Toyful Music Festival 2025 - Call for Scores

Toyful Music Festival - Short description

📅WHEN: 5-6 December 2025
📍WHERE: Old Vinegar Factory, Centre of Performing Arts MITOS, Limassol, Cyprus

The Toyful Music Festival redefines "playing" music, bringing 'play' as a central axis in music creation and music performance.

Composers from all around the world are invited to submit musical works for musical instruments, toys and musical games, redefining the limits of their coexistence and the blend of their timbres.

Selected composers will collaborate closely with the festival's musical ensemble under the guidance of composer Andys Skordis, while the selected works will be presented at the final concert on December 6 at the Centre of Performing Arts MITOS, Limassol, Cyprus.

The festival will also include workshops for young performers and students on contemporary music interpretation and creation, sound walks, sampling and sound modulation workshops and live modulated sound installations, based on toys as sound sources.

Artistic curators: Andys Skordis, Iro Menegou

Eligibility

This call is open to all composers born in or after 1990.

Specifications for works

The call is for 6-8 minute music works. Your composition should be for an ensemble of four (4) or five (5) performers, drawn from the following available musicians:

● Musician 1: Clarinet & bass clarinet

● Musician 2: Flute & Trombone
● Musician 3: Low Brass (Tuba, Trombone, Sousaphone)
● Musician 4: Piano & Synth
● Musician 5: Percussion [vibraphone, tom toms, bongos, cymbals, other small percussion (bells, etc), waterphone]

Proposals for solo, duet, or trio works will not be considered, as we encourage a focus on ensemble interaction and 'play'.

All works will be conducted by Andys Skordis, unless a conductor is not needed.

Additional information

The curatorial approach of Toyful Music Festival aims to position the practice of "play" as a central axis in music creation and music performance, by following two direct approaches:

• By blending toys and/or toy instruments in the music composition practice, and/or

• By examining how specific sets of rules used in different group games can be adapted and incorporated in the music works and performances.

Interested composers are invited to submit proposals for musical works that follow the above guidelines, blending musical instruments, toys and musical games, redefining the limits of their coexistence and the fusion of their timbres.

The ensemble musicians will be responsible for "playing" various toys/music toys. Note that the term musical toy means any object and/or toy that can be used as a sound source. Indicatively:

● Toy piano

● Toy saxophone
● Toy clarinet
● Toy guitar (ukulele)
● Tongue drum
● Music box
● Boomwhackers
● Rainbow desk bells
● Glockenspiel
● Whistle - Karamoja
● Rainmaker
● Balloons

In case the composers would like to include an additional toy/sound source in the work, this should be mentioned in the work proposal and should be handed over to the ensemble musicians for the rehearsals and the final concert. Please note that submitted works should not include music electronics.

How to submit a proposal

To take part in the open call, please submit the following material:

1. Project proposal (written text of maximum 300 words or short 2-3 minutes video): summarise your project proposal, explain why you are inspired by this opportunity and how you plan to work with the ensemble, and specifically how your work will embrace the spirit of 'play' central to the festival.

2. Two work samples: a PDF of the score and links to download audio or video.

3. Short CV (maximum 4 pages)

4. High resolution photo
   

Proposals must be sent by email to: info@atheras.eu by July 1st, 2025. Given the Festival's focus on co-creation, priority will be given to proposals from composers that will be able to participate in-person to the full festival activities (rehearsals and concert).

Toyful Music Festival is happy to provide an official invitation letter to selected composers applying for mobility funding to attend the rehearsals and performance.

Selected composers

● An honorary fee of 250 euros
● Rehearsals with the festival's musical ensemble
● Personal coaching of the rehearsals by the composer Andys Skordis
● Performance in the framework of the Toyful Music Festival
● Recording and video recording of the work during the concert

Timeline

● Deadline for submission of proposals: 1 July 2025

● Announcement of the selected composers: 10 July 2025
● Deadline for final score and parts: 1 October 2025
● Rehearsals: 1-5 December 2025
● Concert: 6 December 2025

More information

For more information, please contact us at +357 99404723 or info@atheras.eu