Tim Davies: Arranging for Contemporary Artists and Orchestra
2025-04-12 10:00 - 12:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
Join us for an exclusive event with acclaimed composer, orchestrator, and arranger Tim Davies as he delves into the art of Arranging for Contemporary Artists and Orchestra. With an impressive career spanning film, TV, and live performances, Tim has worked with top artists and major studios to craft dynamic, modern orchestrations. In this session, he’ll share insights on blending orchestral textures with contemporary music, navigating industry expectations, and creating powerful arrangements that elevate an artist’s vision. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry’s most sought-after orchestrators!

The Music of Last Epoch with Erik Desiderio
2025-04-26 10:00 - 12:00 | First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 NORTH LOUISE STREET, Glendale, CA, 91206, United States
Composer Erik Desiderio will be joining us on April 26th to discuss his thrilling music to the hit game Last Epoch. Last Epoch is an action RPG that combines time travel with a world of adventure and the score is just as enchanting as the game itself. Erik will be taking us through his writing process and the unique requirements of this project. This is a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of scoring for games and get your questions answered.

This event will be held at The First Baptist Church of Glendale and is open to all! ASA members will receive a discount. We encourage our LA community to attend in person and purchase your ticket early. We’ll start off the morning with some coffee and pastries and we’ll conclude with lunch – all included in your ticket price!

Sign in to your account to see your event discount code below:

About Erik Desiderio
Erik Desiderio is a groundbreaking composer for film, TV, and video games who is known for his unique and innovative scores. His interest in music originated with his grandfather’s guitar work with Tony Bennett. Video game work includes music for Star Trek Fleet Command – nominated for a Game Audio Network Guild Award (G.A.N.G.) and a Hollywood Music in Media Award, PUBG, and Diablo III: Rise of the Necromancer by Blizzard Entertainment, and Last Epoch (#2 Worldwide on Steam). He also composed for the VR games Ben 10 VR, Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games, and Jest to Impress Versus, as well as countless indie games and VR projects.

Film highlights include the upcoming Floaters (Jackie Tohn, Aya Cash, Seth Green, Steve Guttenberg), Life Upside Down (Bob Odenkirk, Danny Huston). Festival highlights include award winning films that have been in the Sundance, Tribeca, and Toronto film festivals. Erik created the music/sound treatment for the HBO Max logo, the theme for The Hot Zone which was produced by Ridley Scott, and he produced the score for the Academy Award winning film, The Moon and the Son.

Erik also has an extensive list of television credits, some highlights include: Harley and the Davidsons (the most watched scripted show on Discovery), Emmy Award-winning The Borgias, and music for the Primetime Emmy Awards. He is also a recipient of a Global Music Award of Excellence for his work on The Four Players, the Clive Davis Award for Excellence in Music and the Best Original Score Award at the First Run Film Festival in New York. Commercial clients include Google, Nintendo, Samsung, Kellogg’s, Coffee-mate, and Heineken among others.

Michael Paraskevas and Agatha All Along
2025-05-24 10:00 - 13:30 | First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 NORTH LOUISE STREET, Glendale, CA, 91206, United States
Join us for a special session with composer Michael Paraskevas as we dive into the Emmy-winning Agatha All Along. Michael will walk us through the creative process behind his score and share insights on collaborating with Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Michael’s co-score to Agatha All Along conjures a spellbinding sonic journey down the Witches’ Road. Drawing from classic horror movie influences and broken instrumentation, the music shifts from haunting suspense to twisted playfulness, echoing Agatha’s mischievous unpredictability. From psychedelic rock and ’80s synths to witchy folklore and modern pop production, it brews an eclectic soundscape that subverts the traditional superhero sound and provides a unique storytelling voice to the Marvel Universe. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes look at one of the most memorable musical moments in recent TV history. This discussion will be moderated by Tim Davies.
As always, we will be providing coffee, light pastries in the morning and lunch following the event. This event is open to everyone! ASA members, please sign in to your account to view your discount code below.

