University Residencies

Contemporaneous offers residencies for colleges and universities that are tailor-made to meet the needs of participating students. With each residency, the ensemble supports students in the development of their artistic voice, provides participating composers with high quality performances of their works, and establishes long-lasting partnerships with students as they continue to pursue their career goals. Contemporaneous’ college and university residencies provide the academic community with thoughtful, committed performances and workshops encompassing a wide range of topics.

PAST RESIDENCIES

Bard College
Bard College at Simon’s Rock
Binghamton University
Brown University
Graduate Center at City University of New York
Princeton University
University of New Orleans
Williams College

PERFORMANCES

Each residency performance is a unique collaboration with student composers, student performers, and faculty members. Performances often feature new works by student composers and may include works from the ensemble’s own repertoire as well as works by visiting composers and/or faculty members. Contemporaneous often performs alongside student performers in side-by-side performances, particularly in the ensemble’s repertoire of open-instrumentation scores.

WORKSHOPS

The musicians of Contemporaneous are at the cutting edge of an ever-changing profession, and they often give workshops during the ensemble’s residencies. Workshops have included:

Readings of student works: Contemporaneous artists provide students the opportunity to hear their in-progress or completed works played by the ensemble outside of a performance setting.

Professional development workshop: Students join Contemporaneous artists in a discussion of what it means to be a professional musician and/or composer and are invited to reflect on their career goals both large and small. Topics include entrepreneurial musicianship, networking, competitions, commissions, and education.

Orchestration / instrumentation workshop: Members of Contemporaneous give insight into their instruments’ strengths, possibilities, and extended techniques.

Improvisation workshop: Musicians within Contemporaneous well-versed in improvisation give introduction to improvisation, giving students the tools they need to integrate elements of composition into their playing in real time in a broad range of styles.

Masterclasses: Contemporaneous artists offer instrumental, vocal, conducting, and composition masterclasses.

Open rehearsal and meet the composers: Contemporaneous often opens residency rehearsals to the public or to the student body. When space allows, guests are invited to sit anywhere they like to observe the rehearsal from multiple angles. Open rehearsals can be followed by a Q&A with composers and/or artists.