The Symposium
2021 ONLINE SYMPOSIUM
June 28 - July 2 & August 2-6
COMPOSITION | GUITAR
CHAMBER PERFORMANCE
The Twisted Spruce Online Symposium enables advancement of musicianship through composition, critical career skills, and project development for guitarists and composers.
The Symposium is divided into two, one-week sessions that are spaced one month apart. The first week, June 28- July 2, introduces students to key concepts through classes and facilitates participants to engage with each other. At the end of the first week, students break away in groups and work together on a composition and performance project. During the week of August 2-6, the students and instructors convene for individual consultations on projects.
Students
Students interested in advancing their musicianship and understanding of compositional techniques and contemporary music stylistic practices for guitar should register for the Twisted Spruce Online Symposium.
Composition Registration
Participation in Core Classes
Project development workshops
Musicianship and notation
Pairing workshop (with guitarist)
Career skills workshops
Composition Competition (details below)
Guitar Registration
Participation in Core Classes
Project development workshops
Musicianship and notation
Pairing workshop (with composer)
Career skills workshops
Possibility to be featured in 2021 festival
Auditor Registration
Open access to observe classes, and access to 2021 World Ensemble animation Pre-Screening
Registration Level
Registration Fee
Composition
Guitar
Auditors
Fees
$30.00
$180.00
$180.00
$75.00
2021 Participants
Twisted Spruce Participants
Students interested in advancing their musicianship, technique, or understanding of composition technique and stylistic practices for guitar should register for the Twisted Spruce Music Festival. Students are encouraged to share work samples of recent performances, video samples, or scores to enable
Participants younger than 18 are welcome to attend but must have consent of their parents. Parents will sign a consent form during the registration process.
Composition Lessons: students are free to work on any repertoire regardless of orchestration. We recommend composers select pieces that represent their best work. Lessons are 40-minutes long.
Guitar Masterclasses students are free to play works from any stylistic period in masterclasses. We recommend guitarists select pieces they are most comfortable with. Lessons are 40-minutes long.
Composition Registration
Composition Competition (details below)
Daily guitar technique classes
Daily musicianship and notation
Composer pairing workshop
One guitar lesson
Three arranging or composition lesson
Open access to audit all lessons
*Open access to all concerts (2022)
*Daily breakfast - coffee and snacks on site (2022)
*Daily catered lunch (2022)
Guitar Registration
Perform chamber and solo works in the festival
Daily technique classes
Daily musicianship and notation
Composer pairing workshop
Guitar masterclasses
One arranging and/or composition lesson
Open access to audit all lessons
*Open access to all concerts (2022)
*Daily breakfast - coffee and snacks on site (2022)
*Daily catered lunch (2022)
Composition Competition
Composition students who participate in the Twisted Spruce curriculum will have until Sept 15, 2021 to complete the work they began during the festival. Compositions by finalists will receive free tuition and have their works premiered during the 2021 Composition | Guitar Festival. First prize, and honorable mentions winners will be named.
Auditor Registration (Please Enquire)
2021 Competition
Registration Soft Deadline: June 15, 2021 | Hard Deadline: June 27, 2021
The Twisted Spruce Competition is about collaboration between composers and guitarists (C-G). Prizewinners will be decided upon by the overall creativity of their project, quality of the score, and quality of the recording. Please see the list of important dates below.
Guitar performance must include a video recording of three works: minimum five-minute work composed on or after January 1, 1991; minimum five-minute free choice solo work (from any time or style); and the work that is composed in collaboration during the 2021 symposium, also minimum (five-minute).
Top prize for the guitar
-
A handmade concert guitar by Wilson Burnham worth $6000.00
-
An album release with Frameworks Records
-
Published performance edition
-
Concert in 2022 festival
Top prize for composition
-
$500.00 commission
-
Performance by the World Ensemble and video set to animation
-
Published score
-
Work performed in 2022 festival
-
Feature to 2022 festival
-
Potential single or EP release with Frameworks Records
First prize collaborative team
-
Winner will be invited to judge the 2022 competition
-
Presentation in the 2022 Symposium
One of our aims is to create an environment for sharing ideas and contributing to the creative process. We are interested in participants who wish to open up their personal network and engage with each other.
2021 Instructors
David Tanenbaum | Guitar
Aaron Jay Kernis | Composition
Maja Radovanlija | Guitar
Guitar Teaching Specialist at the University of Minnesota, and member of Minneapolis Guitar Quartet
Christopher Adler | Composition
Daniel Cueto | Composer
Associate Instructor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music | 2020 Competitor
Sergei Matokhin | Guitar
Professor of Moscow state Institute of culture, and State musical and pedagogical Institute M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov
Aaron Travers | Composition
Associate Professor of Composition at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Colin McAllister | Guitar
Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
Anthony Tan | Composition
Nathan Fischer | Guitar
Jamie Tagg | Audio Engineering
Recorded three GRAMMY®-nominated albums, Professor of Audio Engineering Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Mireia Frutos | Piano
Associate Instructor, Doctor of Music in Collaborative Piano Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
2021 Management
Izzy Fincher | Classical Guitar & Operations Manager
Hannah Reffett | Development Specialist
MM Candidate in Arts Administration, Indiana University, O'Neill School of Public and
Environmental Affairs.
Fan Yi | Development Specialist
MM Candidate in Arts Administration, Indiana University, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Focus on Theatre and Performing Arts.
Mackenzie Sanders | Social Media Specialist
Marisa Sardo | Classical Guitar
Associate Instructor, MM Candidate in Classical Guitar, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
Luke Henry | Composition
BM Candidate in Music Composition, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
2021 Schedule
Week of June 28 - July 2:
Project overview and development
All workshops are asynchronous. Attendance is at the discretion of the participant. Registered participants will have access to videos for a limited time.
Aug 2
Aug 3
Aug 4
Aug 5
Aug 6
EST
12:00-13:50
12:00-12:50
12:00-12:50
12:00-12:50
12:00-12:50
Return from break: Initial composition presentations
Class: Bridge Records - Rob & David Starobin
Class: Azahar Press - Daniel Cueto & Nathan Fischer
Class: Audio Production - Jamie Tagg
Final composition presentation (finished or in progress)
Orientation
Colin McAllister & Anthony Tan
David Tanenbaum & Aaron Kernis - Project Development
Ben Verdery - On the Creative Process
Colin McAllister & Christopher Adler
Maja Radovanlija & Aaron Travers
Thomas Aquino (2020 Guitar Prize) & Miles Friday (2020 Composition Prize)
Stephen Brew & Jim Bosse on Collaboration (2020 Collaboration Prize Winners)
First week conclusion: students break to develop their compositions
EST
12:00-13:50
12:00-12:50
13:00-13:50
12:00-12:50
12:00-12:50
13:00-13:50
15:00-16:00
12:00-12:50
13:00-13:50
June 28
June 29
June 30
July 1
July 2
Week of August 2-6:
Project Consultations
COMPETITION DEADLINES
August 6, 2021:
Ends week 2 of Symposium
August 15, 2021:
Deadline for final draft scores
September 15, 2021:
Deadline for guitar performance videos
October 1, 2021:
Winners Announced
FAQs
1. If I compose a work for the Symposium can I keep the copyright to that work?
Yes. The Twisted Spruce Music Foundation does not claim rights to any works by students or collaborators who participate in our events.
2. I have a friend who is a composer or guitarist, may we register as a pair?
Yes. We welcome pre-formed pairs! However, the composition you collaborate on must be a new work developed after the start of the first week of the Twisted Spruce Symposium.