COMPOSER’S SANDBOX SUMMER INTENSIVE

JUNE 1 - JUNE 15 | 2025

The Hobart and William Smith Colleges Composer's Sandbox Summer Intensive is an opportunity for composers in the early stages of their career to study with a renowned faculty of composers. Participants selected for the program will have the opportunity to work with musicians from the acclaimed Society for New Music.

The two-week-long Intensive will culminate in a performance and recording of the
participant’s work by the Society for New Music.

WHAT TO EXPECT

  • Faculty led group composition seminars to facilitate discussion of student works and provide evaluative and critical feedback

  • Improvisation workshops

  • Daily meetings with composition faculty to discuss works in progress

  • Composition seminars to look at seminal works and works by historically disenfranchised/marginalized composers— particularly focusing on compositions germane to the works of student composers

  • Orchestration seminars

  • 48-hour composition challenge

  • A seminar on entrepreneurship: building marketing skills as a composer

  • Local excursions

Applications are accepted from current college/university students, graduate students, and composers who are early in their career.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis but the program is limited to 20 participants.

Limited partial scholarships are available!

Final Submission Deadline: May 15, 2025 (midnight EST)

APPLICATION

LODGING AND MEALS

Lodging
Bed linens included, towels on request
Early check-in (5/31) or late checkout (6/16) can be accommodated - please include this request on your registration form.

Meals
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided daily.

Tuition: $2200 Room and Board: $750 (optional)

MEET THE FACULTY

Mark Olivieri

Jennifer Jolley

GEARAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The program is held in the HWS Gearan Center for the Performing Arts, which is the home of Music, Dance and Theater at the Colleges. This state-of-the-art $32M facility that includes Froelich Performance Hall, large rehearsal spaces, private practice rooms, faculty offices, and a variety of other spaces.

HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES

Set on a 300 acre campus on the shore of Seneca Lake, Hobart and William Smith Colleges is a top-ranked liberal arts college with a beautiful campus and a 200 year history.

Marc Mellits

Evan Williams