The Composition Course is an intense summer session in composing contemporary music, geared toward intermediate to advanced student composers and consists of:

(I) Daily Composition seminar meetings with Professor Vassilandonakis

(II) Private composition lessons with Professor Vassilandonakis

(III) Concert performance of new works by course participants

(IV) An orchestral composition competition open to all participants.

(V) Attendance of all Anatolia Summer Performance Program events and activities.

(I) Daily Composition seminar meetings:

(1) Composing for the New Music Ensemble:
Participants will have composed complete pieces in advance of the course for either the entire ensemble or for a subset of the available instrumentation. The pieces will be rehearsed and evaluated in a group setting by Professor Vassilandonakis and by the performers in residence, in pursuit of optimal compositional craft and idiomatic writing for the ensemble. There will be time for revision and refinement of the compositions, which will be rehearsed and performed by the ensemble in concert.

(2) Techniques and Stylistic Nuances in Contemporary Music:
Organized presentation and discussion around important topics in contemporary music, to include: orchestration, notation practices and innovation, pitch and rhythm systems and organization, stylistic trends and tendencies, contemporary performance practice, composing music in visual environments (film), and others.

(3) Composing for a living; building a career out of writing music:
How to set and achieve realistic long-term goals, how to build lasting industry relationships, how to produce and market concerts, how to pursue academic and non academic composing opportunities.

(4) Presentation and discussion of student work:
Participants will give group presentations of their music, which will be discussed in a collegial atmosphere, allowing seminar members to exchange valuable peer advice and build composer esprit de corps.

(II) Private Composition Lessons:
In addition to group work, each participant will have a minimum of 3 hour-long private lessons with Professor. Vassilandonakis. Additional lessons will be given as time allows and individual student needs are evaluated.

(III) Concert performance of new works by course participants:

A concert of new works by course participants will be presented following the completion of the seminar. Each accepted participant will compose a new work prior to arriving to Thessaloniki, which will be workshopped, rehearsed and performed by the New Music Ensemble, consisting of Anatolia Summer Music Performance Program Professors and advanced instrumental students. Composers will receive a professional quality recording of their piece. These works should be treated as commissions by the Summer Music Performance Program at Anatolia College. Accepted participants will be contacted with details in regards to instrumentation, duration, required materials and deadline for submission.

(IV) Attendance of all Anatolia Summer Performance Program events and activities:

Composition participants will have access to all masterclasses, concerts, and lectures given during the Program, as well as cultural and outdoor group activities in Thessaloniki and nearby areas.

Prerequisites:

Composition course is designed for student composers of intermediate to advanced level, age 16 or older.

Prerequisites:

2nd year College level theory skills (or equivalent)

Prior instrumental compositional experience (College level equivalent)

Working knowledge of notation software (Sibelius/Finale)

Submission Materials:

(I) Via email to: vassilandonakisy@cofc.edu
1. CV/resume. Please make sure to include the following:
-date of birth, citizenship, mailing address, email address and phone number
- schools attended with dates of degrees earned as composer
- names of composition teachers
- list of works composed with detailed instrumentation and year of composition
- list of performances of your works
(II) As links via an internet delivery service (such as Dropbox):
3. TWO contrasting scores of recent representative works, one of which should be scored for an instrumental chamber ensemble.
4.Recordings of the same pieces are strongly encouraged but not required. Please provide mp3 files within a Dropbox folder or links to YouTube, Soundcloud, ReverbNation, or other similar online sites.

Participants accepted into the course will be notified by email by April 13th . At that point, they will also be given details for the commissioned piece, in regards to available instrumentation, duration and delivery materials and deadline. Requests for specific instrumentation from within the performing forces available will be honored to the greatest extent possible.

The principal language of the Anatolia Composition workshop is English.