Eight composers participate. Select sessions are open to all Forum members.

(OCTOBER 2002) Eight composers from across the nation will travel to Minneapolis in October to participate in the Minnesota Orchestra’s second annual Composer Institute, an intensive seven-day immersion into the world of a major American symphony orchestra. The Composer Institute’s breadth is unique and substantive, incorporating working rehearsals of eight new compositions for orchestra and a comprehensive array of over 25 seminars on topics ranging from public speaking and business essentials for composers, to advanced instrumental workshops with orchestra members, to name a few.

Under the chairmanship of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Aaron Jay Kernis, who serves as the Minnesota Orchestra’s new music advisor, the Institute aims to nurture the participants’ musical acumen and broaden their career management and community leadership skills. Presented by the Minnesota Orchestra and American Composers Forum in cooperation with the American Music Center, the Composer Institute runs from Friday, October 25 through Thursday, October 31.

Following a nationwide call for scores last spring, eight U.S. composers were selected by a national panel of composers to participate in the October sessions. The participating composers are: Todd Coleman (Iowa), Christopher Dietz (New York), Lu Pei (originally from China, now living in Indiana), Russell Platt (New York), Erich Stem (Virginia), Nathan Stumpff (Maine), Orianna Webb (Connecticut) and Michael Twomey (Texas).

The Composer Institute centers on three afternoon reading sessions, during which composers will hear their works read by the Minnesota Orchestra in public rehearsals led by Minnesota Orchestra Assistant Conductor Scott Terrell and guest conductor Mark Russell Smith at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Following the sessions, composers will receive feedback from Orchestra members, conductors, their fellow composers, and Kernis, who will serve as a mentor to participants throughout the entire process. "The Institute readings will provide a crucial opportunity for composers in the early stages of their careers to hear their new orchestral works for the first time, played by one of the nation’s greatest orchestras," said Kernis.

Recognizing the multiple demands placed on today’s composers, Institute organizers have created an itinerary that includes an extensive series of more than 25 career development sessions that provide the type of training that composers typically do not receive in a conservatory setting. Music industry professionals will offer workshops on topics including licensing, commercial publishing, grant writing and community residencies, as well as music seminars on bowing for strings, and percussion section setup logistics, among others. The majority of the seminars are open to American Composers Forum member.

Learn more about the Institute • Read the Official Press Release

Download a schedule of events and a seminar registration form
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