EastWest has announced a new Composers Contest for 2009. The contest challenges composers to use any EastWest or EastWest/Quantum Leap virtual instrument collection to create works that will compete with submissions from all over the world. The winner of the competition will take home a customized version of the EastWest Complete Composers Collection PLAY Edition software package valued at $3,865 (MSRP).

From now until October 31, 2009, composers should deliver finished work as a link to an MP3 file placed in the 2009 Contest Entries topic in the Soundsonline forum. Any style or genre is acceptable; up to two minutes in duration. EastWest will select a winner based on the most interesting use of EastWest instruments.

The EastWest "Complete Composers Collection" PLAY Edition includes:

• EW/QL Symphonic Orchestra Gold Edition, produced by Doug Rogers and Nick Phoenix and engineered by 11-time Grammy nominee Prof. Keith O. Johnson.
• EW/QL Pianos Gold Edition, delivering a detailed collection of the world's finest grand pianos.
• EW/QL Symphonic Choirs, the first virtual instrument to allow users to type in words for the choirs to sing.
• EW/QL Leap Goliath, the sequel to Colossus, including all of Colossus plus 8-gigabytes of new content.
• Quantum Leap Stormdrum 2, packed with over 12-gigabytes of new percussion.
• Quantum Leap Voices of Passion, featuring female vocalists from around the world singing vowels, words, morphing vowels and whispers.
• Quantum Leap Ra, one of the largest, most detailed collections of ethnic instruments from six areas of the world.

The winner (and EastWest customers) can customize the collection to replace any titles licensed already.

"The competition is an excellent opportunity for a composer to sharpen his or her skills, with the possibility of winning a great prize," says Doug Rogers, founder and Producer of EastWest. "Our virtual instrument collections are recorded through the finest studio equipment with the best talent available, creating great sounding instruments. With so many styles of instruments and voices represented in our collections, it is very gratifying to hear all the imaginative entries our competitions generate."

Contest entries are limited to compositions that exclusively feature EastWest and EastWest/Quantum Leap virtual instruments. Only vocals created with EastWest or EastWest/Quantum Leap vocal virtual instruments are acceptable. The contest is limited to one entry per composer and all compositions must be original. The winner will retain ownership of his or her composition. Music that has been entered in any other EastWest competition or in the Music Cafe section of the EastWest forum is not eligible for consideration.

The winner will be announced by November 15, 2009. Comments from the judges about the compositions will be limited to the top five finalists.

Please visit the website for a complete set of rules.