The Cumnock Tryst announces first International Summer-School for Composers with Sir James MacMillan and Anna Thorvaldsdottir

Applications open today for The Cumnock Tryst’s inaugural International Summer-School for Composers, a week-long residential course to be held at Dumfries House from Sunday 4 – Saturday 10 August 2024.

Aspiring composers between the ages of 18 and 30 from across the globe are encouraged to apply for the opportunity to work closely with leading composers Sir James MacMillan and Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

The week will culminate in a public performance at Dumfries House on Saturday 10 August, when the composers’ work from the week will be brought to life by a professional ensemble consisting of string trio and contrabass clarinet

The Cumnock Tryst, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, today opens applications for an intensive residential International Summer-School for Composers, the first to be hosted by the festival. Applications are open worldwide to aspiring talented composers between the ages of 18 and 30 and successful composers will get the rare opportunity to work one-to-one with Tryst Founder and Artistic Director Sir James MacMillan and composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

Running from Sunday 4 – Saturday 10 August 2024 in the serene setting of Dumfries House in Cumnock, Scotland, the eight successful participants can immerse themselves in their craft, benefitting from individual feedback and guidance from two of the world’s leading contemporary composers. The week will culminate in a public performance at Dumfries House on the Saturday, when a professional ensemble will bring to life the work of the young composers.

The ensemble, which has been specially created for this occasion, consists of the unique combination of string ensemble and contrabass clarinet and is comprised of some of the finest instrumentalists in the UK  – Gordon Bragg (violin), Ruth Gibson (viola), Christian Elliott (cello) and Contrabass Clarinet (Scott Lygate). The ensemble will be on hand to work with the composers throughout the week.

Sir James MacMillan, who grew up in Cumnock, is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Cumnock Tryst, but best known as one of today’s most successful living composers. His musical language is flooded with influences from his Scottish heritage, Catholic faith, social conscience and close connection with Celtic folk music, blended with influences from Far Eastern, Scandinavian and Eastern European music. A big advocate for composition’s place in the musical curriculum, this will be the first time he is offering a composition course at The Tryst.

Anna Thorvaldsdottir has established herself as one of the world’s leading contemporary composers. Her music is composed as an ecosystem of sounds, where materials continuously grow in and out of each other, often inspired in an important way by nature and its many qualities. Her music is widely performed internationally and has been commissioned by many of the world’s leading orchestras, ensembles and arts organisations, including the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, International Contemporary Ensemble, BBC Proms, and Carnegie Hall.

Dumfries House is one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes. Set in 2,000 acres of land, the stunning estate and 18th century house has an unrivalled collection of original furniture. Saved by the intervention of His Royal Highness, The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay in 2007, Dumfries House combines the neoclassical architecture of Robert Adam with the furniture of Thomas Chippendale and leading 18th century Scottish cabinet makers.

The estate, in East Ayrshire, is the headquarters of the charity The King’s Foundation, which runs its life-changing education programmes and health and wellbeing initiatives there and is responsible for opening Dumfries House itself to the public. Each year, more than 20,000 visit the house, an estimated 140,000 people enjoy free-of-charge the surrounding estate, and more than 10,000 students of all ages engage in The King’s Foundation’s education programmes.

The Cumnock Tryst invites applications from the highest calibre of young composers, and so applications are open worldwide to anyone aged between 18 and 30 at the time of application. Applications will close at 17:00 GMT on 23rd February 2024. To find out more or to apply please visit link.