Emerging Artist Competition

Cedille Records is now accepting applications for its Emerging Artist Competition for Chicago-based musicians 

 In celebration of the label’s 30^th Anniversary, the competition helps perpetuate Cedille’s mission of elevating the work of Chicago area artists

Cedille is now accepting applications for its Emerging Artist Competition. Individual performers and ensembles (sextet or smaller) who have not appeared as the featured performer on another commercially released CD are eligible to apply; the competition is not open to composers or conductors. The maximum age limit for individual performers is 35-years-old as of the application open date. For ensembles, the average age of ensemble members should not exceed 35 and no individual player may exceed 40 years of age. There is no minimum age limit. All individual performers and at least 50% of ensemble players must reside in or come from the Chicago metro area (defined as the following counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will). No individual may appear on more than one application; for example, if applying as a soloist, an individual may not also apply as a member of an ensemble.

To apply for the Emerging Artist Competition, artists must submit a resume; a written goal statement, including an explanation of their connection to Chicago; a list of any commercially released recordings on which they have participated (not as the featured performer); a concept and/or suggested repertoire for an album; and unedited video of the artist(s) performing two contrasting pieces, which need not be the same as the repertoire prepared for later rounds of the competition or the album concept.

The application fee is $50 for individuals and $100 for ensembles. The deadline for all application submissions is August 1, 2019.

The Cedille Legacy

James Ginsburg founded Cedille Records in 1989 with the vision of making distinctive classical recordings featuring excellent Chicago-area musicians. Cedille filled an important niche as the only Chicago-based classical record label, and to this day continues to fulfill its mission of recording original programs developed by artists with enlightening and distinctive interpretations. Cedille’s artists and albums are regularly honored with the highest accolades, including GRAMMY® awards.

The eventual winner of the Emerging Artist Competition will join an impressive roster of artists that includes Jennifer Koh, Rachel Barton Pine, Eighth Blackbird, the Dover Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, and Anthony McGill. 

The Competition

After applications are screened by a panel of Cedille Records board members, the competition semi-finals and finals will take place as live concerts over concurrent days in Chicago in May 2020. The concerts will be open to the public. Semi-finals will include up to 10 contestants who will prepare an hour of music from which judges will select 15 minutes to be performed. The final round will include up to five contestants playing 30 minutes of music total, including two contrasting works, selected by the contestants themselves. Semi-final and final performances will be judged by a panel of five judges, to be named at a later date, comprising prominent musicians and industry professionals.

One winner and one honorable mention will be selected. The winner will record a Cedille Records album for release in Fall 2021. The winner’s prize will be offered to the honorable mention if the winner is not able to record or release the album as planned.

Cedille Records

Launched in November 1989, Grammy Award-winning Cedille Records (pronounced say-DEE) is dedicated to showcasing and promoting the most noteworthy classical artists in and from the Chicago area.

The audiophile-oriented label releases every new album in multiple formats: physical CD; 96 kHz, 24-bit, studio-quality FLAC download; and 320 Kbps MP3 download.

An independent nonprofit enterprise, Cedille Records is the label of Cedille Chicago, NFP. Sales of physical CDs and digital downloads and streams cover only a small percentage of the label’s costs. Tax-deductible donations from individual music-lovers and grants from charitable organizations account for most of its revenue.

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