Created in 2015, the Luxembourg Composition Academy is the only composition residency/masterclass in Luxembourg, organized by United Instruments of Lucilin, neimënster and the Rainy Days Festival, the international contemporary music festival of the Philharmonie de Luxembourg. The Luxembourg Composition Academy offers young composers the opportunity to work for a week in an inspiring and creative place, located in the heart of Luxembourg City: neimënster; all accompanied by the professional musicians of the United Instruments of Lucilin Ensemble.

History of the residency

This residency, which followed the Composition Summer School, an initial idea by the Luxemburgish composer Marcel Reuter, is organized in November, and is now associated with the Philharmonie’s rainy days festival. An obvious addition since, on the one hand, the festival promotes innovative universes of sound and, on the other hand, it offers the public the opportunity to discover and freely access performances outside the Philharmonie.

Program of the weekly residency

The Academy program includes lectures and individual tutoring sessions with two guest composers, as well as instrumental workshops with the Ensemble’s musicians and other activities (notably outings to rainy day concerts). Each participant is invited to write a piece for the United Instruments of Lucilin. These compositions are then worked on within the academy and presented at a Closing Concert in neimënster during the rainy days Festival.

The Academy is conducted in English, French and German.

Call for applications

The call for applications is published during the beginning of the year on the Facebook page and on the websites of United Instruments of Lucilin and neimënster, as well as on their networks. This call includes the conditions of the residency. A jury of experts will then evaluate each application.

The guest composers of the previous editions

2015: Marcel Reuter (Luxembourg) and Evandelia Rigaki (Trinity College, Dublin)

2016: Marcel Reuter (Luxembourg) and Isabel Mundry (Hochschule für Musik und Theater, München)

2017: Chaya Czernowin (Harvard University) and Mauro Lanza (Universität der Künste, Berlin)

2018: Joanna Baillie (City University London) and Frank Bedrossian (University of California, Berkeley)

2019: Philippe Leroux (McGill University) and Elena Mendoza (Universität der Künste, Berlin)

2020: Carola Bauckholt (Akademie der Künste, Berlin and Anton Bruckner Universität, Linz) and Mathew Shlomowitz (University of Southampton)

2021: Georges Aperghis (Greece/France) and Clara Ianotta (Bludenzer Tage zeitgemässer Musik, Festival Klangspuren Schwaz)

ATTENTION | Call for applications 2022

Due to the major renovation of the accommodation in neimënster in 2022, the Luxembourg Composition Academy will not be able to proceed as usual. More details on the call for applications for the Lucilin Academy of Contemporary Music in neimënster can be found here.