Details
Learn more about what our exciting 2024 Cycle has to offer!
The Basics
All young composers who participate in the program will work to write a short composition (five minutes or less) for two instruments. In addition, participants will each be paired with a Composer-Mentor, who will give them constructive feedback as they write their short pieces. New to the 2024 Cycle: monthly all-program Zoom meetings will be hosted to give participants and Composer-Mentors the opportunity to share music, participate in discussions about the music world, learn from guest speakers, and more. Approximately halfway through the cycle (most likely in March), participants will have the opportunity to hear their in-progress pieces read by student musicians at The Juilliard School. Then, in May, students at Juilliard will read and record the finished pieces, and the participants will receive edited video and audio recordings.
Also, did we forget to mention that the 2024 Cycle is totally, 100% free?!
Eligibility
We are looking for participants who:
Are 16 years old or younger at the time of application
Have some experience writing music in the past and can notate their compositions on staff paper/sheet music
Have had relatively few (if any) opportunities for their music to be performed
Applicants can be from anywhere in the world to participate in the 2024 Cycle, as all of the live components of the program will take place on Zoom. We are hoping to include 16 young composers in the 2024 Cycle.
Writing the Music
Once applicants are accepted into the 2024 Cycle, they will be given a choice to write for one of several small chamber ensembles. They will then spend February through April working to write a short piece for the ensemble they select.
NOTE: We will try our very best to get each participant their first choice of ensemble, but this is not always possible considering the uneven demand between the choices we provide.
Connecting with Composer-Mentors
2024 Cycle participants will be paired with one of our talented and motivated Composer-Mentors, all of whom are undergraduate or graduate music composition students at The Juilliard School, Columbia University, Mannes School of Music at The New School, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at NYU, and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Each participant will meet with their respective Composer-Mentor at least three times between February and April to receive informal, constructive feedback about their composition.
Click here to learn more about our amazing Composer-Mentors!
Monthly All-Program Meetings
Approximately once a month, we will host a Zoom meeting for all participants and Composer-Mentors. This will serve as a space to share music, thoughts, and ideas, engage in discussions about the young composer world and the classical music scene in general, learn from guest speakers (to be announced), and much more.
Reading the Music
In March, participants will have the opportunity to submit their in-progress pieces to be read by wonderful young musicians who are currently students at The Juilliard School. The readings will take place on Zoom, allowing participants to tune in in real-time. Each piece will be read for approximately 15 minutes, and the goal is to give participants the opportunity to hear their music played by real people before they have to turn in the completed version.
Recording the Music
In late April, participants will turn in their completed pieces (including scores & parts). Then, each piece will be read and recorded by student musicians at The Juilliard School in New York City, NY. After we make sure each recording is up to our standards, we will be able to send each composer their respective recording, which they can then use and publicize as they wish!
Presenting the Virtual Showcase Concert
After the recordings have been distributed to the composers, they will be given the opportunity to participate in our 2024 Cycle Virtual Showcase Concert. This recital will be live-streamed on YouTube, and is an excellent way for the participants to hear the works of their colleagues as well as get their music out there. Click here to check out the concert from our first-ever program, the Spring 2021 Cycle!
The Application
Our application is a Google Form. In it, we ask for basic personal information, a little about each applicant’s musical journey, and at least one score that the applicant worked on in the past. The scores do NOT have to be complete; we are just making sure that each applicant has the ability to notate music on a score/sheet music. The application form opens on Friday, December 8, 2023, and it will close on Friday, January 19, 2024 at 11:59 pm EDT. Each applicant will be updated via email regarding their acceptance status on or before Friday, February 2, 2024.