How it works
Composers and performers meet in five ways, and all of them end with the same introduction email. The site only introduces; it makes no contracts and never handles payments.
Five ways
- 01
I'm interested
A performer presses “I'm interested” on a work’s page. The request goes straight to the composer; our editors do not step in. If the composer does not reply within two weeks, an automatic reminder is sent.
- 02
Wanted notice
A performer describes what they need in a single form: “looking for works” or “want to commission a new one”. For example: solo flute, difficulty 3–5, about 10 minutes. Works that match are sent as suggestions once our editors approve them.
- 03
Direct commission
A performer presses “Offer a commission” on a composer’s profile and fills in line-up, duration, difficulty range, date and fee. Composers with a free account receive unpaid offers only; paid and negotiable offers go to composers on Agora Stage (Pro). This is the heart of the site.
- 04
Open commission
A performer or ensemble posts a public open commission. It goes live after our editors approve it; at most ten composers can offer to write it, and it never costs anything — the point is not to turn performers into a small jury.
- 05
Propose a work
A composer presses “Propose a work” on a performer’s or ensemble’s profile, chooses one of their public works — rated or not yet rated — and adds a short note, and a fee if they wish. The proposal goes straight to the performer; our editors do not step in. In an unpaid proposal the composer can tick what they offer instead of a fee. If the performer accepts, both receive the same introduction email.
The introduction email
Once both sides accept, they receive the same email: both names and email addresses, the work’s details and a short checklist — how the score will be sent, whether there is a fee, recording and broadcast permission, how names appear in the programme.
After that, it is yours. There is no on-site messaging; you continue from your own email. Three months later both sides are asked “Was the work performed?”. If yes, the concert is added to the performances list and the strip on the home page.
When do I need an account?
Browsing works and previews needs no account. An account is needed only to say “I’m interested”, post a wanted notice, offer a commission or propose a work.
Visibility and the work limit
Each composer can have at most three rated works at a time (published or waiting for a rating). Beside them, they can add any number of works that are not rated: title, line-up, duration, year and one link (a recording, a preview or a portfolio) — no files. These appear at once, marked “Not yet rated”, and can be found by line-up and duration; the composer can upload the score and submit them for rating at any time. Among works that match a filter, the newest is on top; works waiting at the bottom return to the top at regular intervals. Deleting and re-uploading a work does not give it a new date. Performers can sort by difficulty or duration.
The full score and the preview
The full score is used only to assess difficulty and is never published. Once the assessment is complete, it is automatically deleted from our system. Only the first 30% of the work and the performance notes remain on the site as a preview for performers.
The preview pages are chosen automatically: the performance notes and technical explanations at the start are always shown in full and do not count; right after them come the first 30% of the music pages (at least one page). Your work will be rated within 7 days. If a work is still not rated 14 days after upload, its full score is deleted in the same way; the work stays on the site with its preview, marked “Not yet rated”, and can be submitted for rating again at any time. In both cases the composer receives an automatic email.
Finding works
Performers can save a filter on the Works page (“Save this search”): when a new work that matches joins the site, they get an email — at most one a day — and every email has a one-click link to stop that search. Composers can get an email when a new wanted notice fits one of their public works, and can turn this off in their dashboard.
Works with no performance recorded on the site, which their composer has not marked as already performed, carry an “Awaiting first performance” badge. Performers who chose the newsletter get a short list of these new works on the 1st of each month.
Every technique tag on a work links to a short explanation on the Techniques page: what it is, how it is usually written and which instruments use it.Techniques →
Two modes
Free
$0
For those who want to play or give works without payment.
- Present works, find works, “I'm interested”, matching
- Wanted notices and unpaid commission offers
- No paid offers — paid work is part of Pro
- Never charged — no entry fees, no application fees, ever
Pro · Agora Stage
$20 / year
Free until the end of 2027 for founding members who join by 31 December 2026.
For those who take commissions or perform for a fee, and want to earn.
- Performers list paid premieres and recordings; composers list paid commissions
- Each member writes their own fees, shown on their profile and on Agora Stage
- Listed separately from the free archive and never ranked above free profiles
- The site takes no commission; leave at any time and keep your data
Composer and performer accounts are separate. If you both compose and perform, create two accounts.
How difficulty is assessed
Our editorsThis is not a judgement of quality; it shows what the work asks of the performer. “Rated” means that only the work’s technical difficulty and complexity for the performer have been assessed, on a scale of 1 to 7. No aesthetic judgement is made.
Works rated 1–3 are tagged “Suitable for music schools”. The tag follows from the technical difficulty rating alone — it is not a choice or recommendation by our editors, and works that are not yet rated never carry it.
