The Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute is an outgrowth of the Orchestra’s Perfect Pitch program, an annual series of new music reading sessions for emerging composers launched during the 1995-96 season in collaboration with the American Composers Forum. These sessions, initially for Minnesota composers only, were later opened to composers from surrounding states. By 2001 the reading sessions developed into a much more extensive program, now called the Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute and open to talented emerging composers throughout the country. New Music USA—previously the American Music Center—joined as a program partner to offer participants its invaluable legal and business seminars for composers. Composer Aaron Jay Kernis directed the Institute for its first 11 seasons.
In December 2006 the Orchestra added a public concert of the composers' new works conducted by Music Director Osmo Vänskä. Initially titled Future Classics, this concert is now called MusicMakers. Besides preparing for the concert, participating composers attend a week of intensive professional development workshops with orchestral administrators and other national experts in the field, along with advanced musical seminars with the Minnesota Orchestra’s musicians, music director and Composer Institute director—all intended to advance the careers and musical experience of those attending.
Information on past Composer Institutes, including links to biographies, program notes, composer websites, blog postings and Minnesota Public Radio features, is provided below. Click here to view a complete list (PDF) of Composer Institute and Perfect Pitch participants since the program’s inception.
2019-20 Composer Institute: January 6-10, 2020
| THEO CHANDLER | Songs from Brooches for Two Sopranos and Orchestra |
| PAUL FRUCHT | Acadian Vista |
| CLARE GLACKIN | Archea |
| MARC MIGÓ | Nocturne for Violin, Piano obbligato, String Orchestra and Harp |
| PATRICK O'MALLEY | Rest and Restless |
| LIZA SOBEL | Ticking Time Bomb |
| NICKY SOHN | Bird Up |
2018-19 Composer Institute: January 14-18, 2019
| TJ COLE | Nightscape |
| VIET CUONG | Moxie |
| JONATHAN CZINER | Resonant Bells |
| WILL HEALY | Kolmanskop |
| MATTHEW RICKETTS | Melodia for Piano and Orchestra |
| CONNOR ELIAS WAY | Over Collapsing Cities of Steel |
| ALYSSA WEINBERG | in somnis |
2017-18 Composer Institute: November 6 to 10, 2017
| SAAD HADDAD | Takht |
| ANDREW HSU | vale |
| CHARLES PECK | Mosaic |
| HILARY PURRINGTON | Likely Pictures in Haphazard Sky |
| DANIEL SCHLOSBERG | Small Talk |
| PETER S. SHIN | Relapse |
| NINA C. YOUNG | Agnosco Veteris |
| KATHERINE BALCH | Leaf Catalogue |
| MICHAEL BOYMAN | Tightrope Walker |
| JUDY BOZONE | Spilled Orange |
| MICHAEL-THOMAS FOUMAI | Music from the Castle of Heaven |
| TONIA KO | Strange Sounds and Explosions Worldwide |
| PHIL TAYLOR |
Chiaroscuro |
| CONRAD WINSLOW | Old Motion Parade |
Composer biographies and program notes
Composer Institute participant Tonia Ko's blog
Read composer Tonia Ko's daily blog reports from the 2015-16 Composer Institute.
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3
2015-16 Composer Institute: January 25 to 30, 2016
| KIRSTEN BROBERG | Celestial Dawning |
| MATTHEW BROWNE | Barnstorming Season |
| JOSHUA CERDENIA | Magayon |
| EMILY COOLEY | Scroll of the Air |
| NICK DiBERARDINO | Asphodel |
| MICHAEL GILBERTSON |
Sinfonia After Vivaldi |
| ANTHONY VINE | Transmission |
Composer biographies and program notes
Composer Institute participant Emily Cooley's blog
Read composer Emily Cooley's daily blog reports from the 2015-16 Composer Institute.
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3
2014-15 Composer Institute: January 12 to 16, 2015
| KATI AGÓCS | Perpetual Summer |
| EUGENE BIRMAN | Manifesto |
| TEXU KIM | Splash!! |
| LOREN LOIACONO | Stalks, Hounds |
| EVAN MEIER | Fire Music |
| MATTHEW PETERSON | Hyperborea |
| MICHAEL SCHACHTER | Freylekhe Tanzen |
Composer biographies and program notes
Article by Composer Institute participant Eugene Birman
Read composer Eugene Birman's reflections on the 2015 Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute on NewMusicBox.org.
