Cortona Sessions for New Music
June 28 - July 12, 2015
open to student and emerging composers & performers of any instrument / voice type
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June 28 - July 12, 2015
Cortona, Italy
Quick Info | Highlights
application deadline: February 9, 2015
Students and young professionals may apply and, if accepted, will enjoy two weeks of contemporary music study, collaboration, and performance in both solo and chamber music settings. Lectures and performances by faculty and guests are highlights of the daily schedule.
Composers will have the opportunity to write multiple works for rehearsal and premiere at the Sessions.
Performers have the opportunity to compete in the Cortona Sessions Contemporary Performance Competition, with the winner receiving a cash prize and a commission.
One or two conductors will be chosen as Conducting Fellows, and will conduct premieres of large ensemble works.
Other highlights include:
iron composer competition
day-trip to Florence
Tuscan wine tour
opportunities for career development
CortoNEWS
• DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR SAXOPHONE SESSIONS APPLICATIONS! The deadline for applications to the Saxophone Sessions program has been extended to March 1, 2015 due to announcements from the World Saxophone Congress.
• Congratulations to Bin Li whose work Fuzhou 1860 has been selected as the winner of the 2015 Cortona Prize! Fuzhou 1860 will be performed by members of the Cortona Collective at the 2015 Cortona Sessions. Congratulations Bin!
• Support the Cortona Sessions by making a tax-deductible contribution to the DuoSolo Foundation here! #GivingTuesday
• NEW FACULTY! The 2015 Cortona Sessions is excited to welcome clarinetist Michael Norsworthy and percussionist Jie He Jung to the Cortona Collective. Benvenuti!
• Renowned composer Frederic Rzewski will join the Cortona Sessions from July 3-5 as the first Guest Composer-in-Residence
• 2014 Cortona Prize Winner Dave Reminick is completing a new work for the Cortona Collective, to be premiered in Chicago in the spring of 2015.

• The Cortona Collective will be featured in concert at the Lawrence Arts Center in Lawrence, KS on February 6, 2015. Details available at www.lawrenceartscenter.org
2015 FACULTY
composition
Forrest Pierce
Frederic Rzewski, composer-in-residence
performance
mezzo-soprano | Rachel Calloway
flute | Mary Fukushima
clarinet | Michael Norsworthy*
saxophone | h2 Quartet
(ensemble-in-residence)
Geoffrey Deibel
Jeffrey Loeffert
Kimberly Goddard Loeffert
Jonathan Nichol
violin | Ari Streisfeld
cello | Kivie Cahn-Lipman
percussion | Jie Hye Jung*
piano | Amir Khosrowpour
piano | Michael Kirkendoll
conductor | Jake Wallace
the combined faculty of the Cortona Sessions (past and present) make up the Cortona Collective.
*new to the Cortona Collective in 2015
2015 SPECIAL INITIATIVES
Cortona Saxophone Sessions | June 28 - July 8
saxophonists: perform and study with the h2 Quartet in advance of the
World Saxophone Congress in Strasbourg, France.
existing saxophone quartets are encouraged to apply.
Special Initiative for Contemporary Chamber Music
existing chamber ensembles of 3 or more players may apply for substantial scholarships. ensembles will have new works written expressly for them, and also enjoy all other opportunities of the Sessions.
The 2015 Cortona Prize for Composition
the Cortona Prize offers composers the chance to have works performed at the Sessions by the Cortona Collective. the winner of the Cortona Prize will receive a scholarship to attend the Sessions, and also be invited to write a new work specifically for the Collective, to be performed at the 2016 Sessions and other concert events. some works may be chosen as Cortona Special Selections for performance at the 2015 Sessions. Details available here.
Conducting Fellowship
The 2015 Cortona Sessions will offer a Conducting Fellowship to one or two conductors chosen through a competitive application process. Conducting Fellows will lead rehearsals and conduct the premiere performances of works written for larger ensembles.
The 2015 Cortona Sessions is excited to welcome Frederic Rzewski as our first composer-in-residence. Mr. Rzewski will work with both performers and composers during his residency, and will perform a recital of his own music. The Cortona Collective and students will also present multiple performances of Rzewski's music.
Special Guest Composer-in-Residence
FREDERIC RZEWSKI
One of the world's premiere educational programs dedicated to the creation and performance of contemporary music, the Cortona Sessions is a destination for emerging composers and performers seeking to collaborate, learn, grow, and create. The Sessions provide participants with an inspring and supportive environment in which new music is explored in all its shapes, sizes, and colors. Overflowing with la dolce vita, the Cortona Sessions offers participants a life-changing two weeks under the Tuscan sun.
