Our 2025 Composition Program Application deadline was January 7th, 2025.
Watch our Season 10 Promo Video for an inside look at our festival and what's in store this season!
Watch our Season 10 Promo Video for an inside look at our festival and what's in store this season!
guidelines to apply
Submit Two Representative Works
Applicants to Connecticut Summerfest's Composition Program will be asked to submit 2 representative scores (including graphic, aleatoric, and/or written performance instructions) and audio recordings, which are to be no longer than 15 minutes in combined duration. Single movements or excerpted scores and recordings may be submitted. Both acoustic and electronic/electroacoustic submissions will be accepted for adjudication. We recommend that at least one of the applicant’s submitted works be scored for a chamber ensemble.
Anonymous Application
Submitted scores and recordings must not include the composer's name, geographic location, publisher, or any information about commissioning parties. Submitted scores and recordings must not only omit this information in text on the score, it also must be omitted from file names and metadata. Failure to omit this information will lead to disqualification of application. Only mp3 audio files may be submitted, and video files will not be accepted. MIDI realizations will be accepted if no other recording is available.
Age Requirement
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age on or before June 12, 2025. There is no upper age limit for composer applicants.
Selected Festival Composers' New Works
Composers invited to the festival will compose a new work of up to 7 minutes in duration and will work closely with their ensemble-in-residence during the compositional and rehearsal process. Invited composers may choose to write either an acoustic or electroacoustic work, as the festival will have access to a stereo sound system. Any additional equipment, software, or personnel the piece would need must be provided by the composer. Festival composers' works will debut at our 2025 Evening of Premieres on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025. Additionally, each new work will receive a dedicated multi-camera recording session with Kinsmen Sound Studio! Festival composers will receive the live premiere video, as well as the studio session video and audio of their new works.
Selected Festival Composer Seminar Presentations
Invited composers will be asked to give a 15-minute presentation of their music and/or artistic interests at one of the composition seminars during Connecticut Summerfest 2025.
Tuition
Tuition for our 2025 season is $1375 (USD), which includes all meals and lodging for the duration of the festival. Our tuition decreases every single year in service of our Tuition Free Initiative, and our application fee is pay-what-you-wish so that composers of all socioeconomic backgrounds can apply to Connecticut Summerfest. Learn more by visiting our FAQ page.
Applicants to Connecticut Summerfest's Composition Program will be asked to submit 2 representative scores (including graphic, aleatoric, and/or written performance instructions) and audio recordings, which are to be no longer than 15 minutes in combined duration. Single movements or excerpted scores and recordings may be submitted. Both acoustic and electronic/electroacoustic submissions will be accepted for adjudication. We recommend that at least one of the applicant’s submitted works be scored for a chamber ensemble.
Anonymous Application
Submitted scores and recordings must not include the composer's name, geographic location, publisher, or any information about commissioning parties. Submitted scores and recordings must not only omit this information in text on the score, it also must be omitted from file names and metadata. Failure to omit this information will lead to disqualification of application. Only mp3 audio files may be submitted, and video files will not be accepted. MIDI realizations will be accepted if no other recording is available.
Age Requirement
Applicants must be at least 18 years of age on or before June 12, 2025. There is no upper age limit for composer applicants.
Selected Festival Composers' New Works
Composers invited to the festival will compose a new work of up to 7 minutes in duration and will work closely with their ensemble-in-residence during the compositional and rehearsal process. Invited composers may choose to write either an acoustic or electroacoustic work, as the festival will have access to a stereo sound system. Any additional equipment, software, or personnel the piece would need must be provided by the composer. Festival composers' works will debut at our 2025 Evening of Premieres on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025. Additionally, each new work will receive a dedicated multi-camera recording session with Kinsmen Sound Studio! Festival composers will receive the live premiere video, as well as the studio session video and audio of their new works.
Selected Festival Composer Seminar Presentations
Invited composers will be asked to give a 15-minute presentation of their music and/or artistic interests at one of the composition seminars during Connecticut Summerfest 2025.
Tuition
Tuition for our 2025 season is $1375 (USD), which includes all meals and lodging for the duration of the festival. Our tuition decreases every single year in service of our Tuition Free Initiative, and our application fee is pay-what-you-wish so that composers of all socioeconomic backgrounds can apply to Connecticut Summerfest. Learn more by visiting our FAQ page.
Connecticut summerfest encourages applications from composers...
- of racial and ethnic minority groups
- of historically underrepresented genders (i.e., trans men, all women including trans women, non-binary folks, etc.) and historically underrepresented sexes (i.e., cisgender women, intersex folks, etc.)
