Composer in Residence Program

Opera Philadelphia, in collaboration with Gotham Chamber Opera and Music-Theatre Group in New York, is proud to offer the nation’s first comprehensive, operatic Composer In Residence program. Funded by two grants totaling more than $1.7 million from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Composer In Residence (CIR) program will provide a highly individualized professional development path for today’s most promising opera composers, selected on a competitive basis between 2011 and 2013.

The goal of the CIR program is to foster tomorrow’s masterpieces of American opera through individualized creative development. The ideal composer will be eager to step beyond his or her musical comfort zones, and challenge preconceived notions of what opera and music can be. He or she will work zealously with the resident companies to take this timeless art form and infuse it with the technological, creative, and collaborative sensibilities most relevant to our time.

The CIR program is directed to composers of all professional levels who see opera as a significant new component of their future creative work, from emerging composers to midcareer artists moving into opera for the first time. The chosen candidate will embark on a personalized learning track providing opportunities to cultivate his/her skills in all aspects of opera production, from working one-on-one with librettists and dramaturges, to workshops and scene treatments with world-class performers. The CIR will have exceptional access to observe and work hands-on in every aspect of creative development, production, and performance.

While there is no pre-determined creative output required, composers are encouraged to make best use of resources by focusing their residency around one or more musical works. The resulting works may be considered for performance by the collaborators. The 2013 Composer In Residence will be offered two years of funding, contingent upon appropriate progress, with the possibility of an additional year.

The CIR program is administered by Kyle Bartlett, the New Works Administrator at Opera Philadelphia.