Course Description
Matthew Cmiel, Program Director
Established in 2007 in honor of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams, this program guides young composers through the formative stages of their creative growth. Students work closely with an expert faculty of professional composers, explore music alongside world-class guest lecturers, and hear their original work performed live by professional musicians. With celebrated alumni now active on the national stage, the John Adams Young Composers Program has a proven track record of launching serious artistic careers.
Wednesdays | 5:30 to 7pm
Fall Session | 17 classes September 2, 2026 to January 20, 2027 (no classes during fall and winter breaks)
Spring Session | 19 classes January 20, 2027 to June 2, 2027 (no classes week of March 29-April 4)
What Students Do
Each week, students participate in both a group seminar and a private composition lesson scheduled with their instructor. Individual private composition lessons scheduled by mutual arrangement with instructor.
In the fall, the focus is deep analysis: learning to hear and think about a piece of music on multiple levels simultaneously — harmony, structure, melody, rhythm, timbre, and the subtler questions of meaning that emerge when all of these are considered together. Students examine two works in close detail and write their own responses to each.
In the spring, the focus shifts to chamber music and communication — how to write music that makes players want to listen to each other, respond to each other, and play together with genuine excitement. A dedicated unit on virtuosity rounds out the semester.
Each session culminates in a live performance of student works by professional musicians.
Faculty & Guest Lecturers
Students receive expert individual guidance from a faculty of accomplished professional composers. Past guest lecturers to the program have included Thomas Ades, Chris Cerrone, Aaron Jay Kernis, David Lang, Caroline Shaw, Tyshawn Sorey, Kaija Saariaho, and Julia Wolfe, among many others.
Program alumni include Gabriella Smith, Dylan Mattingly, Anaís Azul, Helen Feng, Theo Haber, Niki Main, Clark Nichols, Niko Umar-Durr, and Lauren Vandervelden.
Ready to Enroll?
To register for this program, please complete our online enrollment form. You’ll be directed to SessionUp (formerly TeacherZone), our enrollment platform. New to Crowden? You’ll be prompted to create an account from the registration page. Returning students who previously used TeacherZone can click Forgot Password and enter their existing username or email to set a new password. If you need any assistance, our team is available to help at communityed@crowden.org. Crowden will contact registrants to schedule an audition. Mid-year applicants are welcome as space permits.