Composition Institute
June 20-26, 2027 for 1 Week / June 20-July 3,2027 for both weeks | MPulse Summer Performing Arts
One or Two-Week Summer Program
The MPulse Composition Institute is an all-encompassing program for high school composers. We offer participants the option of applying for a one-week or two-week session where they engage in many sessions focusing on the creative process, contemporary concert music, instrumentation and orchestration, and much more. Students will have the unique experience to workshop their compositions with live musicians. Classes will be led by University of Michigan Composition Faculty, SMTD applied faculty, and professional musicians.
Institute Dates: June 20-26, 2027 for 1 Week / June 20-July 3, 2027 for both weeks
Institute Tuition (including room & board): $1,990 for 1 week / $3900 for 2 weeks
Application Status: CLOSED
Non-Refundable Application Fee: $75
Priority Application Deadline:
February 1, 2027*
Priority Admissions Notification:
March 1, 2027
*Applications will remain open until the program is full. Rolling application submissions will be reviewed on a monthly basis. Please check the application status above to see if we are still accepting applications on a rolling basis.
Application Fee Waivers
Review the qualifications and the documentation you will need to provide here: How can I apply for a fee waiver for my application? Qualified students/families will reach out to the Acceptd Support team to request a waiver code to waive the $75 application fee. Fill out this fee waiver form to request a code.
Program Sample Schedule
While schedules vary year-to-year, the 2026 schedule will provide insight into the programming provided.
Faculty
Roshanne Etezady – Faculty Director
Assistant Professor of Composition, MPulse U-M Faculty Director
Griffin Candey – Faculty
Assistant Professor of Composition, Tennessee Tech University
Roshanne Etezady
Assistant Professor of Composition, MPulse U-M Faculty Director
The music of Roshanne Etezady (she/her) music has been described in Fanfare magazine as “fresh, effusive, and immediately likable,” and she has been hailed by the Detroit Free Press as “a promising and confident composer.” Her music combines lyricism with rhythmic intensity and engages performers and audiences alike.
Etezady’s works have been commissioned by the Detroit Symphony, Albany Symphony, eighth blackbird, Music at the Anthology, and the PRISM Saxophone Quartet. She has been a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Performers and ensembles including New Music Detroit, the American Composers’ Orchestra, Rêlache, Ensemble De Ereprijs, and the Dogs of Desire have performed Etezady’s music throughout the world. Her music has earned recognition from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Korean Society of 21st Century Music, the Jacob K. Javits Foundation, Meet the Composer, and ASCAP. Her music appears on the Naxos, innova, Cedille, Blue Griffin, Equilibrium, Summit, and Albany labels.
An enthusiastic educator, Etezady has taught at Northwestern University, University of Arizona, the Crane School of Music, and Interlochen Arts Camp.
Griffin Candey
Assistant Professor of Composition, Tennessee Tech University
Griffin Candey (b. 1988) is a Michigan-born composer whose works have been praised for their “charming and elaborate complexity” and their “lyricism and emotional depth.” Recent collaborations include new works and album projects with Cantus Vocal Ensemble, saxophonist Dr. Timothy McAllister, violinist Matt Albert and cellist Nick Photinos, NOW Ensemble, New Music Detroit, and Black Moon Trio.
Candey served for five years as the Composer-in-Residence with Cleveland Opera Theatre, premiering a bilingual adaptation of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba in June 2022. Upcoming commissions include a new interdisciplinary dance work for New Music Detroit and the Wayne State University Department of Dance, a trumpet concerto for Dr. Cassandra McDonald and the Bryan Symphony Orchestra, song cycles for vocalists like Nathan Gunn and Martha Guth, and a group of Walt Whitman settings for Cantus Vocal Ensemble. Candey currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Tennessee Tech University.
Eligibility & Audition Requirements
Eligibility
The MPulse Composition Institute is open to students entering grades 9 (nine) through 12 (twelve) in the Fall of 2027.
Audition Requirements
- Compositions: Applicants should submit two to four compositions that demonstrate their technical abilities and musical interests. Please submit BOTH mp3 recordings (live performances or digital realizations) and PDF scores of your compositions.
- Resume: Applicants must also include a résumé in PDF format that includes the following:
- Any instruments in which you are proficient
- Number of years of instrumental study
- A list of compositions written and performed
- If applicable, a description of any previous formal training in composition. Previous instruction in composition is not required
- Letter of Recommendation: Applicants must submit one teacher evaluation (artistic teacher or mentor(s) preferred), academic teacher, or non-relative who can speak directly to the student’s academic aptitude, potential, and classroom performance.
Please note – Applicants will need to provide the email address for their recommender via the Acceptd application platform. Recommenders will then privately submit their letters of recommendation via Acceptd. Your recommender will not be prompted to submit your recommendation until you hit “submit” on your application. Please make sure your recommendation is also in by the deadline given above.
Please note – Applicants will need to provide the email address for their recommender via the Acceptd application platform. Recommenders will then privately submit their letters of recommendation via Acceptd. Your recommender will not be prompted to submit your recommendation until you hit “submit” on your application. Please make sure your recommendation is also in by the deadline given above.
MPulse Scholarships
Merit Awards
A limited number of scholarships are available for extremely talented students based on Faculty discretion. Consideration for these scholarships is automatic for applications received by the priority application deadline.
Need-Based Awards
A limited number of need-based scholarships are available to families with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $125,000 or under in the previous calendar year, or with special circumstances due to the pandemic. To be considered you must upload your financial aid materials by the application deadline as part of your application. This includes:
- Monthly Expenses
- Previous Year’s Tax Return
- Statement of Need
Watson Scholarship (For Michigan Residents Only)
In the spirit of the life of a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School (1942) and Michigan physician, the Watson A. Young Scholarship promotes academic excellence and college aspiration among students with financial need. These need-based scholarships support middle and high school students’ participation in summer opportunities at U-M that seek to develop students’ interests and abilities in academic disciplines and expose students to the experiences and possibilities provided by higher education. More information about the Watson Scholarship.
Housing Accommodation Information
High school-aged participants are required to live on campus and stay in the Bursley Hall dormitory. Programs that include adult students (18+) may elect to live on campus, and will stay in the Baits II dormitory. Both buildings are on the University of Michigan’s North Campus and are a short walk from where most classes and events will be held. Participants should be aware of the following information regarding the dorms:
- Neither dormitory has air conditioning in the dorm rooms.
- Rooms are double occupancy. Bathrooms are shared between hall-mates in typical dorm style. Roommate requests can be submitted to [email protected].
- Linens / pillows / toiletries are not provided. Participants should be prepared to bring all necessary items to live in the dorms. The bed size is Twin-XL for purposes of securing bedsheets. Room & board are included in the price of tuition.
Meal Information
Participants will receive meals in Bursley Dining Hall located in Bursley Hall, a short walk down from Baits. Participants can access Bursley’s daily menu via the link provided.
Contact Us
MPulse Summer Performing Arts Institutes
Office of Engagement & Outreach-Youth & Adult Programs
University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
Stearns Building │ 2005 Baits Drive │ Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Phone: 734-936-2660
Email: [email protected]
Emails and phone lines are monitored at the following times
Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm EST