- 01
Our editors read the full score
Every work is rated by our editors, from the full score — never from the preview or the recording — and they use one shared scale in the same way for every work. The composer’s own estimate is for information only. Works are rated within 7 days, and the full score is deleted as soon as the rating is published.
- 02
Seven axes
The score is read along the seven axes listed here. Each one is looked at separately before any number is given.
- 03
The hardest sustained demand decides
The rating is not an average. The axis that is hardest and lasts long enough to shape the performance sets the number; one difficult bar does not. The one-sentence rationale names that deciding axis.
- 04
Relative to the instrument
A level is measured against the instrument’s own repertoire: a 5 for flute and a 5 for tuba ask for comparable mastery, not the same notes. In ensemble works the most demanding part sets the level.
- 05
Calibrated against reference works
For each instrument our editors keep a few reference works per level and check new ratings against them, so the scale does not drift over time.
- 06
Review on request
A composer or a performer who has played the work can request a review from the work’s page. Our editors read the score again and either keep the rating or change it, with a new rationale.
Complexity criteria 1–7
What each axis looks like at each level. A work’s rating is the highest level that its hardest sustained axis reaches; the other axes are shown so performers know what else to expect.
| Axis | 1Introductory | 2Foundational | 3Intermediate | 4Upper intermediate | 5Advanced | 6Highly advanced | 7Specialist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhythm and metre | Regular metre, simple subdivisions. | Changing metres, simple syncopation. | Irregular metres, basic tuplets. | Frequent tuplets, not nested; short proportional passages. | Complex rhythm throughout; occasional nested tuplets. | Nested tuplets and irrational metres, sustained. | Rhythmic complexity at the limit of readability. |
| Pitch and intonation | Diatonic or chromatic lines, comfortable intervals. | Wide leaps, chromatic lines. | Occasional quarter-tones and slides. | Quarter-tones within passages; awkward intervals. | Microtones throughout; multiphonic pitches. | Continuous microtonal writing; non-tempered tunings. | Fine microtonal systems held precisely over long spans. |
| Extended techniques | None, or one in isolation. | One or two common techniques (air, glissando, sul ponticello). | Several techniques, with time to prepare each. | Many techniques, quick changes between them. | Advanced techniques (multiphonics, overpressure) combined with other demands. | Rare techniques, rapid alternation, several at once. | Techniques that extend the instrument; may need special preparation. |
| Register and endurance | Comfortable middle register, frequent rests. | Wider range, short sustained passages. | Full standard range. | Extended high or low notes; longer stretches without rest. | Extreme registers with sustained effort. | Extremes held for long passages; little rest. | Beyond normal range or stamina (e.g. circular breathing throughout). |
| Tempo and density | Slow to moderate, sparse. | Moderate tempo, clear textures. | Short fast passages. | Fast, dense passages; awkward page turns. | High density sustained over sections. | Very fast and very dense, little time to prepare. | Maximal speed and density throughout. |
| Coordination | Solo, or parts that move together. | Simple cues; parts mostly aligned. | Independent lines over a clear pulse. | Independent parts, frequent cueing; may need a conductor. | Click track, or sync with electronics. | Complex sync with electronics and conductor; spatial placement. | Several tempi or systems at once; technician and long rehearsal process. |
| Notation | Conventional notation. | Conventional, with a few common symbols. | Some proportional or graphic passages, explained. | Mixed notation systems within the work. | Extensive non-standard symbols. | Dense new notation that needs study. | Notation unique to the work; best learned with the composer. |
Difficulty scale
Only our editors give the rating, all using the same scale, so it stays consistent. Each work has one number and a one-sentence rationale. Performers choose a range, not a single number (e.g. 3–5).
- 1
Introductory
Conventional notation, regular metres, comfortable register. No extended techniques, or a single one in isolation.
- 2
Foundational
Changing metres and simple contemporary gestures: one or two techniques such as air sounds, glissando or sul ponticello, at slow tempi.
- 3
Intermediate
Irregular metres, moving between several extended techniques, limited graphic or proportional passages.
- 4
Upper intermediate
Non-nested tuplets, occasional quarter-tones, quick changes of technique; independent parts in ensemble works.
- 5
Advanced
Multiphonics, microtones and complex rhythm together. May require synchronising with electronics or a click track.
- 6
Highly advanced
Nested tuplets, continuous microtonal writing, sustained high density; passages close to the limits of the instrument.
- 7
Specialist
Writing that extends the known limits of the instrument; asks for special preparation, a long rehearsal process and often working with the composer.