Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

For 12 years, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's TSO Australian Composers' School has been giving invaluable training to numerous composers. The involvement of a long-term partner, Symphony Services International (formerly Symphony Australia) ceased at the end of 2016, and the TSO is now taking the School in an interesting new direction.

From 2018, TSO will provide a two-year program specifically tailored to composers about to begin their professional careers writing for orchestra. The restructured School will be directed by Matthew Hindson, with tutors including Natalie Williams and Paul Stanhope. The 2018 TSO workshop will be conducted by Elena Schwarz.

'The restructure places TSO Australian Composers' School at the pinnacle of the orchestral composition training programs available in Australia', says Jenny Compton, TSO's Outreach and Education Executive.

All works are to be specially written for this opportunity, after participants have been selected - rather than editing and workshopping previously existing pieces. Written under Hindson's supervision, the works will then be rehearsed and workshopped by the TSO.

In 2018, participating composers will write a fanfare/'calling-card' work (2-3 minutes), an orchestral piece (free choice, 6-8 minutes) and required exercises/arrangements. Plans for 2019 include writing a work for soloist and orchestra.

Applications are now open for the two-year program - the only intake period for the two-year course. Applications should be submitted on the TSO website by Monday 13 November 2017.

Australian Composers' School forms part of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra's Australian Music Program.

> TSO Australian Composers' School (www.tso.com.au/australian-composers-school)