2011-12 Composer Institute: January 2 to 7, 2012
| BRIAN CIACH | Collective Uncommon, Seven Orchestral Studies on Medical Oddities |
| MICHAEL R. HOLLOWAY | Rhythm: Theta Beta Theta |
| ADRIAN KNIGHT | Manchester |
| HANNAH LASH | God Music Bug Music |
| ANDREIA PINTO-CORREIA | Xántara |
| SHEN YIWEN | First Orchestral Essay |
Composer biographies and program notes
Composer Institute participant Hannah Lash's blog
Read composer Hannah Lash's daily blog reports from the 2011-12 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
2010-11 Composer Institute: October 24 to 30, 2010
| TAYLOR BRIZENDINE | Mandragora Officinarum |
| WANG JIE | Symphony No. 1 |
| POLINA NAZAYKINSKAYA | Winter Bells |
| CLINT NEEDHAM | The Body Electric |
| BEN PHELPS | Overture Maximus |
| NARONG PRANGCHAROEN | Namaskar |
| DAVID WEAVER | Mutatis Mutandis |
Composer biographies and program notes
Composer Institute participant Taylor Brizendine's blog
Read composer Taylor Brizendine's daily blog reports from the 2010-11 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Introduction | Days 1 & 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Days 5 & 6
2009-10 Composer Institute: November 17 to 22, 2009
| ANGEL LAM | In Search of Seasons |
| SPENCER TOPEL | Incendio |
| ROGER ZARE | Aerodynamics |
| FERNANDO BUIDE | Antiphones |
| KATHRYN SALFELDER | Dessin No. 1 |
| CARL SCHIMMEL | Woolgatherer’s Chapbook |
| GEOFF KNORR | Shadows of the Infinite |
Composer biographies and program notes
Composer Institute participant Spencer Topel's blog
Read composer Spencer Topel's daily blog reports from the 2009-10 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Introduction Part 1 & Part 2 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5
2008-09 Composer Institute: November 1 to 8, 2008
| TED HEARNE | Patriot |
| ANTONIO CARLOS DeFEO | Four Portraits: por los ojos de los niños |
| ANDREW McMANUS | Identity |
| MING-HSIU YEN | Yun |
| WANG LU | Wailing |
| DAVID SCHNEIDER | Automation |
| JUSTIN MERRITT | River of Blood |
Composer biographies and program notes
Composer Institute participant Ted Hearne's blog
Read composer Ted Hearne's daily blog reports from the 2008-09 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Introduction | Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3
Composer Institute participant Justin Merritt's blog
Read composer Justin Merritt's daily blog reports from the 2008-09 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Introduction | Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4
2007-08 Composer Institute: October 20 to 27, 2007
| TREVOR GURECKIS | Very Large Array |
| WES MATTHEWS | Terraces |
| DANIEL BRADSHAW | Chaconne |
| ELLIOTT MILES McKINLEY | Four Moments for Grand Orchestra: A "Pocket" Symphony |
| XI WANG | Above Light—a conversation with Toru Takemitsu |
| STEPHEN WILCOX | Cho-Han |
| JACOB COOPER | Odradek |
Composer biographies and program notes
Minnesota Public Radio feature
Click here for Melissa Ousley’s Composer Institute coverage throughout the week. See four audio links on the right side for features with hosts Steve Staruch and John Birge.
Composer Institute participant Jacob Cooper's blog
Read composer Jacob Cooper's daily blog reports from the 2007-08 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Days 1 & 2 | Day 3 | Days 4 & 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
2006-07 Composer Institute: November 26 to December 2, 2006
| These Worlds in Us | |
| Diaphony | |
|
ASHLEY NAIL
|
...At the end of the tunnel |
|
GREGG WRAMAGE
|
La tristesse durera |
| Toccata for Orchestra | |
| ALEJANDRO RUTTY | Tango Loops 2B |
| Black Bend | |
| GARRETT BYRNES | Solace |
| rewind |
Minnesota Public Radio feature
Click here to listen to Tom Crann's interview of Nov-Dec 2006 Composer Institute participant Ashley Nail, featured on All Things Considered.
Composer Institute participant Missy Mazzoli's blog
Read composer Missy Mazzoli's daily blog reports from the 2006-07 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Days 4 & 5 | Final Posting
2005-06 Composer Institute: May 6-11, 2006
| Sunder | |
| Liquid Song | |
| Hubble Space Telescope Views | |
| Surreal Abundance | |
| Estampie | |
| surface tension | |
|
REYNOLD THARP
|
Cold Horizon |
| The Palace of Nine Perfections |
Composer Institute participant Sean Shepherd's blog
Read composer Sean Shepherd's daily blog reports from the 2005-06 Composer Institute, posted on NewMusicBox.org.
Introduction | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Final Posting
2004-05 Composer Institute: October 27-30, 2004
|
PATRICK BURKE
|
Mood Swing |
| Aqua | |
| Sacred Geometry |
|
|
JOHN CHRISTIAN ORFE
|
Strateia |
|
DAVID PLYLAR
|
Classical Walpurgis Night |
| SHERIDAN SEYFRIED | Subtle Electric Fire |
| Push |
Minnesota Public Radio feature
Click here to listen to Minnesota Public Radio's 2004 radio documentary about the Composer Institute by Chris Roberts, featured on All Things Considered and State of the Arts.
2003-04 Composer Institute: May 1-4, 2004
| Electric Traction |
|
| Electric Lines | |
| Symphony No. 1 |
|
|
WILLIAM A. WARE
|
Das Juengste Kind |
| Elements 4 |
|
|
MICHAEL GATONSKA
|
Voyage to the Sun |
| Entropy |
2002-03 Composer Institute: October 25-31, 2002
| Canti Arioso | |
| Sound, Asleep | |
|
LU PEI
|
Rhapsody No. 1, Dance of the Dragon |
| Love Unlimited | |
|
ERICH STEM
|
Escape |
| Subtleties Lost, Prelude and Fugue for Orchestra | |
| Beatitudes | |
|
ORIANNA WEBB
|
Xylem |
2001-02 Composer Institute: March 9-14, 2002
| Symphony No. 1 | |
| Roam | |
| Serendipitous Scenes | |
| Shadow | |
|
MICHAEL GATONSKA
|
The Whispering Wind |
|
KEITH MURPHY
|
Amok |
|
STEPHAN PROCK
|
Garden Varieties, Four Dance Vignettes |
| Canter into Black |
Click here to view a complete list (PDF) of Composer Institute and Perfect Pitch participants since the program's inception.