Composition Academy 2026
Attention Composers: Participate in LAMP’s 2026 Composition Academy!
Deadline to Apply: Monday, 6 April, 2026.
Spend two weeks in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, this June working with celebrated & enthusiastic composers and educators: Matthias McIntire, Roydon Tse, and Dinuk Wijeratne. This year is a special edition of the Academy in that we welcome the Blackwood Trio (Jeff Reilly, Peter Togni, India Gailey) as both performers and guest composition faculty.
You’ll compose a 5–8 minute work for the Blackwood Trio (bass clarinet, cello, piano) to be premiered in an evening of world premieres at LAMP’s Concert Hall, writing specifically for musicians who are acclaimed improvisers.
This limited enrollment program (maximum eight participants) is open to composers with at least one degree in composition aged 35 and under. Exceptionally talented undergrads will be considered with a reference letter from a current mentor and/or professor. With limited spaces available, we encourage you to apply early. Those who do not fit program criteria will be welcome to audit classes.
Application Requirements
Brief cover letter
Composition C.V.
Two-scores and relevant recordings (MIDI is fine)
$40 Application fee
Reference letter (undergraduate applicants)
2026 Composition Faculty
Matthias Mcintire draws on classical, jazz, improvisation, and electronic traditions in his work. He is the winner of the 2021 Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music and teaches composition at Dalhousie University.
Dinuk Wijeratne’s boundary-crossing work blends classical, jazz, and global influences. A JUNO and SOCAN award-winner, he has performed internationally and directs orchestral studies at the University of Ottawa.
Roydon Tse’ music explores themes of climate change, grief, and cultural identity. Named one of CBC Music’s “Top 30 Under 30,” his work has been performed by leading ensembles including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
The Blackwood Trio - Composition Academy 2026 Performers & Guest Faculty
Jeff Reilly (bass clarinet)
(c) Geoffrey Creighton
Peter Togni (piano)
(c) Paul Illsley, Michael Creighton
India Gailey (cello)
(c) Jamie Kronick
10 Years of Composition Academy at LAMP
LAMP’s annual Composition Academy has emerged as a standout opportunity for emerging composers in Canada
LAMP’s Composition Academy offers a blend of master classes, collaborative learning opportunities, hands-on writing and score workshops. It culminates in a concert of world premieres written by participants and inspired according to pre-set instrumentation. In recent years, themes have included new music inspired by poems from Sue Goyette's Masterworks-winning anthology OCEAN, the vibrant visual art of painter Craig Rubadoux and the L'nuk hieroglyphic poetry of three-time award winning author and interdisciplinary artist Michelle Sylliboy.
Led by a remarkable team of Canadian composers (Dinuk Wijeratne, Matthias McIntire and Roydon Tse), LAMP’s popular Composition Academy also includes guest faculty which changes each year including Ana Sokolović, Dorothy Chang, Amy Brandon, Nicole Lizée and many more well known Canadian and international composers.
The final works are always prepared and performed by professional musicians – another aspect that distinguishes LAMP's program from other composition schools or festivals. Not only highly skilled, these are artists who love contemporary music and are as invested in this experience as any of our composers.
Taken together, it’s the perfect destination for serious young composers.
Each year, composers are asked to produce one piece up to five minutes long. The days spent at LAMP will be for refinement and working with the faculty and performers to create the final composition which will premiere in LAMP’s beautiful concert hall on the final evening of the program. composers will also collaborate to produce a group composition from start to finish while here.
Past participant testimonials:
"Having been to composition workshops in the US and Canada, it is hard to think of any other composition institute that can rival what LAMP offers in terms of performance resources and quality of tuition", says Roydon Tse, winner of 2018 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta's Emerging Artist Award.
Composition 2024 Academy participant, Reid Contreras Woelfle: “LAMP sets a surreal and unmatched standard for what Canadian Contemporary/New Music workshops can be. The faculty, staff, performers and participants all contributed towards a well-crafted, unique and unforgettable experience. LAMP was absolutely transformative in my journey as an emerging composer, and I am grateful for the lessons, relationships and memories I will hold very dearly for the rest of my life.”
While bassist Travis Harrison writes, "In five years of new music festivals… I have never been to or played in a concert that presented such a high caliber of composition and maintained it throughout the night… I really do believe this program should be on the radar of anyone who cares about new music, and especially those hoping to pursue a career in composition."