Dublin Sound Lab invites composers to propose new works to be performed at Music Current Festival, Dublin, April 2026. Submissions may be for any combination of flute, clarinet/bass clarinet, violin, cello, electric guitar, or percussion. The proposal must include an electronic or video part, but should not require a conductor.
We will review proposals according to flexible criteria, but we would especially like to receive proposals that engage critically with technology, media, or collaborative performance.
One applicant will be offered an award of €4,000. The commissioned composer will work closely with Dublin Sound Lab until April 2026, and may be invited to give public presentations on their work or to contribute to outreach, mentoring, or other professional development programmes in collaboration with our festival partners.
The assessment panel will include festival Artistic Director, Fergal Dowling, a member of the production team, and at least one of the regular Dublin Sound Lab instrumentalists. Please see our previous festival programmes and the following list of past commissionees to see the types of works we like to commission.
Previous commissioned composers include: Anna Murray (Irl), Silvia Rosani (Italy), Patricia Martinez (Argentina), Seán O'Dálaigh (Irl), Panayiotis Kokoras (Greece), Brona Martin (Irl), Alessandro Massobrio (Italy/Germany), João Pedro Oliveira (Portugal), and Lautaro Figueroa Balcarce (Argentina).
Use the link below to send us details about your proposal. You will be asked to supply contact details, biographic information, compositional examples, and a short description of your proposal.
Apply here: https://bit.ly/MC25-Commission-Application
Application deadline: 11:59pm (GMT), Thursday 17 April 2025
Notification of selection: Friday 30 May 2025
Please address any questions about the commission scheme to info@musiccurrent.ie.
Music Current Commission URL: https://www.musiccurrent.ie/2025/commission.html