Michael Paraskevas is a Los Angeles-based composer deeply immersed in storytelling through film and visual media. An enthusiastic collaborator and nostalgic film nerd, he loves exploring a variety of styles in his music and enjoys working with ambitious artists to share engaging and impactful stories. Most recently, he scored the Disney+/Marvel series, Agatha All Along starring Kathryn Hahn, alongside Christophe Beck. The show’s musical palette is highlighted by its subversion of the traditional superhero sound, its fusion of horror with other recognizable musical styles, and its exploration of eclectic sounds and evocative textures. Michael’s musical fingerprints can be found across a wide spectrum of genres, including projects such as Hawkeye, El Tonto Por Cristo, Unspoken, Frozen II, This World Won’t Break, and the Emmy-nominated score to WandaVision. Texas-born and raised, Michael studied music composition at the University of Tulsa and film scoring at the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program, where he studied with Hummie Mann. Since then, he has worked closely with distinguished composer, Christophe Beck, on many of today’s biggest hits. In his spare time, Michael can usually be found watching Dodgers games, baking pie, or stuffing his face with tacos.

Maclaine Diemer and the music of Guild Wars 2 - Online Score Study
2025-06-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
Join us for an exciting conversation with acclaimed game music composer Maclaine Diemer, hosted by Academy of Scoring Arts board member Jose Daniel Ruiz. With over 16 years of experience in interactive media, Maclaine has composed for some of the industry’s most iconic titles including Guild Wars 2, League of Legends, Rock Band, and Firmament. From arena rock stages to conducting full orchestras, Maclaine’s career reflects a wide-ranging musical curiosity and a passion for bringing game worlds to life through music.
This discussion will spotlight the recent release of the Guild Wars 2: Living World Season 2 in full score, published by Materia Editions. This conductor’s score features all 19 tracks from the season, showcasing the collaborative work of Maclaine Diemer, Lena Raine, and the late Stan LePard. Purchase the score here!
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from Maclaine about his creative process, the evolution of game music during his career, and the journey behind a classic game score. All attendees will receive a discount code for the score!
This event is FREE for all ASA members. Please sign up to be a member here. Chamber level membership is free. Zoom link will be sent out the day before the event.

The Music of Cobra Kai with Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson and Vincent Oppido
2025-06-11 19:00 - 21:30 | First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 NORTH LOUISE STREET, Glendale, CA, 91206, United States
Join us for a night of “Shredding and Schenkerian Analysis,” with Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson and Vincent Oppido as we discuss thematic evolution of the hit show Cobra Kai over its six seasons, and deep-dive some of the beefiest cues of the final epic season. Leo and Zach will also be getting out their guitars for some live demos!
Cobra Kai is the story of a multi-generational struggle for karate supremacy in “The Valley,” reigniting the 30-year-old rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. Continuing the story of The Karate Kid franchise, six seasons have seen tournaments won and lost, allegiances shift, old friends and enemies return, and global karate powers rise and fall.
Supporting it the whole way is the music for Cobra Kai, one of the most in-your-face, symphonic, and rocking scores on television. It combines 80s glory, world music, contemporary metal, and massive orchestral and choral forces into an epic tapestry of themes to tell the story on the biggest musical scale imaginable.
Everyone is welcome to attend this event. ASA members get a discount! Ticket price includes dinner after the discussion! Please bring your laptop or ipad to view the score as we study it.
ASA members, please sign in to your account to view your discount code below.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS
Emmy-winning composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson are two of the most exciting names in film music today. They are most recently acclaimed for their work on Roku’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, starring Daniel Radcliffe, which earned the duo an Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special, as well as Grammy nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Leo and Zach are most well-known for scoring Netflix’s global-hit series Cobra Kai, starring the return of Ralph Macchio, WIlliam Zabka and Martin Kove, where their gargantuan score takes center stage to tell the epic struggle of karate supremacy in the San Fernando Valley.
With an emphasis on originality and fun, the longtime collaborators have brought their talents to a diverse slate of exciting movies and shows. The in-demand duo are attached to a number of unique series from Twisted Metal, starring Anthony Mackie and based on the classic popular video game, to the high-octane action-comedy Obliterated, from Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg.
Leo and Zach were most recently tapped by Marvel Studios to score the upcoming animated television series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman.
Past projects include Florida Man, Bumper in Berlin, based on the Pitch Perfect film franchise, The Boys: Diabolical, and Die Hart, starring Kevin Hart and John Travolta.
The two have a knack for showmanship, and have performed several concerts of their Cobra Kai score at historic venues in Los Angeles. They have twice been invited to the MOSMA Film Music Festival in Málaga, Spain to perform alongside composers Marc Shaiman, John Debney, Daniel Pemberton, Harold Faltermeyer, and Roque Baños. Guitar World, Variety, Keraang!, and a number of other publications, have all done extensive features about their work. They have also been recently recognized for their achievements with nominations from the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA), Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMAs) and the ASCAP Composer’s Choice Award.
Leo and Zach are also talented song producers. In 2020, they collaborated with superstar Carrie Underwood on a cover of the 1980s classic ‘The Moment of Truth.’ They produced an EP for the songwriting duo Samsel/ Anderson for their new hit Broadway show Between the Lines. Leo and Zach produced all of the music for the series Sing It!, working with the vocal talents of Diana DeGarmo, Ace Young, and Diamond White. They have written original songs for a number of their projects, including the J-Pop bop ‘Kimokawaii’ for The Boys: Diabolical. Most recently, they collaborated with legendary songwriter and singer Paul Anka on a new version of his classic, ‘My Way.’
In addition to working together, Leo and Zach each pursue their own projects. Leo has scored the Emmy-nominated series Pen15, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, and the films Bottoms, Anything’s Possible, Mack & Rita, and Plus One. Zach has scored the Netflix documentary series Wrestlers and America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the animated horror series Fright Krewe and is currently scoring the CBS reboot of Matlock starring Kathy Bates. In addition, Zach’s 1980s inspired electronic music project D/A/D, is considered one of the most accomplished in the synth wave genre and has received accolades from Pitchfork and NPR.
They were introduced in the studio of Emmy-winning composer Christophe Beck, where they worked as writers, arrangers, and producers and contributed additional music to a number of major films, including Frozen, Edge of Tomorrow, Ant-Man, and The Peanuts Movie.
Both Leo and Zach currently reside in Los Angeles, CA.

