About

Implemented by the Institute of Music and Dance, the programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Composing commissions is the first project in Poland which systemically supports latest musical production. The programme annually endorses approximately one hundred new pieces by Polish and foreign composers, enabling a wide audience to access valuable contemporary music compositions.

The programme was launched in 2012 as an initiative of Polish musical milieu. The annual competition attracts applications form musical organizations willing to commission a work from a (Polish or foreign) composer or group of artists. The subsidy includes co-financing the work along with its world premiere and recording which is later rendered available online, free of charge, as part of the National Audiovisual Institute collection (Ninateka.pl).

The Zamowieniakompozytorskie.pl website contains a Commissions bookmark, which includes composers’ profiles, descriptions of compositions and freely downloadable scores. Each composition may be located using the Search function and applying one or more filters. A given piece may be tracked by its title, composer’s surname, musical genre, and world premiere venue. Detailed information on the upcoming world premieres are posted in the Calendar bookmark. Practical information for those willing to participate in the Programme is available in the eCommissions section.

The programme implements projects representing a wide array of genres, from the so-called contemporary classical music and music theatre performances through pieces combining different musical genres (e.g. popular and traditional music) and interdisciplinary projects verging on music, performing and visual arts. The music created thanks to Composing commissions is intended to resound not only in major concert halls, where it will add to the latest chapter of artistic music, but also in minor centres and among non-specialist audiences, acting as an important vessel of artistic education.

Each year, the programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Composing commissions subsidizes the creation of approximately 100 pieces. The first three editions of the programme attracted almost 200 composers.

The making of Zamowieniakompozytorskie.pl has been financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.