After Cage Composition Workshop

A free musical creation laboratory beyond normative spaces

After Cage Composition Workshop is an intensive programme for young composers led by Javier Torres Maldonado together with Juan José Eslava, Guillermo Cobo and Carolina Cerezo. The workshop unfolds in two phases that accompany participants throughout the composition of a new work: an online mentoring period followed by an intensive in-person residency (23–29 August, Spain). Composers work closely with the musicians of Ensemble E7.2 through multiple rehearsals and reading sessions, refining their pieces before a public recital and premiere at Festival After Cage. Accommodation during the residency is included.

The workshop is conceived for a small group of active participants (maximum 9), allowing for individualized guidance and a level of technical and artistic rigor suited to emerging professional profiles in consolidation.

It is articulated in two phases: a online phase (May-July 2026) and a on-site phase (23-29 August).

With Javier Torres Maldonado as permanent guest composer
Directed by Juan José Eslava, Guillermo Cobo and Carolina Cerezo

Key dates

• Applications open until March 25, 2026
  Opening session: April 25
  Online phase: May–July 2026
  On-site phase: August 23–29, 2026 (accommodation is included for active participants)

• Application form: https://forms.gle/mP4K7FLSaRuP5hM3A

Registration fees

Active participants: 550€ (accommodation included)
Auditors: 70 €

Project

Active participants

• Commission for the composition of a work of up to 7 minutes for an ensemble of 1 to 3 instruments
• 50 hours of active training within the workshop and its activities
• Reading session, rehearsal, and presentation in the pre-premiere recital (August 28)
• Public premiere as part of the 13th After Cage Festival (August 29)
• Accommodation in a shared room at the Villava Hostel (August 23–30)
• Certificate of completion for participation in the workshop in its active modality

Auditors

• Full access as an auditor to all on-site workshop sessions (47 hours)
• Certificate of attendance in the auditor category

Applications

• Application form: https://forms.gle/mP4K7FLSaRuP5hM3A

• Active participants

• PDF score and recording of a maximum of two works (preferably for different instrumental ensembles), submitted in full anonymity
• CV (max. 300 words, in Spanish or English)
• High-resolution photograph
• Application fee: €25

• Auditors

• Application fee: €25
• No additional documentation is required

Schedule

Online phase (May-July 2026)

During the online phase, Juan José Eslava, Guillermo Cobo and Carolina Cerezo provide the structural guidance of the compositional process in close coordination with Javier Torres Maldonado, integrating the technical, aesthetic, and practical dimensions of the creative work through:

• Collective tutorials focused on the presentation and discussion of projects
  Individual follow-up of each work’s development
  Progressive supervision of score submissions
  Work on formal coherence, instrumental technique, and conceptual definition

On-site phase (August 23–29)

• Individual composition lessons
  Detailed review of instrumental writing
  Direction of reading sessions and rehearsals
• Pre-premiere recital (August 28)
• Public premiere as part of the 13th After Cage Festival (August 29)

Working with Javier Torres Maldonado offers participants the opportunity to develop their projects through an in-depth exploration of sound morphology, structural complexity, material control, and the articulation of compositional discourse in close dialogue with real interpretative practice.

Performers

Pilar Fontalba: oboe
Iván San Miguel: double bass
Andreu Rico: percussion

Their participation is not limited to the final performance of the works; they are actively involved in:

• Intermediate and final reading sessions
  Supervised rehearsals
  Technical adjustments and notation review
  Exploration of extended techniques
  Direct dialogue with the composers regarding the feasibility and refinement of the material

• Contact

  
  @festival_after_cage

• colectivoe72.es
• colectivoe7.2@gmail.com