Composer Lab: Fellows
Bring your sound to life.
The SOLI Composer Lab brings three groups of composers into the same room each January:
- early-career Fellows from across the country whose piece is drafted in the fall and workshopped and premiered in January at the four-day Composer Lab,
- San Antonio high-school Apprentices, who spend nine months writing, premiering, revising, and re-performing a single work,
- and three world-class professionals who serve as program faculty.
Fellowship at a Glance
Who | Early-career composers, across the U.S. |
Arc | Nov 2026 – Feb 2027 (4 months) |
Your piece | 5–7 minutes |
Performed | Once — January residency |
Revision cycle | No |
You leave with | Studio-quality recording, written faculty feedback, a mentoring credential |
Cost | $500 (scholarships available) |
Apply by | September 30 |
Fellow tuition offsets residency costs, and scholarships are available on the application.
Who can apply
National open call. $500 tuition, scholarships available.
What you’ll create
An original 5–7 minute work for any three or four of clarinet, violin, cello, and piano — electronics welcome. You draft it in the fall with feedback from SOLI, workshop it with the ensemble during the Composer Lab in January, and hear it premiered by SOLI the last day of the Lab.
What you’ll get
Written faculty feedback in mid-December, ahead of the January Composer Lab. You arrive at the Lab having already worked the notes in. At the lab, four days of concentrated access: individual sessions with Feature Focus Composer Scott Ordway and San Antonio composers Edna Longoria and Ethan Wickman, and rehearsal-room collaboration with the musicians who will play your piece. A studio-quality recording distributed in late February and written faculty feedback in early February — a premiere and a professional recording in hand months before spring grant deadlines and fall academic applications. And a mentoring role with a high-school Apprentice: teaching experience that reads as a credential, and a reason to articulate what you now know.
The commitment
Four months, front-loaded into a single residency: the Composer Lab. Program start November 13, first-round draft feedback in late November, scores due December 1, and the Composer Lab January 8–11 in San Antonio. Designed to fit around a teaching load, a degree program, or a job.
Fellow Application Period Dates
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National Open Call Launches: July 20th
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Application Deadline: September 30th
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Admittance Emails Sent: October 15th
Fellow Program Schedule
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Program Start (virtual) - November 13th
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Score Submissions Due: December 1st
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Score Feedback: Early December
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The Composer Lab and Piece Premiere (in-person): January 8th - 11th
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Final Written Feedback Received: Early February
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Studio-Quality Recordings Distributed: Late February
Eligibility
We welcome applications from composers of every background, training path, and stage of career. Composers who have not had access to a professional ensemble are especially encouraged to apply.
Fellow Open to early-career composers of all ages and backgrounds, nationally. This opportunity is open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents (Green Card holders), and individuals with a valid work visa. The enrollment fee is $500, with need-based scholarships available on the application.
Only one application per person, across both tracks.
FAQs
How do you define "early career"?
We are looking to work with composers of any age in the early stages of their career, for whom a premiere, a professional recording, and four days of concentrated access to an ensemble represent a significant opportunity. There is no degree requirement and no age limit.
Am I eligible if I'm a student?
Yes. Fellows may be enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programs, or in no program at all.
Do I have to write a new work?
Yes. Both tracks are built around writing a piece from scratch on the Composer Lab’s timeline, with faculty feedback along the way. Pre-existing works are not eligible — the drafting process is the program.
Fellows begin in October pre-program acceptance, submit scores by December 1, then workshop, premiere, and record the piece in January during the Composer Lab.
What instrumentation can I write for?
Any three or four of the SOLI instrumentation: clarinet (in B♭, A, E♭, or bass), violin, cello, and piano (all acoustic). Extended techniques for piano are allowable; no prepared piano, please. Electronics are welcome — see below.
Fellow works run 5–7 minutes.
Do I have to travel to San Antonio? Where will I stay?
Yes. The Composer Lab (January 8–11, 2027) is held in-person in San Antonio, and attendance is required — the Lab residency is the center of the Fellow experience.
SOLI provides homestay accommodation for Fellows during the Lab residency, hosted by members of our community. Fellows are responsible for their own travel to and from San Antonio; travel stipends are not available.
Who will perform my piece?
The four musicians of SOLI Chamber Ensemble — the same players who read your drafts and workshop your score — will perform your piece. They are not guests brought in for the premiere; they are program faculty.
When will my work be premiered?
Fellow works are premiered during the Composer Lab, January 8–11, 2027.
Will my work be recorded?
Yes. SOLI produces archival recordings of all concerts. Fellows receive a studio-quality recording of the premiere, distributed in late February 2027.
Will I receive written feedback, and when?
Yes, and it is timed so that you can act on it.
Fellows submit scores by December 1 and receive written faculty feedback in mid-December, ahead of the January Composer Lab. You arrive at the Lab having already worked the notes in.
Will you consider works with non-traditional notation and/or electronics?
Yes. Please contact us early if you are planning to use electronics — there are some practical restrictions based on the performance venues, and we would prefer to discuss them before you write rather than after.
Can I use percussion or add another instrument?
Not for the Composer Lab. Works are scored for three or four of clarinet, violin, cello, and piano only.
Can I apply to both tracks?
No — the tracks have different eligibility and you will qualify for one or the other. Apply to the track that matches your situation, and only one application per person.
What does it cost?
The Fellow track carries a $500 enrollment fee, which offsets January Composer Lab residency costs.
Need-based scholarships are available against the enrollment fee and are requested directly on the Fellow application. Requesting one does not affect your chances of selection.
What if my question isn’t here?
Please reach out using the contact form below. Questions about instrumentation, duration, eligibility, or scheduling are always welcome, and we would much rather answer them before you apply.