Composition Workshop
March 23-March 26, 2026
The RED NOTE New Music Festival Composition Workshop will help composers widen their creative perspectives and hone their craft through open rehearsals with guest performers Quintet Attacca and Trio Diorama, and seminars with distinguished guest faculty composers Derek Bermel and Andreia Pinto Correia, as well as resident faculty composers Roy Magnuson, Carl Schimmel, Alex Stephenson, and Alex Taylor. Invited participants will each compose a 5- to 10-minute piece for one of the guest ensembles. Each composition will be carefully rehearsed during the festival and will be premiered at a formal concert. Each composer will receive a recording of his or her piece. Participants will discuss their compositional ideas, techniques, and aesthetics with the faculty and other fellows. In addition, each student composer will have the opportunity to meet with the faculty composers individually or as part of group lessons or masterclasses. Each day of the festival culminates in an evening concert featuring contemporary music performed by the guest ensembles or members of the School of Music faculty.
Faculty
-
Derek Bermel, guest composer
- Andreia Pinto Correia, guest composer
- Roy Magnuson
- Alex Taylor
Featured Performers
-
Quintet Attacca, guest ensemble
-
Trio Diorama, guest ensemble
Dining and Housing
Dinners will be organized and paid for by the RED NOTE New Music Festival. Workshop participants will be responsible for their other meals, and for their own lodging. Normal, Illinois is a university town with many dining options within walking distance. RED NOTE will assist workshop participants in finding appropriate lodging; options range from staying with one of our student composers at no extra cost, to a room at the Marriott hotel for a discounted rate (within a short walking distance from campus). We will facilitate room shares and transportation to reduce lodging costs.
Tuition
$350 (due by October 31, 2025)
Refund Policy
We do not offer refunds for our workshop. All fees are non-refundable.
Eligibility
Applicants must be enrolled as graduate or undergraduate students in fall 2025 and/or spring 2026.
Past Participants
2025
Featured Composer
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Daixuan Ai, Indiana University
- Yingting Liu, University of Missouri-Kansas City
- Alexey Logunov, Indiana University
- Sean MacCarthy-Grant, Howard University
- Hirad Moradi, University of Toronto
- Sehyeok (Joseph) Park, University of Toronto
- Jun Jie Edmund Song, University of Missouri-Kansas City
- Justin Weiss, University of Chicago
2024
Featured Composers
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Jessica Ackerley Ph.D., University of Hawai'i at Manoa
- Orkun Akyol Ph.D., University of California, Davis
- Gaia Aloisi Ph.D., University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna
- Isaac Barzso Ph.D., Brown University
- Carter Crosby M.M., Michigan State University
- Danny Fratina Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
- Ye-chong Jeon M.M., Indiana University
- Ethan Resnik B.M., Eastman School of Music
2023
Featured Composers
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Devin Cholodenko D.M.A., University of Miami
- Dayton Hare M.M., Yale School of Music
- Huijuan Ling Ph.D., Duke University
- Wenbin Lyu D.M.A., Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
- Kian Ravaei M.M., Indiana University
- Ethan Soledad M.M., Rice University
- Siqi Wang D.M.A., University of Missouri-Kansas City
- Yanchen Ye D.M.A., University of Michigan
2022
Featured Composers
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Patrick Holcomb D.M.A., Eastman School of Music
- Wenxin Li D.M.A., University of Iowa
- Benjamin Rieke B.M. Indiana University
- Antonio Sanz Escallón B.M., University of Houston
- Yeeun Sim B.M., Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
- Chris WilliamsPh.D., Duke University
- Adrian Wong M.M., Curtis Institute of Music
- Hao Zou D.M.A., University of Missouri-Kansas City
2021
Featured Composer
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Santiago Beis M.M., University of Missouri
- Anuj Bhutani B.M., University of North Texas
