Composing Nature 2026

«Composing Nature» is a composition masterclass for percussion ensemble and/or electronics. It is open to students and composers of any nationality and it takes place in Lavarone, a beautiful town on the mountains in northern Italy. Admitted participants will have the opportunity of working on a piece assisted by three tutors and a percussion ensemble, taking inspiration from the local territory's features and history.

The institutions involved in this project are: the “C. Pollini” Conservatory of Padova, SaMPL – Sound and Music Processing Lab, the Municipality of Lavarone, the tourist office Alpe Cimbra and Taverna Maderna, an association of composers and performers focusing on contemporary music. The tutors are Giovanni Bonato (composition), Julian Scordato (electronic music) and Massimo Pastore (percussion). Art Percussion Ensemble, directed by prof. Pastore, will be the ensemble in residence. For any information on the course you can contact Leonardo Mezzalira at info@tavernamaderna.it.

The masterclass takes place from August 19th to August 27th, 2026. The start of activities is scheduled for August 19th afternoon. The final concert of the course is scheduled for August 27th at 6 pm. The course will take place in Lavarone, a municipality of the district of Trento, around 1100 meters above sea level. The activities will take place in the locality of Gionghi in facilities made available by the Municipality of Lavarone within the Town Hall, the Congress Centre and the Primary School. During the week the participants will be offered the opportunity to explore the local territory through walks and trips accompanied by an expert guide. 

From the regulations:
— Applications are open until April 30th, 2026. In the registration form applicants are required to indicate their interest to create a piece for percussion and electronics, and/or only percussion and/or only electronics. Multiple choices are possible, in order of preference. 
— A maximum of 12 participants will be selected, each of whom will be assigned an instrumentation with as much respect as possible for the expressed preferences. One third of the places will be reserved primarily for participants enrolled at the "C. Pollini" Conservatory of Padua. 
— Within one week of confirmation of admission, admitted students must pay the course fee (€350.00). Students currently enrolled in any courses of the “C. Pollini” Conservatory of Padua are exempt from the contribution.  The payment method will be communicated at the time of admission. 
— Participants are required to book their own accommodation. For information and suggestions you can contact the organizer or the tourist office of the Municipality of Lavarone (alpecimbra.it). Participants who wish to seek shared accommodation will be brought together. 
— After the selection process, an optional video call will be held to present the course, with answers to any questions participants may have.
— Participants are required to submit a draft of the entire piece by July 20th, 2026, and to be prepared to make changes and adjustments following lessons with the tutors and rehearsals with the ensemble.
— During the first days of the course, theoretical and practical lessons will take place, and short outings may be planned to get to know the area (it is recommended to bring suitable clothing). Participants will revise their piece under the supervision of the teachers.
— Starting from Sunday, August 23rd, the ensemble will be present in residence and will rehearse the pieces written by the participants. The proposed pieces, if possible, will be performed at the final concert, scheduled for August 27th, 2026 at 6 pm at the Lavarone Congress Center.

At this link, you can consult a portfolio of materials relating to the Lavarone and Cimbrian Alp area. Aspiring students can use this portfolio to imagine a piece that directly or indirectly references the area, its history, and its visual and sonic landscape.

The application form can be downloaded from this link. It must be completed, signed, and sent by e-mail to info@tavernamaderna.it. The same e-mail must contain the following attachments: 

— Copy of an ID of the participant;
— 1 to 3 recent scores in PDF format (should they be of big dimension a service such as Google Drive can be used) and audio files, in case of electroacoustic compositions;
— A short CV;
— optionally, a brief project of the piece they intend to submit if admitted. Please remember that the piece must interact in some way with the local area; candidates can refer to their portfolio to create this draft.
Admitted students will be informed about how to transfer the 350€ contribution.

It is possible to attend the lessons as a listener, by filling the application form and paying the registration fee (€150 for the entire course, €30 daily admission, no cost for students of the "C. Pollini" Conservatory of Padua). Applications to participate as listeners are open without any deadline.

All lessons, rehearsals and other activities will be scheduled on site. At the end of the course all active students will receive a certificate and the performances will be recorded and filmed. 

Download the guidelines for the new piece and the complete regulations at www.tavernamaderna.it/corsi-en/.