Music Biennale Zagreb - Masterclass for composers
Music Biennale Zagreb presents a new edition of its Masterclass for Composers. The aim of the programme is to enable participants to enhance their creative understanding and develop their compositional skills through individual work with renowned composers and open rehearsals with the festival ensemble.
The new edition of the MBZ Masterclass for Composers will take place from 12 to 15 April 2027 in Zagreb. The composer-mentors will be some of the most productive and original voices in 21st-century music: Jennifer Walshe (Ireland), Margareta Ferek-Petrić (Croatia/Austria), Dai Fujikura (Japan/UK), and Tristan Perich (USA).
The resident ensemble will be NAE Collective from Croatia.
The Music Biennale Zagreb Masterclass for Composers 2027 consists of three different segments:
a) Individual sessions with one of the composer-mentors
Selected participants will have the opportunity to engage in intensive one-to-one work with an assigned mentor (the duration of each session is 45 minutes). Participants will bring compositions of their own choice to the individual sessions. These sessions are not open to the public; however, other participants of the MBZ Masterclass for Composers may attend them as observers.
b) Lectures and discussions
Selected participants will have the opportunity to attend lectures by the composer-mentors. Each mentor of the MBZ Masterclass for Composers will give a lecture of up to 75 minutes, followed by an additional 15 minutes of discussion with the participating composers. Mentor lectures, as well as plenary discussions, will be held as part of the festival programme and will be open to the public.
c) Work with the resident ensemble (NAE Collective)
Selected participants are required to compose a new piece, a miniature of up to four minutes in duration, for an instrumental combination that will be assigned to them after the selection process. Active participants must submit the performance materials (score and parts) by 14 February 2027.
The resident ensemble will perform the new compositions at the masterclass concert on 15 April 2027. Composers will have the opportunity to further develop their works in collaboration with the resident ensemble during two reading sessions and one dress rehearsal. Rehearsals with the resident ensemble will be open for passive participation by other participants of the MBZ Masterclass for Composers. The masterclass concert is part of the festival programme and is open to the public.
Previous Editions
As a festival dedicated to contemporary music and related artistic practices, Music Biennale Zagreb (MBZ) generates new ideas, encourages risk-taking and experimentation, explores new forms of presentation, and develops new channels of communication with festival participants – both audiences and artists. The MBZ Masterclass for Composers was first held as part of the festival in April 2019. The mentors were Nina Šenk (Slovenia), Achim Bornhoeft (Austria), and João Pedro de Oliveira (Brazil/Portugal), with the Riot Ensemble (United Kingdom) as the resident ensemble. In 2021, the masterclass was held with composer-mentors Alexander Schubert (Germany), Martin Matalon (Argentina/France), Sasha Blondeau (France), and Raphaël Cendo (France) in an adapted online format consisting of three segments: (1) one-to-one lessons, with each participant assigned two of the aforementioned mentors, alongside online lectures and discussions; (2) open rehearsals with the resident Ensemble Quasars (Slovakia), conducted by Ivan Buffa; and (3) a harpsichord workshop with harpsichordist Franjo Bilić (Croatia). In 2023, the masterclass was held with composer-mentors Clemens Gadenstätter (Austria), Chaya Czernowin (Israel/USA), Franck Bedrossian (France), and Uroš Rojko (Slovenia), with Klangforum Wien as the resident ensemble. In 2025, the masterclass featured composer-mentors Liza Lim (Australia), Pierre Jodlowski (France/Poland), Mauro Lanza (Italy/Germany), and George Lewis (USA), with the New York-based ensemble PinkNoise as the resident ensemble.