- Oliver Dubon M.M., Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre
- Grace Ann Lee M.M., Rice University
- Aaron Israel Levin D.M.A., University of Southern California
- Paul Novak D.M.A., University of Chicago
- Christian Quinones M.M., University of Illinois
- Keane Southard D.M.A., Eastman School of Music
- Joan Tan B.M., National University of Singapore
2020
Featured Composers
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Nathan Courtright (b. 1989) Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
- Joseph Harkins (b. 1995) D.M.A., Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
- Olga Janković (b. 1994) B.M., Belgrade University of the Arts
- Benjamin Morris (b. 1993) D.M.A., University of Colorado at Boulder
- Yiyang Wang (b. 1995) M.M., Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
- Daniel Whitworth (b. 1996) M.M., Indiana University
- Jonathan Wyatt (b. 1997) M.M., Mannes School
- Kitty Xiao(b. 1989) M.M., Eastman School of Music
2019
Featured Composers
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Li Bo (b. 1988) D.M.A., University of Missouri-Kansas City
- Josiah Tayag Catalan(b. 1989) Ph.D., University of California, Davis
- Derek Cooper(b. 1987) D.M.A., Manhattan School of Music
- Miles Jefferson Friday(b. 1993) D.M.A., Cornell University
- Aaron Houston(b. 1991) D.M., Florida State University
- Stephen Karukas(b. 1997) B.M., Indiana University
- Cullyn Murphy(b. 1993) Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
- SiHyun Uhm(b. 1999) B.M., Eastman School of Music
- Ania Vu (b. 1994) Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
2018
Featured Composer
Featured Ensemble
Workshop Participants
- James Chu(b. 1990) Ph.D., Duke University
- Joshua Hey(b. 1988) Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
- Howie Kenty(b. 1980) Ph.D., Stony Brook University
- Joungmin Lee(b. 1975) Ph.D., Ohio State University
- Minzuo Lu(b. 1991) B.M., Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg
- Mert Morali(b. 1992) M.M., Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin
- Erik Q. Ransom (b. 1970) Ph.D., Indiana University
- Max Vinetz (b. 1996) B.M., Yale University
2017
Featured Composer
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Michael M. Lee (b. 1987) D.M.A., University of Southern California
- Andrew Davis(b. 1986) Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
- Chris Neiner(b. 1994) B.M., Indiana University
- Nicholas Landrum(b. 1987) D.M.A., Indiana University
- David T. Bridges(b. 1986) Ph.D., City University of New York
- Alex Berko(b. 1995) B.M., Indiana University
- Daniel Harrison (b. 1987) D.M.A., University of Cincinnati
- Ian Guthrie(b. 1992) D.M., Florida State University
2016
Featured Composer
Featured Ensemble
Workshop Participants
- Jean-Patrick Besingrand (b. 1985) D.M.A., City University of New York
- Sean Clarke (b. 1983) D.M.A., University of Montreal
- Yunkyung Hong (b. 1984) D.M.A., University of Wisconsin
- Jihyun Kim (b. 1988) D.M.A., Indiana University
- Andrew V. Ly (b. 1985) Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
- Lucas Marshall Smith (b. 1989) D.M.A., University of Illinois
- Spencer Snyder (b. 1988) M.M., City College of New York
- Roydon Tse (b. 1991) D.M.A., University of Toronto
2015
Featured Composer
Steven Stucky
Featured Ensembles
Workshop Participants
- Weijun Chen (b. 1990) Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo
- Viet Cuong (b. 1990) Ph.D., Princeton University
- Brian Heim (b. 1993) M.M., Yale School of Music
- Jae-Goo Lee (b. 1977) Ph.D., University of Chicago
- Ryan Lindveit (b. 1994) B.M., University of Southern California
- Carolyn O'Brien (b. 1968) D.M.A., Northwestern University
- Corey Rubin (b. 1983) M.M., Indiana University
2014
Featured Composer
Featured Ensemble
Workshop Participants
- Luciano Leite Barbosa (b. 1982) D.M.A., Boston University
- Jiyoun Chung D.M.A., University of Missouri-Kansas City
- Paul Frucht D.M.A., the Juilliard School
- Ian Gottlieb (b. 1990) M.M., Yale School of Music
- Pierce Gradone Ph.D., University of Chicago
- Kaito Nakahori (b. 1989) M.M., San Francisco Conservatory of Music
- Emily Koh (b. 1986) Ph.D., Brandeis University
- Lorenzo Restagno (b. 1987) École des hautes études en sciences sociales