Summer Symposium: Composition

create new music for professional musicians to premiere and record

Students enrolled in the composition track will work with LAM faculty to compose pieces for a professional trio and will have their pieces performed and professionally recorded during the Symposium Showcase!

Faculty will lead students in group classes to learn more about the composition process and the general knowledge required to write music such as composition software instruction, creative process of writing music & a more in-depth understanding of various instruments to aid in the writing process. In week 2 students will work with the professional trio to workshop their piece to prepare it for performance.

Program includes:

• Group Composition Classes

• Access to composition stations and software

• Private lesson and mentorship support

• Guided Writing Time

• Workshopping with professional musicians to perform your pieces

• Premiere & recording of original composition during the symposium showcase

• Participation in group classes and guest workshops with all Symposium students

2025 composition track core faculty: TJ cole

Composer and performer TJ Cole (they/them), based in Louisville, KY, has a diverse artistic portfolio encompassing classical composition, electronic pop, and experimental improvisation. In the Louisville Orchestra Creators Corps, they undertook a year-long residency composing for the orchestra and leading community engagement initiatives. 

Having received commissions from institutions like Carnegie Hall and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, TJ has showcased their work with orchestras worldwide, earning two ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer awards. Active in collaborations, they perform in Choir Siren, an electro-acoustic improvisation duo. Committed to community engagement, TJ facilitated songwriting workshops for Project HOME, combating chronic homelessness. Their ongoing project, ‘Those Moments,’ integrates LGBTQ+ choir members' stories into musical performances. 

As a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, TJ is committed to promoting artistic diversity and making a social impact, taking pride in their identity as a queer and neurodivergent individual. They also love visual art, swing sets, and taking care of their cat, Zucchini. 

You can learn more about TJ on their website!