Details
Ensemble Musikfabrik’s Virtual Brass Academy for Composers is entering its fourth edition on December 15, 2025 to January 12, 2026 – inviting composers worldwide to immerse themselves in the fascinating world of contemporary brass composition.
Composing for brass instruments means working with an enormous spectrum of timbres, techniques and forms of expression. The Academy offers the unique opportunity to explore this field in close exchange with musicians and composers who can draw on a wealth of experience:
The workshops and individual lessons will be led by Sarah Nemtsov, Alex Paxton and the brass players of Ensemble Musikfabrik: Christine Chapman, Stephen Menotti, Maxime Morel and Marco Blaauw.
The academy is aimed at composers worldwide. 18 participants will be selected from all applications. The results of the selection process will be announced on October 25. The special challenge: the composition of a short miniature that focuses on the development of a single musical idea (without electronics). These pieces will be premiered and recorded in a live stream concert from the Ensemble Musikfabrik studio in Cologne at the end of the course.
Tuition fees: EUR 250
We would like to make participation possible for everyone. If the fee represents a considerable obstacle for you, there is the possibility of financial support (“solidarity contribution/scholarship”). Please make a note of this in the registration form – we will then contact you in confidence.
Deadline for applications: October 15
Apply here!
Documents to be submitted:
Scores:
Recordings (if available)
Curriculum vitae
Application form
Program:
December 15: Opening with a film screening: Tender Theater Flight Nageire (Lucia Dlugoszewski) and Heart Blowing (Georges Aperghis)
December 16-18: Workshops and group meetings
January 5: Group meeting and exchange of experiences
January 6-7: Q&As
January 9-11: Rehearsals
January 12: Final concert featuring the world premieres of the miniatures composed during the academy