International Composition Seminar
The International Composition Seminar, made possible through financing by Allianz Kulturstiftung, is the only one of its kind in the world. Held for the first time in 2004, the seminar offers composers and conductors a unique opportunity to develop a piece of work under optimum conditions. Young composers in particular find it extremely difficult to gain a foothold in the professional world: Learning and studying generally take place exclusively at universities; there is normally no opportunity to work with professional ensembles. The International Composition Seminar strives to fill this gap and creates a platform in which learning and working is possible to the highest standards in a professional and international context.
With their many years of experiences as instrumentalists, the members of the Ensemble Modern provide invaluable support to the young composers and conductors in the creative process. Furthermore each year a renowned composer and a renowned conductor act as tutors in two consecutive working phases, building one on the other. In a first phase, composers can experiment with and develop their compositional ideas in conjunction with the musicians of the Ensemble. In very intensive productive phases, they have the opportunity to not only develop a complete piece of work, but initially to try out parts of one or several pieces jointly with the Ensemble. In a second phase the pieces are rehearsed and performed. Both of these phases are accompanied by acclaimed personalities from the world of music, including, in the past, Stefan Asbury, George Benjamin, Johannes Kalitzke, Hanspeter Kyburz, Helmut Lachenmann and Franck Ollu.
