Composer Lab: Apprentices
Bring your sound to life.
The SOLI Composer Lab brings three groups of composers into the same room each January:
- San Antonio high-school Apprentices, who spend nine months writing, premiering, revising, and re-performing a single work,
- 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,
- and three world-class professionals who serve as program faculty.
Apprenticeship at a Glance
| Who | San Antonio locals, grades 9–12 |
| Arc | Sept 2026 – June 2027 (9 months) |
| Your piece | 2–4 minutes |
| Performed | Twice — Jan 24 premiere, May revised |
| Revision cycle | Yes |
| You leave with | Master recording of the revised work, panel feedback, mentor network |
| Cost | Free |
| Apply by | August 28 |
Apprentice tuition is underwritten by our education funders.
Who can apply
San Antonio locals, grades 9–12. Free.
What you’ll create
An original 2–4 minute work for any three or four of clarinet, violin, cello, and piano — electronics welcome. SOLI premieres your work on January 24, 2027. Then you revise it, and the ensemble performs the new version at community concerts in May.
What you’ll get
Nine months of mentorship from Feature Focus composer Scott Ordway and San Antonio composers Edna Longoria and Ethan Wickman, alongside the four musicians of SOLI, who read your drafts in the fall and premiere the finished work in January, 2027. A studio master recording of your revised piece, delivered in early June. Written feedback from the full faculty panel. Four days working next to early-career Fellows from across the country during the Composer Lab in January. And a network of mentors and peers that follows you into your college and conservatory applications.
The commitment
Roughly eight exchanges across the season: three virtual sessions in the fall (late September, late October, early December), one in-person session on November 7, the Composer Lab January 8–11 (outside school hours), the premiere on January 24, and community concerts in May. Revised scores are due March 1.
Apprentice Application Period Dates
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Application Open: July 20th
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Application Deadline: August 28th
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Admittance Emails Sent: September 5th
Apprentice Program Schedule
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Program Start (virtual): September 25th
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Session 1 (virtual): Late September
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Session 2 (virtual): Late October
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Session 3 (in-person): November 7th
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Score Submissions Due: Mid-November(?)
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Session 4 (virtual): Early December
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The Composer Lab (in-person): January 8th - 11th outside of school hours
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Piece Premieres: January 24th
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Revised Score Due: March 1st
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Revised Piece Performed: May community concerts (exact dates TBD)
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Master Recording and Final Feedback Delivered: Early June
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.
Apprentice Open to students in grades 9–12 who live in or attend school in the San Antonio area. No prior composition experience is required, and no formal training is assumed — if you write music in any form, you’re eligible to apply. There is no cost to participate.
Only one application per person, across both tracks.
FAQs
Am I eligible if I'm a student?
Yes. Apprentices are high-school students by definition.
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.
Apprentices begin drafting in the fall, have a premiere in late January, revise, and have a second performance in May.
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.
Apprentice works run 2–4 minutes.
Do I have to travel to San Antonio? Where will I stay?
All Apprentice sessions are in San Antonio or virtual. No travel is required.
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?
Apprentice works premiere January 24, 2027, and the revised versions are performed at community concerts in May of 2027.
Will my work be recorded?
Yes. SOLI produces archival recordings of all concerts. Apprentices receive a studio master recording of the revised version of their work, delivered in early June 2027.
Will I receive written feedback, and when?
Yes, and it is timed so that you can act on it.
Apprentices get two rounds of feedback. You submit a first draft of your piece at the in-person session on November 7. SOLI reviews it through November and returns written faculty feedback at the virtual session in early December — with time to work before the January 24 premiere. After the premiere, you receive a second round of feedback, which informs the revised score due March 1.
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 Apprentice track is free; tuition is underwritten by our education funders.
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.