CALL FOR TALENT: Dynamic Duos (application now due 4/10/2026)

Mallarmé Music is inviting applications for our Dynamic Duo program, a series of short concerts to be presented live. Performances will be scheduled for the the summer or fall 2026 beginning in June in or around Durham, NC. Chosen duos will receive $1000 for one performance, dates and venues TBD based on winner’s availability. For more information about Mallarmé please see our website: www.mallarmemusic.org

Our goal is both to showcase local musical talent and to expand on the style and genre of our usual programming. Ensembles will thus be chosen on the basis of both performance skill and the proposed program.

BIPOC and LGBTQ musicians are encouraged to apply as well as non-classical ensembles.

Mallarme typically offers three prizes, but that is flexible dependent on the quality of the applications.

Eligibility:
1. Professional instrumentalists OR vocalists with primary residence in North Carolina OR full-time students in a North Carolina university or college music department. Both applicants must meet this criteria. There is no upper age limit; college students should be at least 18 years old.
2. Duos with at least one member who has never performed with Mallarmé on a series concert.
3. Programs of any era, style, or genre of music.
4. Original compositions or not.
5. The ensemble must be a duo.

Application:
1. A high-quality video or audio of both applicants performing with at least one example of the duo playing together for at least 10 minutes and no more than a total 30 minutes of music. Subsequent samples may show individual players in a solo or other ensemble. Repertoire should be the same or close in genre to the proposed program.
2. A one-page resumé or bio of each musician.
3. A proposed program with at least 40 minutes and no more than 55 minutes of music with a one-page explanation of why you chose your program and why you believe it should be performed.
5. For any original compositions, please submit a full score, chart OR if that is not possible, a performance of the work.
6.    References are encouraged, but not required. Names and emails are sufficient; please include in your program description.

Deadline for submission:  April 10, 2026 11:59 pm ET
Applications will be judged by a panel of 3 musicians, including Mallarmé’s artistic director Suzanne Rousso. Performers will be judged on: 1. Artistic quality of the performers based on the work samples 2. Artistic viability and perceived interest of the proposed program.

Former or current Mallarmé board members are not eligible to apply, former recipients are not eligible to apply.

For more information, email:  suzanne@mallarmemusic.org
http://www.mallarmemusic.org

LINK TO APPLICATION: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Rb6088hxk7W8XKtXXlVvgXFjok5zbV6j7flMCXmsym4/edit