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May I have the honor of occupying the last spot? I'd like to join the competition.

Hi! I am really curious which composition you have composed are considered to be your finest achievements. It is your opinion, public opinion, critical comments, anything. This is the list of my favourite compositions I have composed. I will mention five of them in every ensemble cast. ORCHESTRAL: Symphony no. 2 - My personal favourite, it makes me feel comfortable in composing long works. :) Concerto for violin and orchestra - It's the website's favourite too, it's already exposed on "Major works" section. Thanks! :D Contrasts in colour - early orchestral achievement (from 2003), I really started to feel comfortable in orchestral media with this one. Concerto for flute and orchestra - I enjoyed composing it very much. Not so virtuoso, but more melodic. Concerto for cello and orchestra - while it is fine in expressive and concertante matter, I have mentioned my dissatisfaction with formal approach several times. :) CHAMBER: Yearning for flute quartet - although composed back in 2004, I still consider it as one of my best works ever. I was really lucky to find a perfect combination of formal and expressive approach in it. And it became pretty popular all over the world. :D Pictures for saxophone quartet and two percussionists - one of my better recent chamber compositions. It is pretty bold in usage of modern techniques, specific tonal colouring and complex rhythms. Sonata for cello and piano - The critics in newspapers hate it, but I love it. Fortunatelly, several cellists love it too. :) One of my solid attempts to write a Sonata work in present tonal language. The Angel of Love for seven instruments - simply beautiful, that's all I can say. I also love the ensemble combination (flute, clarinet, trombone, percussion, piano, viola and cello) Divertimento Grazioso for violin, cello and piano - it is my breakthrough composition (written in early 1998) so even if I don't really take it as one of my best, I like it because of good memories. :) CHORAL: Mir vam zapustim (Peace unto you) - I just love it, that's all. Silence for choir and piccolo - A nice attempt to expand choral sound with other sonic expressions, rather than just singing. Popotnik (The Traveller) - I especially like the text of this poem which I set music on. So positive and universal. Imam ti nešto reći (There is something I need to tell you) - My first composition for which I won international prize for choral composition competition. But the composition itself is not one of my favourites though. :) Ave Maria - yet to be performed, but I enjoyed using a very simple musical language inside more modern expression. That's it so far. It's your turn! :) Yours Crt Sojar Voglar

I mainly play the Piano and French Horn... although occasionally I can be seen singing or squealing into a trumpet! Muahahaaa.

I'm up to Op.50 with the piece I am just finishing now (although this includes arrangements and orchestrations of other pieces, so my total opus of entirely original compositions is more like 30). The Sun Rising (2010/11; orchestra): Until a few months ago the longest piece I'd completed, at 13 minutes, and my most successful as it reached the final of a national competition and was premièred in a public concert. In terms or personal significance, it taught me a lot about handling a longer form coherently and about using more original orchestration, as well as techniques such as writing sustained fast music and developing climaxes. It was also a major confidence boost, not just because of its success but due to the feedback from players and audience and the knowledge that I'd actually completed such a large amount of music in a style I wanted to write in and which managed to present an original idea. A Child of the Snows (2012; baritone, chorus and orchestra): OK, cheating a little as this is still (as of 13th July) around 20 bars incomplete, but I already feel this is my best achievement on almost all counts - handling of structure, instrumental and choral textures, setting the meaning of texts, use of a solo voice with orchestra (first time doing this) and just completing such a massive project - 27 minutes in a single movement. The première will take place this December. Midnight's Bell (2010, piano): This started life as a short chorale in another composition for harpsichord, but in a few days became a fairly substantial piece in its own right, in which I explore different textures available on the piano. Apart from feeling that the ending is too long, I was very pleased with the result., and it was a step into using longer forms than I had previously written. If Ye Love Me (2008, double choir): Half-arrangement, half composition, this was a re-imagining of Tallis' hymn with a second choir as a contemporary background. Whilst not an entirely original idea, I felt I carried this off well. In the Old Castle (2009, chamber orchestra): An orchestration of a Dvorak piano piece, but one of my most treasured achievements, not least for the warm reception it generated when performed. Whilst the music was not original, it was a noticeable step into developing a personal style of orchestration. ...And arts unknown before (2012, orchestra): Another 'quickie', done in a little over a week for a commission. It's neither my most original piece nor my most personal, but I rather like it and hope to expand this little fanfare into a longer choral composition in the future.

My favourite own compositions? This is a very difficult question. In general I prefer my simple, melodic and melancholic pieces. So far I have composed nearly 100 pieces, all oft hem for piano solo. Most oft hem are on SoundCloud and Free-Scores.com Here are my current personal favorites. petit rêve triste - sad little dream – my personal alltime favorite... http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/beneking-petit-r-ve-triste Millenium Elegie – composed fort he turn oft he Millenium http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/beneking-elegie-du-millenium Petr Ginz – for the story of Petr Ginz, that touched me most http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/petr-ginz Phantaisie sol mineur - Fantasy G minor http://soundcloud.com/stephan-beneking/beneking-phantaisie-sol-mineur Reve en ut diese mineur - dream in C sharp minor http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1217/reve-en-ut-diese-mineur-dream-in-c-sharp-minor/ Petites Reves bizarres 18 – out of 22 dreamlets (also here on YC) http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1156/strange-little-dream-no-18-petit-reve-bizarre/ Petites Reves bizarres 14 http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1155/strange-little-dream-no-14-petit-reve-bizarre/ Dance on icy Waters I http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/1412/dance-on-icy-waters-i-dream-g-minor/ And my Preludes fantasies No 1 and 2 (played by myself) http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2685/prelude-fantaisie-no-1/ http://www.youngcomposers.com/music/2759/prelude-fantaisie-no-2/

lol. Ok. And, I didn't choose it, the members of YC did. :P It's YC Choice month.

