Competition Announcement




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The Twenty-fourth Edition of the “2 Agosto” International Composing Competition is announced and it is promoted by the “Associazione Familiar Vittime Della Strage Alla Stazione di Bologna del 2 Agosto 1980”, the “Comitato di Solidarietà all Vittime delle Stragi”, and the “Associazione Concorso Internazionale di Composizione “2 Agosto”.


  1. The Competition will award the following prizes:

    First Prize: € 5,000
    Second Prize: € 2,500
    Third Prize: € 1,500

    The winning scores will be performed live in Bologna on 2nd August 2018, as one of the commemorative events held in memory of the victims of the slaughters.
  2. The Competition is open to musicians of all nationalities, who were born after the 31st December 1976.
  3. The Twenty-Fourth Edition of the International Composing Competition “2 Agosto” is dedicated to scores for either vocal jazz, or rock, or pop, or ethnic, and orchestra (maximum instrumentation allowed as per bullet point 5). Competitors could use one solo voice, or more and combine them together.
    Feelings of peace, solidarity, and coexistence among populations and individuals will have to inspire the lyrics. In case lyrics are not of public knowledge, or if the copyrights do not belong to the composer, he or she will have to acquire them. Competitors will have to enclose to the score a declaration stating the composer's copyrights ownership. Lyrics could be in any language. The Jury may ask a translation, specifically for the performance needs.
    Furthermore, it is possible to compose sections of the work with digital audio file formats, which can be added as high-resolution audio formats (either .aiff or .wav). 
    For this purpose, competitors should take into account that the orchestra is tuned at 440 Hz.
    The purpose of the competition is to stimulate and suggest the dialogue among different cultures. Participants are therefore invited to turn to the various ethnic traditions, either jazz, or blues, or rock if this could be functional for the composition itself.
    Composers have to consider that one of the main aims of the Competition is performing the winning scores in the open-air. Therefore, the Jury will not take into account any score, which will result, unsuitable for the outdoors performance, even with an appropriate amplification.
  4. Scores must not last more than ten minutes.
  5. The maximum instrumentation allowed is the following:
    Solo vocal (one or more) jazz, rock, pop or ethnic;
    2 flutes (one can be a piccolo), 2 oboes (one can be a cor anglais), 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 1 bass trombone, timpani, 2 performers of percussions (small percussions, plates, drums, glockenspiel, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba), harp, and strings. 
    Scores may also include the following instruments: electronic keyboards (synthesiser or samplers), electric guitar, and electric bass guitar, drums, either as a melodic function or rhythm section. That is, without improvisation parts given to these instruments. As per the electronic keyboards, if any, competitors have to accurately specify the type of timber to be used.
  6. Scores must be anonymous and must not contain any mark of identification. The scores could have been published, but in this case, competitors are asked to remove any editorial marks. However, the scores must not have been previously performed. Competitors will have to enclose a personal declaration confirming that the work has never been performed before. Applicants are suggested to enclose to their score an audio file by sending it within the MP3 format through the ONLINE procedure of our website The audio file will represent a mere support to the Jury decision, which - in any case - will be based on the score itself. For any further information or requirements, competitors may contact the Competition Secretary’s Office via e-mail at
  7. The sending of the scores and the participation to the Competition does not require any subscription fee.
  8. The scores must be sent according to the following ONLINE procedures: Through the website, in the section SUBSCRIPTION/PARTICIPATION, competitors will have to fill in the form with their personal data for registration purposes. During this process competitors will be provided with a username and a password in order to access the system and upload their materials at a later stage. Within such section competitors will be able to find all the detailed information aimed to finalise their participation to the competition.
  9. Deadline for the on-line application: June 10, 2018, at 12 midnight GMT.
  10. The commission's judgment cannot be appealed against.
For further information, please contact:
Secretary's Office of the International Composing Competition “2 Agosto”
E-mail: - website:


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