Symphonie Fantastique Art Contest
Listen to music. Create art. Win a prize.
There’s a lot going on in Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique (witches, dancing, opium…you name it), so we want to see what you hear. Celebrate the opening of the SLSO’s 24/25 season with us by creating art inspired by this piece and win a prize.
On September 27 and 29, the SLSO will be performing Symphonie fantastique. Take a listen beforehand and create visual art based on what you hear. Simply fill out the form below and tag us on social media with a photo or video of what you create in order to enter. All artwork will be reviewed by a panel of SLSO musicians who will choose the top three. Winners will be judged on creativity and interpretation of the music.
Contest Details
Prizes:
1st place: One-night-stay at 21c Museum Hotel, musician meet & greet, 4 free tickets to Symphonie Fantastique
2nd place: $100 gift card to Polite Society / The Bellwether, 4 free tickets to Symphonie Fantastique
3rd place: 4 Free tickets to Symphonie Fantastique
Everyone: All participants will receive discounted $25 tickets*
*A code will be messaged to participants individually
How to Enter:
- Fill out this form
- Listen to Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz
- Create any form of visual artwork inspired by the piece (e.g. painting, drawing, etc.)*
- Upload a picture or video to social media and tag the SLSO on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or YouTube
Entries accepted until Sun, Sep 15 at 11:59pm. Winners announced on Fri, Sep 20.
*Artwork must fit within the parameters of a photo or may be showcased within a video. Submissions with nudity or vulgar language will be disqualified.
The Music & Story
Leonard Bernstein describes it best by calling Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique “the first psychedelic symphony in history.” But it wasn’t the best trip.
The Synopsis: A young artist (Berlioz) falls in love with a total stranger (Harriet Smithson). He actively stalks her for years, but they never meet. Years later, he takes a lot of opium and dreams up a nightmare about murdering Harriet. In the dream, he’s sentenced to death and watches his funeral in the company of devils, witches, and ghouls. He wakes up and writes Symphonie fantastique.
Program Notes: Berlioz gives us a treat by spelling out exactly what the music represents. Read what the composer intended here.
Idée Fixe: While listening, also be on the lookout for a musical motif representing his beloved Harriet in what the artist called an idée fixe (or a “fixed idea”). This will help you hear her character bounce around the music.
Picture the Music
This contest was inspired by Picture the Music, an SLSO program designed to spark students’ imagination and creativity through music.
This FREE, cross-curricular program invites students in grades K-6 to experience music and art as powerful strategies for emotional regulation. Through listening to music and using painting or drawing to express how it makes them feel, students will begin to understand and process their emotions in new and healthy ways.
Share this program with an educator in your life today!