[Voxnovus] Celebrating 15 Years of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame: Creating and Selecting for the One-Minute Form

[New Voice in New Music]

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<http://www.VoxNovus.com/NM421/issue/25-06-14.htm>June
14th, 2025
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[image: Celebrating 15 Years of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame]
Celebrating 15 Years of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame: Creating and Selecting for
the One-Minute FormBy Lauren Dean <http://www.voxnovus.com/founder/>

When producer and composer Robert Voisey developed the
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame project the idea of presenting short works came
about in order to showcase composers who may not otherwise have the chance
to be heard at a chamber concert—especially not one with a global audience.
Thus began the format of selecting fifteen one-minute works to create a
single fifteen-minute-long performance. RobVoisey.com
<http://www.RobVoisey.com>

Since 2009, more than eighty musicians or ensembles have taken up the role
to play a selection of works, primarily by emerging composers, giving them
a set of original pieces to premiere. With multiple calls per year,
thousands of submissions have been received, with more than 600 composers
being selected. But what exactly goes into the selection process? And how
do performers go about the task of creating this musical tapestry?
Musicians of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame
<http://www.voxnovus.com/15_Minutes_of_Fame/musicians/>
<https://youtube.com/live/Ga0MF45Ukhs>

“I have worked with hundreds of composers, and absolutely the most unique
overriding characteristic of the community of composers who choose to
submit to Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame—and there are thousands of them—is their
love of the short/miniature form, enforced by the one-minute structure and
the various suggested themes,” says solo cellist Craig Hultgren, who has
had two calls with Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame.


Pataphysics with Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Craig Hultgren
<https://youtube.com/live/Ga0MF45Ukhs>
Occupy Cello with Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Craig Hultgren
<https://www.youtube.com/live/TIJbyIQ_VUs>
<https://youtube.com/live/jqCnIA5F1Ug>

“The question arises: how can a composer compose a work, convey an idea,
build a form, within 60 seconds?” asks Stas Venglevski, who has
participated in the calls as both a composer and Bayan accordion player.
“[It’s] some kind of marathon. But it's possible. This is the beauty of
this project, and where a difficult task emerges for the composer and
performer—how to create a large or small image while limiting oneself in
time.”

Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Stas Venglevski - Second set
<https://youtube.com/live/jqCnIA5F1Ug>
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Stas Venglevski - First set
<https://www.youtube.com/live/EFY4wv74gS4>

This idea of the large and small image is what Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame
rests on, as composers aim to tell a story in as little time as possible,
and musicians strive to collect those ideas and tie them together into a
cohesive whole.
<https://youtu.be/WkUcuvgJ7YI>

For harpist and composer Alyssa Reit, who has also been on both sides of
the calls, the task was to represent as many kinds of music as possible,
while maintaining quality. “I wanted contrast, but also an overall flow and
a sense of an arc, so that it didn’t feel like just a sequence of pieces,”
she says. “Sometimes it was hard because sometimes pieces were a similar
genre that were all good.” In the end, it had to do with how the works
flowed, not the caliber of the pieces that weren’t selected.
Lever Harp Call for Scores <https://youtu.be/WkUcuvgJ7YI>
<https://youtube.com/live/3Akndokh_90>

“Many of the pieces flowed together. It was impressive,” notes soloist and
French horn player Mary Beth Orr while describing the process of narrowing
down the selections for her 2023 call. Once she had it down to thirty, the
eliminations got more difficult. Ultimately, she asked herself if the works
fit her artistry, or would stretch it in some way, but also, “Is there a
story in this music for me?”
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Mary Beth Orr
<https://youtube.com/live/3Akndokh_90>
<https://youtu.be/kePqKrPFuAY>

In the case of oboist Robert Botti, understanding each piece took time, in
order to derive some sense out of it. For him, it was about connecting to
each piece and asking how one would segue into the next. What kind of voice
would it create? How would it hold together as a whole? And how would it be
received by an audience?
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame with Robert Botti <https://youtu.be/kePqKrPFuAY>

Soprano Jenny Ribeiro asked herself similar questions as she prepared for
her 2024 call. Back in 2011, when she first performed with
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame, she wasn’t thinking in terms of programming. “Now
I would think of them as a dramatic arc,” she says, adding that she will
pick them for ‘singability.’ “When composers write for voice, they can
produce crazy effects, but for me, I want to tell a story.” This time,
she’s focused on choosing works that give back to the audience.
<https://youtube.com/live/7sVuiZ9Kbq4>

Similarly, “I didn’t want the audience’s ears to get tired,” says composer
and pianist Monica Chew, who played clavichord for her 2023
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame debut. Not wanting too much repetition of the same
kind of music, “I was interested in creating a series of feelings that
don’t go on too long for the audience.”



Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Monica Chew witg Clavichord - First Set
<https://youtube.com/live/7sVuiZ9Kbq4>
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Monica Chew witg Clavichord - Second Set
<https://youtube.com/live/2CevDb9DGhk>
<https://youtu.be/WBe7R68dqiE>

And while “integrity” was a major selection criterion for guitarist and
composer Rodrigo Baggio, “improvisation” was really at the heart of his
set. “The pieces had one thing in common,” he says, “experimentation and
the theme of the call, [each] showing a different thing in terms of
musicality.” In that sense, maybe paradoxically, the common thread was that
all were distinctly experimental.
<https://youtu.be/ph4_mQ5XiwA>

“I liked the idea of working with multiple contemporary composers in short
works,” says classical pianist Stephen Porter, who asked for a series of
pieces “Re-Imagining Debussy” in his first call. “A fifteen-minute piano
‘piece’ is a significant length, and the format of short pieces allows you
to curate a program that has shape and variety, and gives an introduction
to the wonderfully different styles of composers from around the world.”
Imagining Schubert with Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame with Stephen Porter
<https://youtu.be/ph4_mQ5XiwA>

Preparing for his second round in 2025, and adding that what attracted him
to the project was its limitlessness, Stas Venglevski concludes, “All the
works seem to have one idea with different tasks. Together they are like a
single whole.”

[image: Celebrating 15 Years of Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame]

This special edition on NM421 is the third of a special 5 part series of
interviews with musicians who have been featured on Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame.

The first installment was published on February 8th, 2025.
<http://www.voxnovus.com/NM421/issue/25-02-08.htm>

The second installment was published on March 8th, 2025.
<http://www.voxnovus.com/NM421/issue/25-03-08.htm>

The third installment was published on April 12th, 2025.
<http://www.voxnovus.com/NM421/issue/25-04-012.htm>

The fourth installment will be published on May 3rd, 2025.
<http://www.voxnovus.com/NM421/issue/25-05-03.htm>
[image: Mary Beth Orr]
<http://www.musicavatar.org/categories/Heroines---Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame-Featuring-Mary-Beth-Orr/index.html>

Call for Scores
Deadline:
June 16, 2025

Call for Scores: Heroines - Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame Featuring Mary Beth Orr
Vox Novus invites composers to submit one-minute works for
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame featuring Mary Beth Orr, an acclaimed French horn
player and vocalist. This special edition, titled Heroines, celebrates the
stories of heroines from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and imaginations.

Find more information and submit at
Music Avatar
<http://www.musicavatar.org/categories/Heroines---Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame-Featuring-Mary-Beth-Orr/index.html>

[image: Piercy & Lindsey]
<http://www.musicavatar.org/categories/Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame-Featuring-Thomas-Piercy-and-Lish-Lindsey/index.html>

Call for Scores
Deadline: June 30, 2025

Vox Novus is calling for one-minute pieces composed for
Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame with Thomas Piercy and Lish Lindsey to be premiered
online in 2025 Compose a bold, one-minute masterpiece! Fifteen Minutes of
Fame seeks miniatures for hichiriki and low flute (alto, bass, or
contrabass flute) for the dynamic duo Thomas Piercy and Lish Lindsey.
Explore rich timbres and unique sonorities in just 60 seconds of music.
Submit now and let your creativity shine!

Find more information and submit at
Music Avatar
<http://www.musicavatar.org/categories/Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame-Featuring-Thomas-Piercy-and-Lish-Lindsey/index.html>
<http://composerssite.com/>
<http://www.ComposersVoice.com>

Composer's Voice

is a bi-weekly TV showing airing on Manhattan Neighborhoodd Network

<http://www.Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame.com>

Fifteen-Minutes-of-Fame

is 15 one-minute works written for a specific musician/ensemble.

<http://www.60x60.com>

60x60

60 one-minutes works by 60 different composers

Click Here for upcoming events with Vox Novus
<http://www.voxnovus.com/calendar/>

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<https://www.youtube.com/@Vox_Novus>

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