Founded in 2016 and now entering its second decade, the Alba Music Festival Composition Program takes place in the picturesque epicenter of truffles and wine, Alba, Italy, located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the foothills of the Alps in the Piemonte region. Taking place from May 22 to May 31, 2027, during the annual Alba Music Festival, participants will engage in daily workshops, masterclasses, and private lessons, and have their music performed and professionally recorded by the 2027 Ensemble-in-Residence, Quartet ES (https://quartetes.com). Participants will also work with and be mentored by Composers-in-Residence Jennifer Jolley and Eric Nathan, and a resident composition faculty including composers Andrew Bishop and J. Anthony Allen.

WORKSHOPS, MASTERCLASSES, LESSONS

The composition program features daily workshops and masterclasses hosted by the composers-in-residence and our resident faculty, covering wide-ranging topics from compositional craft to career development. Participants will also receive one-on-one private lessons with the composers-in-residence, the resident faculty, and distinguished guest artists.

Optional add-ons include an intensive Music Business and Entrepreneurship Mini-Camp for Composers and Music Creators, run by composer, author, sound artist, and resident faculty member J. Anthony Allen.

PERFORMANCES AND PROFESSIONAL RECORDINGS

Each participant in the composition program will be invited to compose a new work for Quartet ES. Works will be premiered on afternoon festival concerts and subsequently recorded as part of a dedicated professional recording session at the end of the week. Participants will receive an edited, 24-bit, 96 kHz stereo master of their work upon completion of the program (ProTools stems may be made available on request).

ELIGIBILITY

There is no fee to apply, and the program is open to composers and music creators of any age or nationality and at any stage of their career.

TUITION

Tuition for the 2027 composition program is €3,590, which includes all program workshops and masterclasses, the performance and recording of your music, a private lesson with each of the faculty and composers-in-residence, and reserved seating at evening Alba Music Festival concerts. Tuition also includes access to the Campus Center facilities, an exclusive wine-tasting event and lunch at a local winery in the hills above Barolo, and all travel to runout concerts. An all-inclusive housing and meal package through the Alba Music Festival is also available for participants and their companions.

FINANCIAL AID

Limited financial aid is available, and applicants will be considered, if eligible, for awards and scholarships. All participants are also eligible for assistantships, which exchange a small amount of work on behalf of the program for a modest stipend.

TO APPLY

To learn more about the program and to apply, please visit our website:

http://www.albacomposition.com/

DEADLINE

December 15, 2026

CONTACT

Dr. Elliott Miles McKinley, Program Director albafestivalcomposition@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/albacomposition Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albacomposition/