MMTA’s Workshop for Young Composers

MMTA’s Workshop for Young Composers, is a non-competitive program intended to provide a professional workshop experience to young composition students of MMTA members in good standing.  This program will provide an encouraging and safe atmosphere for student composers to hear their works performed by professional musicians and to gain constructive feedback on their compositions.

This program is, in part, offered as an encouragement to contestants who wish to enter MTNA Composition Competitions but is in no way a requirement for such participation, nor will this participation be noted anywhere on the application for MTNA Composition Competitions.

All composers participating will receive a high-quality recording made during the workshop. 

"MMTA welcomes all entries and those selected to be workshopped may or may not be entries in the MTNA Composition Competitions in the fall." 

MMTA’s Workshop for Young Composers is offered to students on all levels to: 

  • Provide an opportunity for Young Composers to have their works played by professional musicians

  • Gain insight for improving their compositionsIdentify areas of weakness 

  • Encourage continued study and/or participation in MTNA’s Composition Competitions.

MMTA’s Workshop for Young Composers Procedures

All age groups may apply up to 18 years .

T

o apply:

  1. Fill out the online application form

  2. Submit, by the deadline stated on the application, the first full page of an original score for the entry panel to assess. 

MMTA’s Workshop for Young Composers Rules:

Pieces must be written for instruments contained within the Guest Ensemble, or any smaller combination thereof.  This ensemble will vary from year to year.

For August 2023: Guest Ensemble will be Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano.

Workshop time will be allotted in accordance with students’ age and the technical requirements of their compositions.

Each applicant’s teacher will be informed of acceptance into the Workshop within two weeks of the application deadline. Final compositions (required at registration) should be a maximum of 5 minutes. Sections of longer compositions are acceptable.

Application Fee: $25.00 to apply

Registration Fee for accepted composers: $50.00

Non-member Fee: $100.00

For those who may need financial help with fees, please contact Chair Dr. David Ibbett (david@davidibbett.com) 

Criteria for acceptance into Workshop include, but are not limited to:

  • Legibly-notated score produced with digital notation software (any platform acceptable)

  • Instruments are drawn from the Guest Ensemble instrumentation (Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano)

  • Scores are written within the technical capabilities of their included instruments 

  • Scores display creativity, curiosity and a growing passion for composition