Budding Beethovens and aspiring Mozarts are being encouraged to get their entries in for a unique competition which aims to showcase the talent of young North East composers.
The AIYF Compose! competition is calling for musically gifted youngsters to submit scores for the contest ahead of the deadline for submissions on 1 September 2008.
String quartet compositions of between five to ten minutes duration are invited for the competition, which will see the winning entrant's work performed as part of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival 2009.
This is the first time the competition has been made open to youngsters aged between 13 and 21 years old from throughout Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Five finalists will be shortlisted for the competition and given the opportunity to participate in a one day workshop under the guidance of leading international composer Judith Wear.
The workshop will culminate in a performance of the shortlisted pieces by one of Scotland's leading string quartets, The Alba Quartet, during the Aberdeen Music Prize Weekend in October. An eventual winner will be chosen following the workshop, whose composition will be performed as part of the next year's Aberdeen International Youth Festival 2009.
AIYF Compose! is hosted by The University of Aberdeen Music Prize and Aberdeen International Youth Festival with funding support from Aberdeen City Council.
Closing date for submissions to the competition is 5pm on Monday 1 September 2008.
For further information about the competition and application details visit www.abdn.ac.uk/aberdeenmusicprize, email: href="mailto:musicprize@abdn.ac.uk">musicprize@abdn.ac.uk</a> or call 01224 273874.