Luxembourg Composition Academy 2026: Open call
Apply now! From 14 to 20 November 2026, the Luxembourg Composition Academy offers young composers the opportunity to spend one week working in an inspiring and creative environment in the heart of Luxembourg. Faculty: Laura Bowler and George Lewis.
Undergraduate and (post)graduate composers are invited to apply for the Luxembourg Composition Academy, held from November 14 to 20, 2026 in Luxembourg with the faculty consisting of composers Laura Bowler and George Lewis as well as the Luxembourgish ensemble United Instruments of Lucilin.
Premiere your new piece at the rainy days Festival
The program consists of lectures, one-to-one lessons with Laura Bowler and George Lewis and workshops with the musicians of United Instruments of Lucilin, mezzo-sporano Rosie Middleton and conductor Julien Leroy. All selected composers are invited to write a new piece of 7 minutes for United Instruments of Lucilin. These new compositions will be premiered in the Academy’s final concert on November 20, 2026 at Philharmonie Luxembourg as part of the rainy days festival.
Faculty: Laura Bowler & George Lewis
Laura Bowler, described as “a triple threat composer-performer provocatrice” (The Art Desk), is a composer and vocalist specialising in multidisciplinary works and music theatre. She has been commissioned by leading ensembles, orchestras and festivals across the globe, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Donaueschinger Musiktage, MaerzMusik, and Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, among many others. She is currently lecturer in composition at Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
George Lewis is an American composer, musicologist and trombonist. He is Edwin H. Case Professor of American Music at Columbia University, and Artistic Director of the International Contemporary Ensemble. A Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a British Academy International Fellow, and a member of the Akademie der Künste Berlin, Lewis’s other honors include the Doris Duke Artist Award (2019), a MacArthur Fellowship (2002), and a Guggenheim Fellowship (2015). A member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) since 1971, Lewis’s work is presented by ensembles worldwide, published by Edition Peters. A Yamaha Artist, Lewis is widely regarded as a pioneer in the creation of computer programs that improvise in concert with human musicians.
How to apply ?
The academy will be taught in English.
The participation fee is 500€ and includes accommodation. Attendance to the rainy days festival (November 19 to 22) can be organized as well.
To apply for the academy, please submit by filling in the application form by 31 May 2026:
- a recent CV
- 2 scores (in PDF format) and recordings (if available)
- a short motivation letter
- a short letter of intent
Apply here
For further inquiries, please contact us at: hello@lucilin.lu
The selected composers will be notified at the beginning of July.
The Luxembourg Composition Academy is a cooperation between United Instruments of Lucilin and Philharmonie Luxembourg.