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A DC-BASED COMPANY, and at our core:
DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING ORIGINAL WORKS OF MUSIC-THEATRE,
FOSTERING THE GROWTH OF ARTISTS,
AND ENGAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY IN PARTNERSHIP
Changing the Conversation Through the Arts
Composer-Librettist Studio
We are pleased to announce our third annual Composer-Librettist Studio in DC in June 2025.
The Composer-Librettist Studio will take place from June 7 through June 22 and will once again be hosted by the Music Department of the University of the District of Columbia.
This nationally-renowned training program has been preparing professional artists to deepen their understanding of collaborative principles across the spectrum of music-theatre since 1986.The Composer-Librettist Studio is a unique, ongoing professional development program that provides an opportunity for five composers, five librettists and five singer-actors to focus on the principles and process of collaboration through a series of brief exploratory assignments in the hybrid form of music-theatre. All composers work with all writers and performers in rotating assignments to push the artists out of their comfort zones and support the growth of everyone to develop new capacities. On the final day, an informal sharing of all the short pieces allows these talented artists and courageous risk-takers to celebrate new voices and seeds of work.
On-line application forms for professional Composers, Librettists, and Singers-Actors will be available starting January 1, 2025 and will close on February 15. Decisions will be made on or before April 1 2025 with invitations going out to five Composers, five Librettists, and five Singer-Actors. All artists receive a stipend but must make their own travel and accommodation plans. All participants are carefully selected through the application process to represent diversity of experience, ages, cultural backgrounds, and styles of music and textual expression.
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Our 2024 Composer-Librettist Studio was held in July at the Music Department of the University of the District of Columbia. Per the Music Program Coordinator "The UDC Music program is delighted to once again host the Composer Librettist Studio. It’s a wonderful opportunity for our program and our regional community."
On November 3, we offered a showcase featuring a generous sampling of the 25 collaborative assignments from the July Studio .
Participants at our previous CL Studios felt the workshop was unique and life changing, including these comments:
“If I had been part of the original CLS in 1994, I would have been a better writer and collaborator. It has changed my life.”
Another offered “I never realized I’d learn these things and absorb so many great concepts.”
Performers shared “I have gone from being simply a singer to a performer and storyteller. You don’t learn this in other conventional programs and conservatories… It was a magical experience.”
“This studio wonderfully destroyed my preconceptions of all art, entertainment, and storytelling,” summarized one participant, “The tools [I learned here]. were craft-changing for me.”
Some of the writers who are alums of the Composer-Librettist Studio program include Eric Overmeyer, David Ives, Kira Obolensky, Kelley Rourke, José Cruz Gonzáles, Nilo Cruz, and Caridad Svich.
Composers have included Paul Dresher, Ricky Ian Gordon, Mary Ellen Childs, and O-Lan Jones.
Class of 2023 Composer-Librettist Studio
All participants emerged with renewed confidence and commitment to the craft, as well as a committed network of sustaining supporters, energized and well-equipped to advance the field.
