SongFest-Sorel Composer Mentorship Program
June 11-18, 2024

Check in is June 10 at Noon, departure is June 19 at Noon

Martha Guth, Composer Mentorship Program director
Information: martha.songfest@gmail.com, songfestus@gmail.com

Program Description

The 2024 SongFest-Sorel Composer Mentorship program is a focused 8 day program of study for 5 early career composers of any age. The program is nestled into the greater SongFest program for voice and piano participants. Composers will be chosen through an application process and will work with our celebrated senior composition faculty in an intensive and open environment. As ‘Sorel Composition Fellows’ all 5 composers will receive full tuition fellowships. Classes will comprise of: masterclasses, workshops, individual lessons, lectures, discussion on poetry and text setting, and opportunities to engage with other SongFest faculty and students. World premiere performances will take place on a recital dedicated to the music of all five student composers. "For 2024, we welcome back long time SongFest composition faculty John Harbison, Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen and John Musto and we are very pleased that composer Shawn Okpebholo will join us this year" Opportunities to work and interact with the senior composition faculty will be available, and each accepted composer will be paired with one or more faculty composers for their private lessons. SongFest performance faculty will work on the brand-new pieces in a workshop setting and will also coach the brand new works that the fellows have written for premiere performance during the program by SongFest singer & pianist Fellow duos. Selected performance faculty include Clara Osowski, Martha Guth, and Lydia Brown. 

VENUE
In 2024 SongFest will return to California and take place on the gorgeous campus of Pomona College in stunning Claremont just outside of Los Angeles.  The selected composers will be able to use their gorgeous music facilities, including the recital halls.

TIMELINE
• Friday, March 1, 2024: Application deadline and application fee due ($40)
• Friday, March 18, 2024: Notification of accepted and waitlisted composers.
• Monday, March 25, 2024: Accepted Composers must accept by this date
• April 1: Reduced Housing/meal fee of $600 paid in full.
• April 1-15, 2024: Mentorship Zoom calls with assigned Composition faculty
• May 10, 2024: 1st draft due for two new songs to be workshopped/premiered at SongFest
• June 18, 2024: New work concerts of the emerging composers
• Check in is June 10 at Noon ~ departure is June 19 at Noon

*Sorel Fellowship composers will be expected to pay their own transportation.

The Sorel Organization

This program is made possible in part by a generous grant from the Sorel Organization, whose mission is ‘to expand opportunities and stretch the boundaries for women musicians in the fields of conducting, composition, film scoring, performance, arts leadership, education, and scholarship’. In partnership with The Sorel Organization, SongFest has made a substantial contribution to the art song repertoire through its commissioning program that has produced new works for voice and piano by such distinguished composers as Juhi Bansal, William Bolcom, Dorothy Chang, Tom Cipullo, Reena Esmail, Gabriela Lena Frank, John Harbison, Jennifer Higdon, Richard Hundley, Sally Lamb, Anne Le Baron, Lori Laitman, Libby Larsen, Erica Muhl, James Primosch, Shulamit Ran, Sheila Silver, Alan Louis Smith and Anna Weesner. along with many other distinguished musicians who have become part of our SongFest family of composers. We look forward to expanding this list with the re-invention of our 2004 composer/mentorship program, which will help to both cultivate and promote the talent of five emerging composers.

Application for the SongFest-Sorel Composer Mentorship

All five emerging composers will receive full tuition to attend.
Housing/Meals/linens for 8 nights, a total of $600 will be the responsibility of the composers, due in full by April 1, 2024.

Recommendations

Please provide the names and contact information (email preferred) of three people who can best speak to your work.
Email: martha.songfest@gmail.com

Material requested

• One page Resume

• A 250 word bio

• Statement of purpose: This statement should indicate why you are interested in song composition in particular, and how you might benefit from this program. (Suggested length between 200-250 words)

• Score submission:  Applicants are requested to show a documented interest in art song composition and are requested to submit PDF’s of two (2) contrasting art songs scores, for voice and piano, each no longer than 5 minutes.

• Audio/Video links: If available, please provide audio/video links to a live performance of your two submitted scores in a PDF document: Acceptable formats include a listed or unlisted Youtube link, or a private or public Soundcloud page link.  No direct downloads. If audio or video files are not available, links to midi files will be acceptable.

• Submit $40 registration fee below.

*Please note that applications are not considered complete unless the application fee is submitted.

Payment by Credit or Debit Card

To pay by credit or debit card, please use the button below.
Please fill in the Description as “SongFest-Sorel Composer Mentorship Application” and the Price per item as “$40” - Thank you.

For more information about SongFest: songfestus@gmail.com

At SongFest we believe in a world where equal opportunity is possible for all. We are committed to establishing inclusive and equitable practices that draw on varied experiences and perspectives, equipping the next generation to claim their future place in the music world. For 2024, our composer mentorship program will return, by inviting five early career composers. All genders, including members of historically underrepresented groups, are encouraged to apply.

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