Project Butterfly | Open Call for Composers

The opera created within PROJECT BUTTERFLY will combine three acts of thirty minutes each (one for each country), made up of three stories dedicated to an environmental theme: water, earth and air. The co-production will involve three composers, one from each project partner’s opera house.

The conception of the work will begin with a co-creation phase implemented by high school students in three partners’ countries – Italy, Poland and Finland. The selected authors of the opera will work hand-in-hand with the creative team and the artistic directors of the project within two artistic residencies in Italy and Poland. Finally, after two years of work, the project will culminate, in May 2025, in the premiere of the newly created opera in the partner theatres and online. The final production will strongly rely on advanced digital technologies and showcase the pathways for a more sustainable opera production.

The opera will be written after 2 co-creation cycle of webinars with high school students.

The first cycle of webinars will help students to find a subject for the opera: environment Agencies and experts in every city of each theatre partner will provide knowledge to the students helping to find subjects suitable for writing a story.

The second cycle of webinars will guide the students into the creative writing of a story. The literary author (lyricist) from each theatre will help each group of students to turn its subject into a story suitable for an opera libretto. The opera lyricists will turn the story into a libretto.

The Call is addressed to music composers who, at the time of application, fulfill the following requirements:

• They are 18 years of age, or older.
• They are legal residents in any of the countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.
• The selection will be mainly based upon the quality of the composition presented, as detailed below. However, the Selection Committee may consider a supplementary merit the specific experience or connection of the applicant within the musical scenes of Italy, Poland or Finland, including performances in its theaters. The personal experience of the candidate will be assessed in order to evaluate his/her ability to best participate in the project and in its related activities.

The 3 winning composers will write a composition to be performed jointly in a single opera in Modena, Gdansk, and Helsinki and streamed online.

Each composer will receive a 11.000 EURO gross fee.

Fees will include performing rights (including online streaming), and printed scores free of rights.

On acceptance of their commission, the selected composers will ratify in writing the following commitments:

The obligation to submit an opera work with the following features:

• 30 minutes lengths.
• Ensemble: 12 musicians| cast: 6 lyric singers (spoken parts may be included).
• Conductor score, orchestra parts, vocal score by November 2024.

The full and exclusive licensing of all performing rights and the right of use of their image in non-commercial terms for the duration of the PROJECT BUTTERFLY.

The obligation to take part in 2 one-week artistic residencies will take place in Gdansk and Modena in May and October 2024 (travel and accommodation covered by the project).

The requested authorizations regarding data protection: All the data requested above will be processed by the Fondazione Teatro Comunale di Modena.

Deadline: 17 September 2023

Apply here