Jacobs Composition Academy is a virtual music composition program for aspiring composers of all ages. Offering private composition lessons, weekly masterclasses, and a recording of student works by incredibly talented IU performers, this program is perfect for students preparing a composition portfolio for college auditions or an adult musician who has always wanted to explore the craft of composing. All levels and ages are welcome and valued, from beginner to professional. There is no audition nor prior composition experience required.
Jacobs Composition Academy
Academy faculty
Benjamin Dean Taylor (DM, Indiana University) is an award winning composer of concert music. With a catalogue of more than 100 works including music written for orchestra, wind band, opera, choir, and jazz big band, he enjoys frequent performances of his compositions all over the world.
Don Freund is an internationally recognized composer with works ranging from solo, chamber, and orchestral music to pieces involving live performances with electronics, music for dance, and large theatre works. Freund is Professor of Composition at IU’s Jacobs School of Music.
Corey Chang, described as “a major composer…of his generation” by The Millbrook Independent, is a composer and pianist from Connecticut. Winner of an ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award among other honors, Chang holds degrees in Composition and Mathematics from Bard College and an MM Composition from the Juilliard School.
Born in Russia, Alexey Logunov is a composer and pianist whose music explores textural density and timbral complexity. His compositions have been consistently performed by internationally recognized ensembles at numerous festivals such as reMusik.org, Sound Ways and From Avantgarde to Present Days. He is a winner of the 2023 Georgina Joshi Composition Commission Award at Jacobs School of Music.
Emma Cardon-Wake (MM, Cleveland Institute of Music) is a composer, harpsichordist, and cellist from Logan, Utah. She has been recognized as an ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award winner and has received commissions from the acclaimed Fry Street Quartet, the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra, and many other ensembles and instrumentalists.
Xinyuan Deng is a composer, pianist, conductor, and educator who hails from Henan, China. Currently pursuing a D.M. at Indiana University, her diverse compositions blend delicate timbres from both Eastern and Western influences. Her award-winning works have seen performances by prestigious ensembles such as the PHACE Contemporary Ensemble, Zhejiang Symphonic Orchestra, and Harbin Symphonic Orchestra
Jamey Guzman (M.M. Composition and M.M. Music Scoring for Visual Media, in progress, Indiana University) is a composer and storyteller who tells necessary underrepresented stories with experimental and innovative techniques. Jamey has received major commissions from The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana; Really Spicy Opera, Opera Arlington, Strange Trace Opera, ENAEnsemble, Paradox Opera, and SONIT.
For program information, please contact Dr. Benjamin Taylor at iucompac@iu.edu. For administrative questions, please contact musicsp@iu.edu.
Interested in our Summer Intensive?
Visit the websiteSchedule
Date | Event |
---|---|
August 25 | Registration closes |
August 29 | Payment due |
September 1 | Classes start |
October 10 - 12 | Fall Break (no classes) |
November 21 | Classes conclude |
Program offerings
Designed for pre-college and adult participants, this offering includes:
Weekly 60-minute masterclass, Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30PM (EST)
Weekly 45-minute private lesson
Performance of the students' newly composed works by one of the following trios of their choice: Trio 1: clarinet, cello, piano OR Trio 2: violin, horn in F, piano
Performance will be scheduled upon the conclusion of the 12-week program. Participants are provided the opportunity to workshop their composition in-progress with the trio during week 9.
Tuition: $800
Designed for pre-college and adult participants who already study composition. Those enrolled in Track 1B will participate in all the same masterclasses, reading session, and concert performance as those in Track 1A. Track 1B students will not take private lessons with JCA faculty; rather, they will continue to work with their own private lesson instructor to ensure progress on their composition for the trio performance concert. This offering includes:
Weekly 60-minute masterclass, Tuesdays, 8:30-9:30PM (EST)
- Performance of the students' newly composed works by one of the following trios of their choice: Trio 1: clarinet, cello, piano OR Trio 2: violin, horn in F, piano
Performance will be scheduled upon the conclusion of the 12-week program. Participants are provided the opportunity to workshop their composition in-progress with the trio during week 9.
Tuition: $550
Meets TBD (Scheduled according to availability of participants)
$100 Add-on
Alumni Class (Six 60-minute special workshops just for alumni) taught by a graduate instructor
Meets TBD (Scheduled according to availability of participants)
$100 Add-on
Score Analysis Group Study Class, (Six 60-minute classes) taught by a graduate instructor
Meets TBD (Scheduled according to availability of participants)
$100 Add-on
Personal Feedback/Coaching session with Dr. Taylor (60 minutes)
Meets one time TBD (Scheduled according to student’s availability)
$100 Add-on
VIP Q&A. Be the first to get to ask questions to our Guest Composers at the end of Guest Composer Masterclasses.
$30 Add-on
Extra 15 minutes with your trio during the rehearsal/workshop
This is in addition to the usual approximately 12 minutes each participant has with the ensemble
$50 Add-on
Add a Flute player to your trio
So you now get to write for a quartet instead of a trio.
$150 Add-on
Add an Alto Saxophone player to your trio
So you now get to write for a quartet instead of a trio.
$150 Add-on
Longer Private Lessons (only available to Track 1A registrants)
Increase your private lessons by 15 minutes, from 45 minutes to 60 minutes. This is a total of 3 hours additional lesson time over the course of 12 lessons.
$120 Add-on
Designed for composition students of all ages, this offering includes:
- Weekly 30-minute lesson
- These programs are entirely virtual (using Zoom)
- Spring and Fall sessions each run 12 weeks in length
- Lessons will be scheduled according to the availability of the student and instructor
- $50 non-refundable enrollment deposit due at registration for all levels (credited towards tuition). If you do not wish to pay tuition in full at the time of initial registration, please do not select the tuition option prior to completing registration, however tuition must be paid in full by the payment deadline in order to participate in the program.
How to apply
- Eligibility: Participants, 14-years and older. Parents of those younger than 14-years may contact the program director for special consideration.
- Application process: To apply, complete the online registration form. No auditions are required for enrollment. Late applications will not be accepted.
- Lesson scheduling: Upon completing the online registration form, the participant will be contacted by the Jacobs Composition Academy coordinator.
- Payment: Accepting payment via credit card or check. Please see FAQ for mailing address.
- Cancellation Policy: Click here for our most up to date cancellation policy.
Registration for Fall 2025 coming soon
Once you have completed the previous steps, please submit the Participant Agreement Form