A rising talent in Hollywood, Vincent Oppido’s music has been performed and recorded in Europe and Japan, and across the United States from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood scoring stages of Warner Brothers and Sony Pictures Studios. Having worked as a Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator, Music Copyist, and Conductor has provided Oppido with a unique, all-encompassed skillset in today’s media industry. With a keen interest in the development of musical ideas and orchestration, he prides himself as the sole author of all music he has created.
Oppido’s recent scoring credits include Magic the Gathering: Wizards of the Coast, Fortnite, the indie films Alien Code (Archstone/Sony Home Pictures – starring Kyle Gallner and Richard Schiff), Watch the Sky (Breaking Glass Pictures – starring Renee O’Connor), and the CollegeHumor series Troopers: Rise of the Budget. He has also composed additional music for projects including Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars: Squadrons, Jedi Temple Challenge, Star Wars: Hunters, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween and TruTV’s Adam Ruins Everything: Reanimated History. Other writing credits include original music for Sinclair Oil’s 2017 commercial advertisements and musical source arrangements for projects such as It Happened In LA (Sundance Selected) and the Paramount Pictures film What Men Want. He also provided musical arrangements for the 2021 Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Show and the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Also an orchestrator and conductor, Oppido has worked on projects such as the Emmy-winning score to Roku’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Pixar’s Elio, The Karate Kid: Legends, Netflix’s Obliterated, Fortnite, Cobra Kai, Max’s Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, The Suicide Squad, League of Legends, Age of Empires, Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2, and NBC’s Timeless. His first job in Hollywood, as a music proofreader, enabled him to work on dozens of motion pictures and television shows including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Frozen, Family Guy and The 2013 Oscars.
In addition to work in film and television, Oppido has received numerous commissions for the concert hall, garnering performances in such prestigious venues including The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall. His most recent work, The Cosmic Perspective, was commissioned and premiered by The United States Air Force Band of the West. Vincent collaborated on this work with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson who composed an original text. Also recent, his work for narrator and orchestra titled Yes, Virginia! There is a Santa Claus was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra, at Abbey Road Studios, with the narration performed by Emmy & Golden Globe Award winning actor Alec Baldwin. Oppido also composed Patriot Pride, George Mason University’s alma mater and arranged an overture for Brian Stokes Mitchell’s concert show. His concerto for Alto Saxophone Solo and Wind Ensemble, Three Happenings While Walking Down Main Street, was premiered by the United States Air Force Band in 2024. Oppido’s most recent commission Alice Takes A Trip (a fantasy on the Lewis Carroll classic), will premiere with the United States Air Force Band of Mid America in 2025.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Vincent studied conducting and composition at George Mason University with Anthony Maiello and Mark Camphouse and was invited to attend the Scoring for Motion Picture and Television program at the University of Southern California. He was selected as a 2012 participant in the ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis and also spent a summer studying at the Aspen Music Festival. Oppido is a member of ASCAP.