Better be ready for requests to extend the deadline ;) .

So far my entire body of works is numbered at 35, with some of them either under construction or being revised (only a fraction of them is available at YC). Most of them are either orchestral or piano solo works, but chamber pieces have been steadily gaining ground. If I had to pick my better works, this would be pretty much what I'd list: Orchestral Pieces 1) Symphony N° 2 in D, Op. 17 (1997). This is an architecture-inspired piece composed at age 19 (to commemorate the centennial of Costa Rica's emblematic National Theather). It made its way into the finals of an international competition, and despite not winning, it was pointed out by the jury as "a work noteworthy for its outstanding quality". Unfortunately that didn't ever mean a premiere :( . I was never satisfied with its last movement, though, so I'm working in a "replacement". I might be a much better composer now (hopefully), but I'm still heavily attached to this piece, since it was the closest I've been to a breakthrough. 2) Aurora Suite, Op. 12 (1998). This piece means a lot to me, since it's the only one I've ever heard performed (by Costa Rica's National Symphony Orchestra), so it's much more about sweet memories. Following the "success" :dunno: of my Second Symphony, I was asked to write another orchestral piece for a workshop, and this was what I came up with. Of course, it had its technical flaws (owing mostly to the fact that I had to rely exclusively on handwriting and I had a pending deadline), but I was nevertheless praised by fellow composers (surprisingly, even by the staunchest local avant-gardists) and (especially) by the orchestra's musicians. In terms of personal growth, it helped me to discover and develop my penchant for colorful orchestration (on which I had already made some strides in the Second Symphony). In many ways it can be regarded as a "precursor" to the much later Adriana Suite. 3) Adriana Suite, Op. 27 (2011-12). Possibly the single piece by me most YC members are likely acquainted with (especially its Waltz, which I'm currently revising). My personal favorites are its last two movements. As I previously commented, I'm very likely to expand Adriana into a full ballet. 4) Overture in C# minor, Op. 20 (2006). I'm fond of this piece mostly because it was my first significative orchestral work since a long hiatus, and because it was also much more energetic and orchestrally "aggresive" than any of its predecessors. 5) Symphony N° 1 in D minor, Op. 13 (1994, rev. 2004). This was my first really meaningful orchestral piece, in four movements (composed when I was 16, extensively revised ten years later). I'm mostly fond of the third (a kind of Scherzo with a cinematic Trio), although I got favorable comments from music teachers about both the first movement's development section and the last's fugato fragment. Chamber Works 1) Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 16 (2004). I was already composing again when my aunt passed away due to cancer, and this is what I wrote in her memory. It's divided in two large sections, the second of which is a theme and variations. This latter part is what pleases me most, since I was able to twist the theme into a wide array of rhythms, tonalities and forms - even a palindrome - before a mourning final variation. 2) String Quartet in B minor, Op. 21 (2007). This one was written during my stay in Israel, and it draws on Israeli themes. It has only two movements as of now, but I feel it's still missing the middle slow movement. I'm not really a strong chamber composer, and I tend to believe this piece would work better re-arranged for string orchestra. 3) Music for Three Imaginary Children, Op. 19, for string orch. (2007). I'm very pleased with this musical joke, which is so far one of just two pieces I've written for this ensemble. 4) Souvenir from Pemberley, Op. 32 (2012). I had a lot of fun working on this piece, which I might expand into a second Piano Trio. Solo Piano Works 1) Piano Sonata N° 3 in C, Op. 23 (2003, rev. 2011-12). Despite its shortcomings, I'm pretty sure it's my best piano piece up to date. 2) Nocturne in G Minor, Op. 18 (2005-6, rev. 2011). This piece is possibly the best shot I have at a live recording as of now (thanks, Dina!!). This also introduced me to YC in late 2011. 3) Piano Sonata N° 1 in F, Op. 6 (1995). This one might probably be my earliest composition that I'm really pleased with, alongside with my First Symphony. Vocal Works My vocal output is nearly non-existent, save for a few lieder. But I'd single out two of them: 1) To Know Loneliness, Op. 24 N° 3 (2005). A work for middle voice (mezzosoprano, baritone) and piano solo, with (Spanish) lyrics provided by myself. I'm tempted to orchestrate it, though. 2) Jabberwocky, Op. 28 N° 1 (2012). This piece (based on Lewis Carroll's famed non-sensical poem) was composed almost as an afterthought - yet it ended up being surprisingly good, at least to me. It requires a chamber ensemble (piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) along with the voice. This piece has also a slim chance at a recording :thumbsup: ... I'll leave it like this for now, though it might change quickly - depending on how do the few projects I'm working at now eventually fare ;) .