Studio: Composing for Strings

July 9-21, 2012
The Studio is a two-week residential summer music camp for students age 14-20 who want to take their music compositions to the next level. Limited to 20 students.

• Schedule • Guest Composer • Opportunities 
• Cost • Scholarship • Register

Core features: seminars and master classes with renowned guest composers, workshops with guest artsits, score analysis, a field trip to the Minnesota Orchestra along with all of the features of the Institute. The program also offers a half-dozen composition tutorials and music theory and ear-training instruction. Every student has the opportunity to work with advanced music notation software. Students are expected to compose at least one work during the Studio and to participate in at least one premiere during the Festival Salons. The Studio is limited to the first 20 students who register.

Core features of the the Studio:

• Composition tutorials
• 2-hours of daily music theory/ear-training
• Master classes with a renowned guest composer
• Compose and perform new compositions
• Daily “salons” with guest artists
• Field trips: Minnesota Orchestra, ice cream social
• Music technology lab, practice rooms
• Room and board

The 2012 Institute features an opportunity to compose a score for string quartet prior to arriving at camp and to receive a reading of that work by the Artaria String Quartet. Scores for Artaria must be submitted by June 1, 2012.

Jay Fishman, Artistic Director of the Minnesota Sinfonia, has extended a  call for submissions to the 2nd annual Orchestra Composition Contest.  This opportunity is available exclusively for Junior Composers students enrolled in 2012 programs.  The winning string orchestra piece will be part of the Sinfonia's Young Artists Week, culminating in a performance at the orchestra's Summer Concert Series performance on Friday, July 20, 2012 at the Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis.

Submissions must be 5-7 minutes in length, must be notated in Finale or Sibelius notation software, and have the following instrumentation: violin 1, violin 2, viola, cello, and double bass.

Eligibility: composers born after July 1, 1993 who are either Junior Composers alumni or current students. Deadline: email the Finale score and a complete set of parts to Seth Custer by June 1, 2012. Questions: Seth Custer (sacuster@hotmail.com)