ASA Hollywood Bowl Night - The Cinematic Scores of Alexandre Desplat
2025-07-15 18:00 - 23:00 | Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90068, United States
It’s the annual Academy of Scoring Arts Hollywood Bowl Night! Join us on July 15th to see the Los Angeles Philharmonic perform the music of Alexandre Desplat. We reserved a block of seats in section F2 and are happy to offer our members tickets at the group discount price! Members are welcome to buy additional tickets for their friends and family. Meet us at 6pm at a picnic area (details tbd)! It’s going to be a special concert and a great chance to hang out with our community.
$32 each (normally around $47 – plus no processing fees!) LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE!
ASA members only! Please join the ASA if you’re not already a member.
Purchase your tickets via Eventbrite here.
Your Eventbrite ticket will not give you access to venue. Official Hollywood Bowl tickets will be distributed before the concert!
From the Hollywood Bowl Site:
After scoring 50 European films with legendary French directors including Philippe de Broca, Francis Girod or Jacques Audiard, Alexandre Desplat burst onto the Hollywood scene with his evocative score for Girl with a Pearl Earring in 2003. And over the last two decades, he’s become one of the most prolific film composers in the industry, having created the enticing sound worlds for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and The Shape of Water, among countless other blockbusters.
A close collaborator of Wes Anderson, Desplat’s delightfully mischievous scores for Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch continuously spark joy and delight among music and movie-lovers worldwide. For the first time at the Hollywood Bowl, Desplat leads a program of his most acclaimed and beloved music for one night only.

John Williams' Raiders of the Lost Ark Score Study - Part III
2025-07-26 10:00 - 12:00 | First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 NORTH LOUISE STREET, Glendale, CA, 91206, United States
Our Indiana Jones Raiders score study is BACK! This time we’ll be studying the score in-person in Glendale on July 26th at 10am. We’ll be looking at the next two cues “The Rolling Ball” and “Flight to Freedom.” Our mockup team has been working hard on score prep and mockups, so we’ll be able to accurately dissect John Williams’ brilliant composition and orchestration.
Not local to LA? No worries! You’ll be able to join via live stream. If you’re an LA local, we encourage you to join us in person and meet other members of our community. You do not need to have attended our previous sessions to join us for this one! As always, this event will include coffee and snacks in the morning and lunch after our discussion.
ASA members, please sign in to your account to view your discount code below.

Orchestral Arranging Tips, Tricks and Treats with Tim Davies
2025-08-23 10:00 - 12:30 | First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 NORTH LOUISE STREET, Glendale, CA, 91206, United States
Over the past decade Tim Davies has become one of the busiest orchestral arrangers in the world. He has recently written for TechN9ne, Killer Mike, Tobe Nwigwe, Kem, Busta Rhymes, Ledisi, Sia, Dua Lipa, Sophie Hunger, Guster, Parkway Drive, Big Sean, Joe Bonamassa, Ibrahim Maalouf, Cynthia Erivo, the Metropole Orkest, and the BBC, Detroit, Kansas City, and National Symphony Orchestras. Shows he has written for Nas and Common are touring the world.
In this talk, Tim will take us through his process of orchestral arranging for contemporary music and show examples of recent work. Everything from questions to ask the client to how to write interesting and unique woodwind parts will be covered. You can find the outline for this talk in this blog article: https://www.timusic.net/debreved/orchestral-arranging-tips-tricks-and-treats/
This event will take place in Glendale! We will be streaming this event, but all of those local to LA are encouraged to attend to meet other members of our community. Ticket price includes coffee and morning snacks and lunch after the event!
ASA members, please sign in to your account to view your discount code below.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle with Gordy Haab - 9.13
2025-09-13 10:00 - 12:00 | First Baptist Church of Glendale, 209 NORTH LOUISE STREET, Glendale, CA, 91206, United States
We’re back with another game score study! Gordy Haab will be joining us on September 13th in Glendale to talk about his music to the hit game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle! This game expands the Indiana Jones universe and is set in between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. Gordy has written original music as well as adaptations of John Williams’ iconic themes. He’ll be taking us through his game composing process and his experience of being part of this incredible project. He’ll also be bringing some score handouts for our attendees! This event is the perfect compliment to our long-form Raiders score study. As always, coffee and snacks will be available in the morning and lunch will be served at the event.
This event will be live streamed for our out-of-town members. The streaming link will be sent the morning of the event. No need to purchase a ticket if you’re planning on joining us virtually. If you’re local to LA, we encourage you to join us in person and hang out with our community.
$30 – Non Member
$25 – Chamber Member
$15 – Orchestra Member
FREE – Philharmonic Member
ASA members, please sign in to your account to view your discount code below.

