Composition
June 13 – July 3, 2027
Composer-in-Residence
For Composers in Chamber Music Dialogue
The Composer-in-Residence Program is a selective three-week residency for 2 composers ready to hear their work come alive within an international performance festival.
Composers work alongside instrumentalists, singers, faculty, and guest artists—experiencing the essential dialogue between what is imagined on the page and what emerges in rehearsal and performance.
Hear your work performed.
Experience your music in featured performances throughout the Orvieto Musica Festival.
Create in collaboration.
Work directly with accomplished performers as your music moves from score to stage.
Refine your artistic voice.
Receive focused mentorship, masterclasses, and feedback from distinguished composers, faculty, and guest artists.
Write within a living musical community.
Encounter repertoire, performers, and ideas across styles and generations while developing your own creative language.
Live where you create.
For three weeks, Orvieto becomes both studio and stage—a place where music, culture, history, and daily life become part of the creative process.
Recent Residencies
Join a select group of composers whose work has been shaped and brought to life in close collaboration with performers, in an environment defined by focus, dialogue, and daily music-making.
A Residency Rooted in Collaboration
Established in 2024, the Composer-in-Residence Program at Orvieto Musica invites emerging and established composers to engage directly with performers in a setting that values craft, collaboration, and thoughtful performance. Works may be written or adapted for flexible instrumentation across all programs—strings, voice, trumpet, tuba, and keyboard—with support from our collaborative pianists and organists.
Composers work closely with Artistic and Executive Director Kim Walker, and coordinate with program directors to ensure meaningful rehearsal time, refined interpretation, and opportunities for premiere. The residency is shaped by the belief that new music thrives in proximity to live performance and sustained artistic relationships.
In 2025, Orvieto Musica was honored to host Sean Shepherd for a residency in which he mentored composers and contributed to the artistic fabric of the season through performances and close engagement with participants.
We welcome applications from composers interested in a three-week residency in Orvieto—an invitation to create, revise, and share new work in one of Italy’s most inspiring artistic communities.
Working with and attending Orvieto Musica was a dream. My music was performed in historic venues with the utmost care and respect. The people of Orvieto were incredibly receptive to new music, and their affection was palpable. I learned so much from interacting and workshopping with the performers on a daily basis. Any composer would be happy to place their work in the capable hands of the musicians and staff at OM!
Festival Details
What’s Included?
Your festival fee provides a three-week residency in Orvieto, with the essential elements of daily and artistic life thoughtfully arranged. The intention is simple: less time managing logistics, more time for music, discovery, and the people with whom you will create it.
Artistic Work and Guidance
Music is at the center of the residency. Participants receive individual lessons, masterclasses, specialized coachings, and dedicated rehearsal time with collaborative pianists. Italian language sessions and all master classes—including the tour to underground caves—are part of the curriculum.
Living in Orvieto
Participants live in centrally located, double-occupancy apartments within walking distance of rehearsals, performances, cafés, and the historic center. Each day begins with breakfast at a local caffè, with additional meals arranged through neighborhood restaurants.
Arrival and Shared Experiences
Private coach transportation connects Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) with Orvieto at the beginning and end of the residency. Festival transportation is also arranged for shared activities and excursions, including a day at Lago di Bolsena, one of Europe’s iconic volcanic lakes.
Spaces and Resources
Participants have access to rehearsal rooms and pianos, the Orvieto Musica digital library, wireless internet, and the materials needed for their festival work. Required music licensing fees are covered by Orvieto Musica.
The Practical Details
Apartments receive weekly professional cleaning. The city tax and key deposits are included in the festival fee. Local medical care is readily available should it be needed. Participants receive complimentary admission to Orvieto Musica concerts and events, along with selected discounts from partner businesses throughout the city.
Professional Recordings
Festival performances are professionally captured in stereo audio and high-definition video. Participants receive access to the Orvieto Musica recording archive, with festival recordings made available within 90 days of the close of the season—and often sooner. Professional photos are also available within 7 days after the festival.
Should you wish, you can reserve additional services at additional cost for professional recordings or photo sessions during the festival at highly discounted rates with AndrewClarskonMedia productions.
Airfare to and from Italy is not included in the festival fee.
Program Fees
Composer Residency + Shared Housing: $4,700
Composer Residency + Private Room Upgrade: $5,900
Please note that the above pricing is guaranteed only until March 1. Enrollments after this date will be subject to additional surcharges.
Bring A Guest
Families and Guests Welcome!
Family, friends, and partners are warmly invited to join you in Orvieto for part—or all—of the Festival. Guest arrangements are available for stays of one to three weeks and include accommodation, meals and scheduled airport transfers from Rome.
La Dolce Vita
For those who would like to experience Orvieto more deeply, La Dolce Vita offers a curated week of language, culture, and discovery—Italian classes, guided excursions, private tastings, artisan experiences, and time to enjoy the rhythms of Umbrian life.
Scholarships
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, scholarship support is available for Composer-In-Residence Program participants.
Awards are limited and considered as applications are reviewed. Priority consideration will be given to applications received by December 31.
BRING YOUR ARTISTRY TO ORVIETO
We invite you to apply for the 2027 Season by December 31. There is no application fee.
Choose two contrasting works that reveal not only how you play, but something of who you are as an artist. There is no required repertoire; we welcome contrast, character, curiosity, and musical imagination.
Recording Guidelines: Submit up to 15 minutes of music in total. Recordings should be uploaded to YouTube as unlisted or public links. You may include one or two links with your application.
What’s Next?
Once accepted, please secure your place by submitting your Festival Registration Form and deposit by January 21. The remaining balance is due by March 15.
On June 13, Orvieto Musica’s chartered bus will meet participants at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) for the journey to Orvieto. Please plan to depart June 12 and arrive at FCO no later than June 13 11:30 AM CET. On arrival in Orvieto, you will be welcomed by your apartment hosts and introduced to the city that will be home for the next three weeks.
For your return on July 3, please book departing flights no earlier than 12:30 PM CET to allow time for the chartered transfer from Orvieto to FCO.
Complete travel guidance, key dates, forms, and planning information are available in the OM Portal, your central resource as you prepare for the season ahead.