Our Composition School is a residential course that gives you the opportunity to explore your musical creativity. Whether you create in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), with a band, use notation, improvise or are curious about experimenting with creating music and sound, we will support you to bring your ideas to life with the guidance of expert tutors from a range of musical genres.
The Composition School will take place at the University of Huddersfield in Summer 2025 as part of In the Making, our artist development programme for young composers and music creators.
We are proud to host a diverse community of young people and are committed to fostering an environment that is firmly anti-racist, accessible to those with disabilities, LGBTQ+ supportive and gender diverse. We are also committed to removing financial barriers to participation and have a means-tested bursary scheme in place in order to achieve this.
How does it work?
The Composition School is a key part of In the Making, our artist development programme for young people aged 14-18, with the residential taking place during the Residency Phase.
With 50 other young composers, you’ll be assigned a tutor and group of expert musicians who will work with you to help bring your creative ideas to life. At the end of the course, you’ll have composed a new piece that will be performed and professionally recorded. This can then be used for applications, as part of your portfolio, or shared on your social media platforms.
Find out more and apply to In the Making
Who is it for?
The Composition School is for young people taking part in the In the Making programme.
We are committed to being inclusive of anyone with access requirements. You are welcome to get in touch at any stage of the application process to have a chat about how we can best support you. For more details about accessibility and the support we offer, please visit our Access and Support page.
Find out more and apply to In the Making
Where and when?
The Composition School will take place at the University of Huddersfield in Summer 2025. We are committed to supporting students with travel and logistics to attend the Composition School.
How do I apply?
To join the Composition School, you need to apply to In the Making programme.
"I have loved my time here and enjoyed meeting like-minded people. It has been amazing to push myself and take risks in my composition, as well as listening to other people’s music. I am going to miss everyone and all the activities, but hopefully I can come back next year!”
At the end of each Composition School, every piece of music created in the week is performed by professional musicians in a live concert.
Find out what a week at the Composition School is really like in these quickfire interviews with some of our alumni.
Young composers of all genres, backgrounds and stages come to the Composition School. Take a look at some people we've supported over the years.
Featured composer
Thank you to our funders
Thank you so much to those that have supported Summer School 2023:
The Bliss Trust
Boris Karloff Charitable Foundation
Faber Music
The Finzi Trust
The John Thaw Foundation
The Lochlands Trust
The Margaret Engering Music Trust
The Rowley Trust
Scops Arts Trust
Three Monkies Trust
Sally Groves