Exploring Percussion Textures and Recording Workshop at LAPR
2025-10-25 10:00 - 15:00 | LA Percussion Rentals, 26450 Ruether Avenue #208, Santa Clarita, CA, 91350, United States
Abby Savell, owner of LA Percussion Rentals and Board Member of the ASA, will be leading a rare percussion recording workshop on October 25th, 2025!
This event promises to be a valuable experience for pro composers who are looking to further their voice in percussion. At the workshop, we will be using more familiar instruments in new and creative ways. We’ll be exploring a variety of world and eclectic instruments as well. You’ll have some more immersive, hands-on experience, and we’ll do some recording. Lunch will be provided as well!
The illustrious LA Percussion is the home of a vast collection of instruments as heard on Avatar, Moana, Back to the Future, Lethal Weapon, Batman, Star Trek, Sting, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, and much more. Join us for a unique experience hosted by LA Perc, percussion ambassadors right here in LA and known across the globe!
Space is EXTREMELY limited! Please get your ticket early!
$30 – Non Member
$25 – Chamber Member
$15 – Orchestra Member
FREE – Philharmonic Member
ASA members, please sign in to your account to view your discount code below.

Exploring the Steel Pan Family: Composition & Recording Workshop
2025-11-18 16:00 - 21:00 | LA Percussion Rentals, 26450 Ruether Avenue #208, Santa Clarita, CA, 91350, United States
Join us on November 18th at LA Percussion Rentals & Recording for a special on the steel pan percussion family! Steel pan instruments are often pigeonholed to specific genres, but in reality they can enhance a vast array of compositions. They are incredibly effective for adding textures, moods and creating unique signature sounds. Pro steelpannists Ray McNamara, Einstein Brown and Abby Savell will be demonstrating a variety of pan textures LIVE by improvising over your compositions. LAPR is also a fully equipped recording studio, so we’ll be recording some of the new pan parts! Participants will receive the raw, recorded files after the event. Submissions are open to all Academy of Scoring Arts members, even those who are only able to attend the event via live stream. All members are welcome to attend in person, but space is limited! A submission is not required to attend.
Submit your files here to be considered!
Please submit:

Audio file – Full Mix

.wav 48k/24bit

Audio files – Stems

.wav 48k/24bit

Any musical guidelines / chord changes
Accompanying video (optional)

24-60fps

More submission details:

Pan will be used in a textural sense, not melodic. Please consider this when submitting your music.
Any instrumentation – see where steel pan can take your composition!
All music genres will be considered
No compositions over 90 seconds.
Please make sure ALL of your filenames have either your name or identifying title
We will be choosing 5-6 compositions. Not all submissions will be used.
Submissions are also open to those who will attend via live stream
Submission Deadline: November 7th

In addition to live demonstrations, this event will also cover:

The names, instrument ranges, standardization, and availability of instruments in the steel pan family
How to approach writing for steel pan specialists vs. general percussionists
Where to find steel pan specialists and what to look for
Ways to write that help move them away from a more “typecast” sound
Orchestration, considering texture and blending with other instruments
Hands-on experimentation into extended techniques and sound design

This workshop format will enable live attendees to not only ask questions, but have the musicians give various ideas a spin on the spot and get their hands on the instruments.
This event will be held in person at LA Percussion Rentals & Recording in Santa Clarita on November 18th, 4-9pm. A ticket is required for attendance! Ticket price includes dinner. Space is limited – please book early.
Purchase your event ticket here!

