Call for applications: 2023 International Hanns Eisler Scholarship

The scholarship is awarded in remembrance of Hanns Eisler, one of the most important composers of the 20th century, who was born in Leipzig in 1898. It is aimed at composers with a university degree or equivalent qualification.

The applicant’s work should focus in an art that relates to reality, traces opposites, builds bridges, and carries humanity and freedom within it. The scholarship is part of a composer-in-residence programme that provides for a composition and study residency in Leipzig. The programme is intended to create a platform for further development and promotion of new music. The programme is conceived and organised by Eisler-Haus Leipzig in cooperation with the cultural office of the city of Leipzig.

The scholarship holder will be given an opportunity to live for five months in Hanns Eisler’s birthplace at Hofmeisterstraße 14 in Leipzig to devote himself or herself to a previously conceived work project. The resulting composition will be premiered by the Ensemble Avantgarde as part of the concert series "musica nova" in the Mendelssohn Hall at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig.

The recipient of the fellowship should be on site in Leipzig during the five months of the residency. During the stay, he or she may not be enrolled at any conservatoire or university institution or receive any other scholarship.

The scholarship also includes financial support of €1 000 (about $1 070) per month for the period of the stay from mid-May to mid-October 2023. There is no age limit and applicants should send their submissions before 6 July in German or English via e-mail to info@eisler-haus-leipzig.de.

Requirements

• An informal letter of application.
• A curriculum vitae in tabular form and continuous text (2 500 characters).
• A copy of your identity card or passport.
• Three different scores, if possible with sound samples.
• A description of the composition project approximately 3 500 characters (chamber music instrumentation for up to nine musicians).

The jury will meet in mid-July and the selected scholarship recipient will be notified of the results by phone or email immediately after the jury meeting. Unfortunately, applicants not selected for a scholarship cannot be notified separately. The name of the scholarship recipient will be published on the association’s website and announced to the media. No reasons will be given for the jury’s decision. The scholarship holder undertakes to take out all necessary insurances for the stay in Germany immediately after notification and to submit the proofs promptly.

Note: Submitted documents cannot be returned.

Interested parties are welcome to inform themselves about the application procedure, the goals of the Eisler-Haus Leipzig association and the cultural offerings of the city of music Leipzig during a non-binding interview.

Find more about the scholarship here.