B&W's 685 speakers as part of the The Fragmented orchestra

Last week, the PRS Foundation launched the third New Music Award.

The foundation is the UK’s only independent funder of new music across all genres and are continually launching schemes to promote, encourage and comission new works. It’s always worth checking their website for new funding options.

The winner of the previous New Music Award was the groundbreaking Fragmented Orchestra (pictured opposite), a huge distributed musical structure modelled on the firing of the human brain’s neurons  and incorporating twenty-four  B&W 685 speakers suspended from the ceiling.

The PRS Foundation chairman, Sally Taylor, commented:

“It is an exceptional award which takes risks by encouraging creators to push boundaries of their artistic practice and extend the possibilities of music regardless of which genre they work in. We really do encourage anyone with an inspired musical idea to apply.”

The deadline for entries is Friday 8 January 2010 and you can find out here how to enter.