2025 COMPOSERS WORKSHOP

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS BEGINNING JANUARY 15, 2025
MARCH 1ST DEADLINE.

If you are interested in applying in future, or have a question about the program, please use the form supplied on this page. 

If you are a composer 30-years-old or younger, you are invited to submit one orchestral score for consid­eration for the 2025 Cabrillo Composers Workshop, July 26 through 30. Led by Maestro Cristian Măcelaru, the Cabrillo Festival Conductors/Composers Workshop brings together leading faculty, the award-winning Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and early career conductors and composers for a professional training program that focuses on the creation and performance of new music. Now in its 24th season, the five-day program is held in downtown Santa Cruz, California, and involves three selected composers, six Conductor Fellows, six Conductor Associates, and eight Conductor Auditors.

The Festival’s Music Director Cristian Măcelaru and Maestro Octavio Más-Arocas serve as faculty for the Conductors Workshop sessions, and composer Stacy Garrop joins them as faculty for the Composers Workshop. All student conductors and composers participate for the full five days of the program, which takes place in the context of the Cabrillo Orchestra’s rehearsal and performance schedule.

Selected composers will have their work performed by members of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra directed by participating Fellows. Two dedicated rehearsals will take place, culminating with an “In the Works” concert where each piece will receive two performances. Composers will receive recordings from the final concert. Composition faculty will offer guidance and seminars throughout, other Festival composers-in-residence will participate, and direct feedback will be offered from the players and conductors.

Composers are invited to submit ONE score only, a recording (MIDI is an encouraged alternative if a live performance is not available), and a resume to be submitted no later than March 1, 2025. Materials must be submitted via Slideroom. After reviewing the details outlined below, if you have any questions or wish to discuss the program in greater detail, please feel free to contact Lyndsey Loosley, Cabrillo Festival’s Director of Artistic Operations.

2025 CABRILLO CONDUCTORS/COMPOSERS TRAINING WORKSHOPS:
July 26 through 30, 2025 in Santa Cruz, California

FACULTY:

Composer Stacy Garrop and conductors Cristian Măcelaru and Octavio Más-Arocas; with additional participation by Festival composers-in-residence (to be announced).

PARTICIPANTS:

Three participating composers, six Conductor Fellows, six Conductor Associates, and eight Conductor Auditors.

COMPOSERS WORKSHOP REHEARSALS/PERFORMANCES:

• Two rehearsals

• One concert features 2 performances of each work of 5-7 minutes by three participating composers, July 29. Performed by members of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra and conducted by participating Fellows. Each composer will receive recordings of their work from the final performance to be used for archival purposes or online excerpts no longer than 1 minute in length.

2025 COMPOSERS WORKSHOP INSTRUMENTATION:

5 violin I – 4 violin II – 3 violas – 3 cellos – 2 basses (strings are listed as players not stands)
2 flutes (2nd dbl pic) – 2 oboes (2nd dbl eng horn)
2 clarinets (1 dbl e-flat & 2nd dbl bass) – 2 bassoons (2nd dbl contra)
2 horns – 2 trumpets – 2 trombones (1 tenor, 1 bass) – 1 tuba
1 timpani – up to 3 percussion – harp – piano
No electronica or non-standard orchestral percussion. Please provide a list of percussion to be approved.

HOUSING:

The Festival does not provide housing. We recommend booking early as Santa Cruz is a popular summer vacation destination.

FELLOWSHIPS:

A $1,250 fellowship is available to each composer to help offset out-of-pocket expenses, including housing.

Submission:

COMPOSERS are requested to submit the following no later than MARCH 1, 2025:

1. Include one short curriculum vitae
2. Include ONE orchestral score for consideration along with ONE recording (MIDI is an encouraged alternative if a live performance is not available), OR a you may submit one score (if non-orchestral, instrumental chamber ensemble work preferred) that best represents your work (w/ recording) (w/recording) if you intend to revise or compose a new piece for the program.
3. Selected composers will be required to submit final scores and parts to arrive no later than June 10, 2025. You will be asked to indicate if you intend to write a new work, plan to revise the submitted work or are submitting the work as is. Any work submitted for consideration that is longer than seven minutes will need to be revised. Selected works for the “In the Works” program must be between 5-7 minutes long.

Digital submissions to: cabrillofestival.slideroom.com. A $25 Slideroom fee will be charged to all applicants applying for the 2025 Composers Workshop. Please use the Slideroom link above to submit all materials. Notification will take place by March 31, 2025.