- who love to collaborate and build lasting artistic relationships
- who are curious and kind
- who are open-minded to different musical styles and backgrounds
- who will contribute to a supportive and collaborative environment
The application fee for the Connecticut Summerfest 2025 Composition Program is pay-what-you-wish! We suggest contributing $30 (our former Early Bird Application fee), and you can learn how your application fee is used by our organization in our Application FAQ. No composer will be turned away for an inability to pay an application fee. Please email applications (at) ctsummerfest.org or use our contact form with any questions you may have.
festival composer benefits:
Live premiere of newly composed work by one of three professional ensembles-in-residence
High-quality multi-camera video of newly composed work in a dedicated recording session
Four private, 1-hour lessons with our world-class composition faculty
Dedicated rehearsal time with our ensembles-in-residence
One-on-one consultation with recording engineers Kinsmen Sound Studio regarding
the festival composer's vision for the multi-camera video recording of their new work
Enriching guest lectures with leading music specialists
Feedback from composition faculty and other Connecticut Summerfest composers at composition seminars
Join a growing network of artists, composers, performers, and sound artists
application timeline and schedule
Saturday, January 7, 2025 by 11:59PM EST: Application Deadline
Pay-What-You-Wish Application Fee (Suggested: $30)
Mid-March 2025: Initial Adjudication Results
Notification of initial adjudication results will be sent to applicants via email.
Pay-What-You-Wish Application Fee (Suggested: $30)
Mid-March 2025: Initial Adjudication Results
Notification of initial adjudication results will be sent to applicants via email.
Connecticut Summerfest 2025 COVID-19 Safety Protocols
Connecticut Summerfest 2025 will take place in-person in West Hartford, CT on the University of Hartford campus. Festival attendees will be required to follow COVID-19 vaccine and safety guidelines as outlined by the University of Hartford.
Please feel free to reach out via our contact form if you have any questions.
Connecticut Summerfest 2025 will take place in-person in West Hartford, CT on the University of Hartford campus. Festival attendees will be required to follow COVID-19 vaccine and safety guidelines as outlined by the University of Hartford.
Please feel free to reach out via our contact form if you have any questions.
new piece written for connecticut summerfest 2025
Composers accepted to Connecticut Summerfest 2025 will have the opportunity to write for one of our three ensembles-in-residence! We are proud to engage only professional, active chamber music ensembles who regularly commission and perform contemporary music and love working with living composers. Connecticut Summerfest values the spirit of collaboration and fosters meaningful relationships between composers and ensembles. Therefore, ensembles are not randomly assigned; composers may express their preference for their ensemble collaborators on their application. While we endeavor to pair each composer with their first choice ensemble, each ensemble will only be assigned 3 composers per festival, thus we also request a second and third choice of ensemble collaborator to be selected.
Our 2025 Ensembles-in-Residence are:
Hub New Music
Longleash
Sugar Hill Salon
Festival composers' new pieces will be written March–May 2025, and composers are encouraged to communicate with their ensemble during the compositional process with any questions they may have. Festival composers will be asked to submit their finished new works (score and parts) by May 1, 2025.
Our 2025 Ensembles-in-Residence are:
Hub New Music
Longleash
Sugar Hill Salon
Festival composers' new pieces will be written March–May 2025, and composers are encouraged to communicate with their ensemble during the compositional process with any questions they may have. Festival composers will be asked to submit their finished new works (score and parts) by May 1, 2025.
Scholarships
In support of our mission to amplify the voices of composers of color and gender diverse composers, Connecticut Summerfest offers two types of partial scholarships to accepted 2025 festival composers: the Gender Diversity Scholarship and Composers of Color Scholarship. If you would like to be considered for these scholarships, please check the appropriate boxes on your application form.
Gender Diversity Scholarship
This partial scholarship is open to composers of historically underrepresented genders (i.e., trans men, all women including trans women, non-binary folks, etc.) and historically underrepresented sexes (i.e., cisgender women, intersex folks, etc.)
Composers of Color Scholarship
This partial scholarship is open to composers of racial and ethnic minority groups (i.e., Black/African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Indigenous/Native American, Hispanic, Latine, Middle Eastern or North African).
Gender Diversity Scholarship
This partial scholarship is open to composers of historically underrepresented genders (i.e., trans men, all women including trans women, non-binary folks, etc.) and historically underrepresented sexes (i.e., cisgender women, intersex folks, etc.)
Composers of Color Scholarship
This partial scholarship is open to composers of racial and ethnic minority groups (i.e., Black/African American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Indigenous/Native American, Hispanic, Latine, Middle Eastern or North African).