young_professionals 2025/26

A practice-based mentoring programme for international composers from Ensemble Modern and the International Ensemble Modern Academy

Hosted by the Ensemble Modern, the composer Michael Jarrell and the conductor Toby Thatcher,the›young_professionals‹ takes place for the third time in 2025/26 and is once again part of the festival ›cresc… – Biennial for Current Music Frankfurt Rhine Main‹.

Under the motto »SCHWÄRMEN« – a term which can indicate a great variety of things, from raving and romanticizing to swarming or wandering in English – the festival ›cresc... 2026 – Biennial of Current Music Frankfurt Rhine Main‹ explores the many facets of a subject that is multi-layered, emotional and highly topical.

The subject is illuminated from different perspectives: the term »schwärmen« can indicate geographic wandering, extreme enthusiasm for things or persons, but also swarm intelligence or the »superorganisms« we encounter both in science and the arts. The implied balance between autonomy and collectivism, between individuality and community, but also the transfer of the swarm metaphor to music, its workmanship and the interaction between ensembles or resounding bodies, are also part of this thematic complex.

The festival theme thus offers numerous points of departure and sources of inspiration for the participants of ›young_professionals‹. They are called to explore a subject of importance for our society, emphasizing that the arts and culture are rooted deep within our society, as an indispensable part of our human cohabitation of this planet.

Interested composers are invited to participate in this project until 22 June, 2025.

Please find all other information and the application form in the download documents. Please note: Submission by email is only possible up to max. 10 MB in total, otherwise please use a filesharing programme.

Downloads
Call for Applications young professionals 2025_26
Application form young professionals 2025_26