Compocon 2026
August 24-29, 2026
COMPOCON is Standing Wave’s annual week-long workshop for student composers held in late August. During the week, composers who are selected for the workshop will have the rare opportunity to work closely with the six members of Standing Wave, as well as with three different mentor composers and an Artist-In-Residence.
We are excited to announce that our mentor composers for Compocon 2026 will be Jeffrey Ryan, Jennifer Butler, and Gordon Fitzell. Applications are open now until April 15th.
The workshop week includes private lessons with all of the mentors, one-on-one sessions with each of the Standing Wave musicians, classes devoted to instrument-specific techniques, and presentations on various musical topics. In August 2026 our mentor composers are Jeffrey Ryan, Jennifer Butler, and Gordon Fitzell.
Compocon is a wonderful opportunity for composers to hone their ensemble-writing skills, and to learn about style, instrumentation, notation, communication, editing, and the risk-taking that goes into creating thought-provoking new chamber music. At the end of the week, the ensemble will perform sketches written by the participants.
Following the summer workshop, each participant will be paired with a mentor composer who will continue to provide feedback over the course of the next 2 months. Completed works will be publicly performed during Standing Wave’s 2026-2027 season. A high-quality video recording of the concert will be produced, and students will receive a copy of the performance of their work.
Compocon is an exciting opportunity for participants to work intimately with three established and celebrated composers, as well as the roster of talented musicians that make up the Standing Wave ensemble. Come make new music with us!
Call for Applications
DETAILS:
- Readings, masterclasses, and rehearsals will take place from August 24th-29th, 2026
- Up to 10 composers will be selected for Compocon, and there is no fee to apply. There are no age or nationality restrictions.
- Participants must be available for all sessions from August 24-29.
- Tuition for the workshop – $800
- Successful applicants will be notified on May 1st, 2026
APPLICATIONS:
Interested composers should apply by submitting, via email to info@standingwave.ca
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS APRIL 15, 2026
- A current bio and works list
- A 1-page letter outlining your experience, stating why you’d like to work with Standing Wave
- Two scores (PDFs) of previous works
- Two recordings (MIDI allowed) as a download or online stream (Google Drive, Dropbox, Soundcloud, WeTransfer, Hightail) that demonstrate the applicant’s ability to compose for chamber ensemble.
- Two recordings (MIDI allowed) as a download or online stream (Google Drive, Dropbox, Soundcloud, WeTransfer, Hightail) that demonstrate the applicant’s ability to compose for chamber ensemble.
Time Ghost by Mari Alice Conrad from Compocon 2020
CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background) by Michael Ducharme from Compocon 2021.