Mostly MODERN Orchestra | The Netherlands
INSTRUMENTATION

The following instrumentation guidelines should be adhered to when submitting or composing works for the Mostly Modern Orchestra | The Netherlands.

  • Works may not exceed eight minutes in duration. Any works that exceed that will either be edited down, or only a portion of the work will be performed. Score and MIDI files will be used to check duration.

  • Note that composers are not required to use all of the instruments and may compose for a subset of the ensemble instead, but additional instruments cannot be added. Please note that the ensemble's instrumentation may change from season to season.

  • The list of Percussion Instruments Available should also be used as a guideline by performers submitting pieces that use percussion for the MMF | NL Chamber Series.

  • Composers may use playback sound (fixed media) from their laptops in their work, which does not count as one of the instruments. Composers must bring their own equipment for performance. We will not be able to accommodate live processing due to rehearsal limitations.

Please make sure to read our Policy on Edits with regard to how we handle edits for final scores and parts.

Instrumentation

NOTE: this instrumentation is current as of 2024 but may change each season.

  • Conductor

  • 2 Flutes (one doubling Piccolo and/or Alto Flute)

  • 2 B-flat Clarinets (one doubling A Clarinet and/or Bass Clarinet—please don’t write for all of them, two at most, if possible)

  • 2 Oboes (one doubling English Horn)

  • 2 Bassoons

  • 4 F Horns

  • 2 Trumpets (C or B-flat)

  • 2 Trombones

  • Bass Trombone

  • Tuba

  • 3 Percussion (3 players, see Percussion Instruments Available below)

  • Timpani

  • Piano

  • Harp

  • Violin I (6 players)

  • Violin II (5 players)

  • Viola (4 players)

  • Cello (4 players)

  • Bass (One player with a C extension)

Percussion Instruments Available

  • Timpani (4)

  • 4 1/3 Octave Marimba

  • Vibraphone (with working motor)

  • Glockenspiel (Orchestra Bells)

  • Crotales (high and low sets)

  • Tubular Chimes

  • Snare Drum

  • Large Concert Bass Drum

  • Drumset Bass Drum with Pedal

  • Large Tam Tam

  • 4 Concert Tom Toms

  • Triangle

  • Tambourine (with head)

  • Tambourine (mounted, without head)

  • Claves

  • 3 Cow Bells (High, Medium, and Low Latin Cow Bells, not Almglocken)

  • Ratchet (with bass drum mount)

  • Claves

  • Finger Cymbals

  • Castanets (mounted or hand-held)

  • Anvil (percussion sound effect)

  • Temple Blocks (5)

  • Woodblocks (high, medium, and low)

  • Triangles (small, medium, large)

  • Bell Tree

  • Mark Tree

  • Suspended Cymbals (small, medium, large)

  • Sizzle Cymbal

Notes: additional, small, hand-held percussion instruments may be available if we are notified before the festival or if the composer supplies the instrument(s). Additional large instruments (i.e., another full set of chimes, a second set of timpani, or a larger marimba) are unavailable. It is strongly recommended that composers not write for both the marimba and vibraphone in the same piece, if at all possible, and be as economical as possible when writing for percussion.

Pieces not adhering to these instrumentation guidelines will not be considered for the readings or programmed.