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ALBA MUSIC FESTIVAL COMPOSITION PROGRAM

 ALBA MUSIC FESTIVAL COMPOSITION PROGRAM
Summary:Composition Programme
Deadline: 15 December 2019
Date Posted: 11 September 2019
Details: Program Overview and Summary
• Performance: Each participant will be invited to submit one work of up to five (5) minutes in length for the resident ensemble, the Borromeo String Quartet. All works will be premiered on an Alba Music Festival Wet Ink concert. Furthermore, the quartet will choose one composer to receive a commission to compose a new work as part of a future concert season. Participants will also be considered for reprise performances of their music by the quartet.
• Professional Recording: Each participant will receive a professional, edited recording of their work as part of a dedicated recording session.
• Private lessons: Participants receive one-on-one private composition lessons with our resident faculty who include Mary Ellen Childs, J Anthony Allen, and the 2020 Composer-In-Residence, Derek Bermel. Additional lessons may also be available, time permitting, with any of our visiting composers.
• Masterclasses & Workshops: Daily workshops and masterclasses are led by the composition faculty, the Composer-In-Residence, visiting composers, and performers. These sessions focus on variety of topics, ranging from issues of craft, to professional career planning.
• VIP Access: Participants will have complimentary, reserved seating at the evening festival concerts, as well as invitations to select, special events. We also include a complimentary tour of an area winery, complete with a wine tasting hosted by a local sommelier.
• Future Opportunities: All alumni of the Alba Composition Program are eligible to receive a paid commission to compose a new work for a premiere as part of a future Alba Festival . In 2017, the first Alba Alumni Commission was awarded to 2016 alumnus, Jonathan Posthuma. Awards have since been given to Jesse Edwards and Nicky Sohn, both 2017 program alumni.


A Typical Day in Alba
Each day in Alba is filled with music and fellowship. Mornings consist of rehearsals and/or private composition lessons with the faculty. Typically we break for lunch at noon, followed by an afternoon composition masterclass/workshop held in the Alba Campus Center. Afterward there is time for private lessons, afternoon rehearsals, or simply rest. Alba Festival afternoon concerts are usually scheduled at 5:30 pm, followed by a break for an evening meal. At 9:00 pm, the Alba Festival evening concert usually takes place, often followed by socializing over wine and/or a late dinner, and, of course, gelato!

Your Music: A Concert Performance
Program participants will be invited to submit one work, either pre-existing or newly composed, in any compositional style, of up to five (5) minutes for the resident ensemble. Works may be composed for the entire group, or for a subset of the group's instrumentation. Performance materials, professionally prepared, will be due for electronic delivery (PDF format) no later than March 1, 2019. All works will performed on one of the Alba Festival concerts dedicated to the work of living composers.

Your Music: A Professional Recording
One of the most valuable things for a composer is a high-quality recording. Thus, as part of the program, each participant will have his/her work professionally recorded in a dedicated session. These sessions will be coordinated in consultation with the program participants, the musicians, resident faculty, and the Composer-in-Residence. Each participant will receive an edited, twenty-four (24) bit stereo master of their music approximately one month after the completion of the festival. In addition, the unedited ProTools session files may be made available on request.

Private Composition Lessons
All participants will receive private, one-on-one, lessons with each member of the resident composition faculty and the Composer-in-Residence. Time permitting, additional lessons may also be available with any of the guest and visiting composers.

Daily Masterclasses and Workshops
Masterclasses and workshops, hosted by the resident composition faculty, the Composer-in-Residence, and guest composers, will be held each day in the music classroom of the Alba Campus Center. All classes and workshops will be topic based, ranging from elements of compositional craft to career issues. Example topics include contemporary counterpoint, orchestration, electronic and electroacoustic music, spectralism, performance practice, improvisation, promotion, publishing, copyright, recording, music industry, and academic career advice.

Electronic and Electroacoustic Music Production Day Camp (new for 2020)
We partnered with Slam Academy and faculty member J Anthony Allen to offer a one-day intensive electronic and electroacoustic music production course. featuring creative production tools Ableton Live, Max4Live, and Max/MSP. This is an optional add-on for accepted composition fellows at a substantially discounted rate or may be elected as a standalone package for anyone. Seats, however, are limited.

Housing, Meals, and Transportation
Due to the wide range of circumstances and needs of our applicants, the program is able to offer a discounted housing and meal package as an option. Participants are not required to enroll in this plan. We are also happy to assist those who wish to make their own accommodation arrangements. We are also happy to arrange a discounted private car/van shuttle service from major city airports and railway stations. Torino (Turin) is the most often used gateway for arriving and departing by air or rail. Turin is located about an hour and fifteen minutes from Alba by car. However, both Milan and Genova are also possible points of arrival and departure, each about two and a half hours drive from Alba.

Participants who take advantage of the housing/meal package will have one round-trip transfer provided (to/from Turin).

Facilities: The Alba Campus, Music School, and Beppe Fenoglio Hall
Composition masterclasses and workshops are held in a remodeled classroom located in an important historical building. This building, known as the Alba Campus Center, also houses the administrative offices of the festival. During the day, participants will have access to this building, which contains several practice rooms with pianos, computers, and free high-speed WiFi. Private lessons are held in the campus center, or in one of the practice rooms or rehearsal spaces of the local music school which, houses a recently remodeled multipurpose hall named after Beppe Fenoglio, a famous 20th century Italian author and native of the region.

2020 Tuition and Fees
Tuition: €2395

​​This fee includes all elements of the program except travel, meals, and accommodation. An inclusive meal and accommodation plan is available (see below).

The tuition will be payable in three installments:
Refundable Deposit: €500 (due on acceptance to the program)
January 1, 2020: First Installment: €1250
February 1, 2019: Final Installment: €645 (less any financial aid)

For more information:

Web Site:www.albacomposition.com/the-program.html