Contemporary Insights 2026 Summer Academy for Present-Day Music

Dear friends of contemporary classical music,

Contemporary Insights e.V, in cooperation with the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy", Leipzig, Germany, is pleased to announce the third Summer Academy for Present-Day Music (after 2021 and 2024). The academy is aimed at both music students and professional musicians and includes six days of intensive, focused work to deepen understanding of current aesthetics and the latest artistic challenges regarding contemporary music and its performance practice. One goal of the Summer Academy is to (re)discover the potential of contemporary music through direct and continuous exchange between composers and interpreters. The working process of joint learning enables all participants to promote their individual and chamber music skills.

Chamber ensemble formations are welcome but must register their members individually.

The courses are conducted in English and German.

Academy Period: Monday 27 July - Saturday 1 August 2026
 
Location: Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" (HMT), Leipzig, Germany

Registration:
• Deadline: 31 March 2026
• Participation fee: 250 EUR (excluding accommodation and meals)
• Registration form.

Proof of the participation fees paid is required for registration.
Participation fees can be paid by bank transfer to

Contemporary Insights e.V.
Bank: Sparkasse Leipzig
IBAN: DE91 8605 5592 1090 2155 21
BIC: WELADE8L
 
Or via PayPal.

Notes:
• Active students of HMT-Leipzig do not pay any participation fees to Contemporary Insights e.V. but must enroll in the corresponding course via the university, for which they also receive credit points.
• Contemporary Insights e.V. is not responsible for transfer fees from your bank or PayPal.
• All cancellations made before or on 31 May 2026 will be refunded 80%. Cancellations made after 31 May 2026 will not be refunded.

Tutors:
Composition: Prof. Dr. Claus-Steffen Mahnkopf, Clara Maïda (PhD), Dr. Marisol Jiménez
Interpretation: Dr. Michiko Saiki (piano), Tomas Westbrooke (violin), Carlos Cordeiro (clarinet), Jack Adler-McKean (tuba)

Course Overview:

Coaching units:
Individual lessons (45 minutes):
• Composers can present and work on former pieces or current projects.
• Musicians are invited to work on pieces from their solo repertoire. In these sessions, even small chamber ensembles can develop and present pieces from their repertoire.

Chamber Music Units:
• On the basis of the available instrumentation and the interests of the participants, a selection regarding the chamber music / ensemble pieces is made and rehearsed together.
• Ensemble works of the composition teachers and the participating composition students are developed.

Group workshops:
• Rhythm: Polyrhythm, Strategies for Realization, Irrational Meter, Metric Modulations
• Microtones and Perception
• Further topics: Notation, Prepared Instruments, Playing Techniques, Improvisation

Presentations during the Academy:
• Both composition and interpretation tutors will present their practice, through lectures and performance sessions.
• Interpretation participants will also have the opportunity to present individual solo works and to share with one another the challenges they encountered with the work and the strategies they took to prepare for it.
• Composer participants may present their already existing compositions and/or their artistic practice.

About Contemporary Insights e.V.:
Contemporary Insights began in 2014 as a concert series for contemporary music in New York City and was founded in 2019 as a non-profit association with associated ensemble and headquarters in Leipzig. The aim of the association is to bring together a new audience as well as composers and performers to explore the diverse world of contemporary classical music. The ensemble and the association work closely together to present a variety of projects with new perspectives in the field of 21st century performance. But our goal is also to share knowledge that the growing and diverse community of Contemporary Insights has developed over the years. In line with these objectives, our academy offers an opportunity for new generations of musicians to develop as artists in the context of contemporary music.

For more information, visit: www.contemporaryinsights.org