Composing in the Wilderness 2016

Fellow Composers:
I’m delighted to announce that registration is now open for Composing in the Wilderness 2016! This one-of-a-kind creative adventure will take place July 13-26 in Alaska, USA.
Now it its fifth year, the course takes you to two spectacular regions of Northern Alaska, Denali National Park and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve. You’ll spend eight days exploring the stunning beauty of Denali’s wilderness and the mighty Yukon River, interacting with scientists and interpretive rangers, and developing your creative skills through translating these ideas into original chamber music. Our time in Denali will be focused on absorption and observations, while our time in Yukon-Charley will be spent on reflection and composing. You’ll get the added excitement of taking bush plane flights (a truly authentic Alaskan experience) to and from Yukon-Charley National Preserve.
Following our wilderness experiences we will return to Fairbanks to work with top performers from the faculty of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival on your new pieces. We are planning two performances of the pieces – first in Denali National Park, and then another concert as part fo the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.
Encapsulating inspiration, composition, rehearsal, and performance into only two weeks, this field course is an intensive and exhilarating creative experience. Participants must be trained composers (professional, or currently enrolled in a university composition program) with experience preparing their own manuscripts and writing chamber music for various instruments. Of course, you also need to be adventurous, physically fit and comfortable roughing it.
Space is limited (nine positions with a few already taken), so don’t delay. (And of course, please forward this to anyone who might be interested!). Composers of any experience level (from undergraduates and up) are very welcome, but one of our principal reasons for opening up registration so early is to attract faculty and professional composers who may be able to secure professional development funds to help with expenses.
Come help celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service in the USA by joining us for this life-changing creative adventure!
LINKS:

More complete online information (and pictures): https://www.stephenlias.com/calendar/citw2016
Registration: https://www.fsaf.org/register.php?earlyreg=1
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/composinginthewilderness

Articles about previous years:

https://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/article/bringing-home-a-piece-of-alaska (Australian Music Center)
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Young-composers-head-into-the-wild-for-inspiration-4854833.php (Houston Chronicle)
https://www.artsatl.org/preview-composer-stephen-wood-journeys-alaska-find-inspiration-wilderness/ (Arts Atlanta)
https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/composing-in-the-wilderness/ (NewMusicBox)

This unique workshop is offered as a collaboration between:

Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival
Alaska Geographic
Denali National Park and Preserve
Yukon Charlie Rivers National Preserve
Denali Arts and Humanities Alliance
The Murie Science and Learning Center

Feel free to contact me with questions.
Steve Lias [email protected]