Performers will rehearse and workshop a piece written especially for them, providing valuable feedback and engaging in a collaborative atmosphere with the paired composer.
Composers will each write a short piece for a subset of available performers (usually 1-3 musicians) before the lab begins and workshop it over the course of the ten days.
During the first four days of the workshop, the composer-performer pairs will rehearse the piece as submitted by the composer. During this time, each pairing will together give a short presentation to the rest of the participants and guest artists, inviting critical discussion and affording both the composer and performers an opportunity to fully invest in and share the work.
The remaining six days are devoted to revision of the works, beginning with an open discussion where all the participants are invited to critique the first performance. Then, the composer-performer pairings regroup and revise the work collaboratively, encouraging input from both sides. The new works will be premiered at a public concert at the end of the lab. Participants will receive a high-quality recording of their collaborations.
We hope that through this process, participants have the opportunity to experiment extensively without the pressure and risk behind a rushed single performance. Participants will have opportunities to work closely with our guest artist mentors throughout the rehearsal and revision process.