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Composing in the Wilderness

 Composing in the Wilderness
Summary:Outdoor opportunity
Deadline: 30 September 2018
Date Posted: 25 July 2018
Details: Now in its seventh year, this unusual field course is offered by the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in collaboration with Alaska Geographic and the National Park Service. It is led by adventurer-composer Stephen Lias.

Working with experienced guides, naturalists, and scientists, we take experienced composers into the backcountry of Alaska's wilderness and provide them with an intense and immersive adventure. With this as their inspiration, the composers then have the opportunity to compose original chamber music that is premiered by top-notch contemporary music performers on staff at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:

Drawing on experts in every discipline, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival brings together high-level musicians, chefs, dancers, actors, photographers, and artists of all types for two intense weeks in July. The resident contemporary music ensemble for the festival (Corvus) is led by two New-York-based performers with deep Alaskan roots: Andie Springer (violin) and Katie Cox (flute). Each year they enlist other accomplished performers to create a dynamic chamber ensemble which presents concerts in Fairbanks, as well as outreach events in rural communities of interior Alaska. Participants in Composing in the Wilderness have the privilege not only to have their pieces premiered by Corvus, but also to develop a lasting working relationship with these musicians.

The "Denali Adventure" field course (started in 2012), allows composers to spend four days in the back country of Denali National Park, after which they are flown by bush plane to the remote Coal Creek Mining Camp in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve where they have four more days to compose. Returning to Fairbanks, the group meets up with "Corvus" - the contemporary music ensemble of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival and their new pieces are rehearsed and then premiered both in Fairbanks and in the visitors center of Denali National Park.

2018 will see the introduction of an exciting, and much more immersive, second offering. The "Arctic Adventure" will take adventurous composers on a week-long canoe trip in the second-largest national park in the USA (Gates of the Arctic). Following nearly a hundred miles on the river, the group will have a few days to begin their compositions while relaxing in the remote fly-in-only town of Bettles. Their pieces, completed in the following months, will be premiered in New York City at the iconic Federal Hall Historic Site.

Each year, our group is made up of a diverse group of composers from all levels of their career (student, professional, professor, freelance), and from many countries around the world. We value this diversity and encourage applicants of all ages and nationalities.

It is the mission of the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival to help participants awaken their inner artist; enrich lives by increasing personal and professional growth; and engage the spirit, intellect and energy in an empowering way. Composing in the Wilderness supports this vision by providing a life-changing artistic adventure, a deep sense of community, and a genuine connection to wilderness.

ENALI ADVENTURE:

Tentative Dates: July 9-23, 2019
Tentative Cost: approximately $1,800

We'll certainly be offering our long-standing "magic formula" of taking nine composers into the backcountry of Denali, followed by creative time in Yukon-Charley Rivers, and then a premiere in Alaska. Every year we change a few things, but you can click HERE to see the details of the 2018 trip.

EXTREME ADVENTURE:

Tentative Dates: July 26 through August 7, 2019
Tentative Cost: approximately $4,000

Depending on the level of interest, the success of our 2018 season, and the costs, we plan to offer a second "extreme" adventure trip with a premiere in New York. It may or may not be similar to what we're doing this year, but you can click HERE to see the 2018 trip.

How to Apply
We've changed a few things about our application this year, and we've done our best to make it really easy. Once you're ready, just click the button below to begin. It is a two step process. You'll provide some materials on the form, and then email us a few other things.

On the FORM:
• Contact information (name, email, address, phone, etc.).
• Which Composing in the Wilderness Adventure you'd like to apply for. You can apply for one or the other, or ask to be considered for both, but you can only be a participant for one of them.
• Statement of purpose. You'll be asked to provide a statement that responds to the following prompt:
o The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival seeks to awaken participants' inner artist; enrich lives by increasing personal and professional growth; and engage the spirit, intellect and energy in an empowering way. Share with us a statement explaining how this experience would do those things for you.
• Summary of your fitness level and experience with backcountry activities.
• Summary of any medical or dietary issues.
• Acknowledgement: We ask you to acknowledge the following payment and refund policy:
o In the event that you are selected, you will be responsible for your own transportation to Fairbanks, as well as the full registration cost of the workshop. You must make an initial payment of at least 20% of the total trip cost in November, and after February 1, this is non-refundable. The full balance must be paid in full by May 1, and no refunds will be provided after that date.

In the EMAIL:
Send an email to info@composinginthewilderness.com with the following materials. You can attach files or provide links to content online. Please limit attached file types to MP3, JPG, and PDF. Provide functioning URLs for all other content.
1. Audio or audio/visual samples. Two or three representative works.
2. Samples of your notated scores. One or two representative works. Does not need to match audio.
3. Biography/CV/resume.
4. A professional headshot. We will use this in our publicity in the event that you are chosen. Please send the highest resolution possible (preferably 300dpi).
Web Site:www.composinginthewilderness.com