2025 Holiday Party & Orchestration Challenge
2025-12-07 17:00 - 21:00 | Venue To Be Announced, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Come celebrate the holidays with food, drinks and original music by our members!
Our orchestration challenge is back by popular demand, just in time for the holidays! This unique event offers our Los Angeles members the opportunity to have their orchestrations played by live musicians. On December 7th, we are hosting a holiday party and music showcase featuring a selection of original music submitted to our challenge. Composers that wish to enter the challenge will be given three holiday themes to choose from and they will arrange/orchestrate for our ensemble: clarinet, bassoon, horn, vibraphone, violin, cello, double bass. We will select around 15 orchestrations to be played through by a professional ensemble at our showcase! While we won’t have a live orchestration discussion at this event, we will still have the scores available for everyone to follow along.
After we listen to the compositions, we’ll have our holiday celebration with dinner and drinks. Thank you for being part of our community. This party is open to ALL ASA members- no need to participate in the challenge to come celebrate with us. Purchase a ticket here! Please also purchase a General Admission ticket for any guests you bring.
This event will be held at a private residence in Eagle Rock. The exact address will be given to ticket holders closer to the event.
We’re are honored to have these the following musicians perform the orchestrations:
Conductor: Tim Davies
Violin: Paul Cartwright
Cello: Christine Kim
Clarinet: Ashley Jarmack
Bassoon: Leah Kohn
Horn: Aija Mattson Jovel
Bass: Abe Gumroyan
Percussion: Jamie Strowhiro
Contractor: Noah Gladstone
Sign in to your account to see your member discount code!

$35 – General Admission (Guests of ASA Members)
$30 – Chamber Members
$20 – Orchestra
$FREE – Philharmonic

ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
Deadlines

Nov. 10 – Competition Opens – Sign up below!
Nov. 30- Compositions Due – Submit your score, parts, and mockup here! Must have a gmail account to use the form.
Dec. 3 – Selected composers notified
Dec. 7 – Holiday Party and Music Showcase in Eagle Rock!

Entry Fee

This challenge is free to enter, but a ticket is required to attend the event. Please sign up below and you’ll receive a link to download the melodic material.
Get your event tickets here.

The Challenge

Signing up for the challenge below with redirect you to a PDF with a choice of melodic material
The melodic material is derived from these holiday tunes:

Auld Lang Syne
Carol of the Bells
Ba’nu Choshech Le’garesh

You do not have to use the original rhythm, meter, or key of the tune.
Harmony, textures, etc. are your chance to get creative.
Please keep in mind that musicians will be sight-reading your composition. This is a music showcase, rather than a performance.
Total duration cannot exceed 120 seconds.
You must make use of the entire ensemble: clarinet, bassoon, horn, vibraphone, violin, cello, double bass

Score Preparation

Composers are responsible for submitting PDFs (score and parts) and MP3 mockups by November 30. Submit your materials here!
Page size – Letter
Systems – at least 2 per page, with dividers
Measure numbers – EVERY measure, readable, centered at the bottom, no need for boxes or enclosures.
Rehearsal Letters – good idea
Time Signatures – 3 staves high, on top staff and half way down, NO BIGGER
If there is a pickup, make sure it is clear, do it properly, if you cheat, use a double bar.
Keep distances the same between staves, do not let your program stretch it to cover a page when it does not need to.

Example

Parts
Page Size – Letter
Systems – 8 or 9 page 1, 10 page 2+
Measure numbers – Top left and every multimeasure rest or every bar, underneath
Rehearsal Letters – Good idea
Multi-measure rests – Please break them at large phrase points, for example every 8 bars, do not have more than that as we are sightreading

Example

Double stops – check them with a player.
Vibes can use 4 mallets, but keep it simple, it will be sightread.
Proof read! Have a friend check it all, NEVER send anything out into the world that has not had another pair of eyes on it.
The ASA will print your score for the musicians.
Your name can be on the score. Please also include your first and last name within the filename. Ex- ASAOrchestrationChallenge_FirstLastName.mp3
Please indicate the holiday melody you used on the score.

Selection

We will be selecting pieces based on creativity, use of ensemble, and readability of your score.
Keep in mind that this is an educational event, so we will also consider the pieces that we can all learn from!
We will not consider the production quality of your mockup when selecting pieces.
The composers who are selected for performance are required to be present at our event on December 7th. Please make sure you have a ticket!
You are still welcome to apply if your piece was performed at our previous Orchestration Challenge, but we will give priority to composers whose music wasn’t performed.

Legal

All composers retain full rights to the piece they submit. The source melodic inspiration does not require any kind of attribution.
Composers who submit a piece agree that the ASA has the right to feature the piece at ASA events, and may record and share the music and event publicly (principally, via its web site and social media networks).
If the composer’s piece is performed live at an ASA event, the recording may not be used for commercial purposes.

Sign up for our Holiday Orchestration Challenge here!

2025 Holiday Challenge Sign Up

Name(Required)

First

Last

Email(Required)

ASA Member Level(Required)

Chamber

Orchestra

Philharmonic
Not an ASA member? Sign up on our "join" page. Chamber membership is free!

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