Hello! We would like to invite up to eight CSYO/Nouveau students to participate in a FREE collaborative composition project called Cincinnati From Scratch.
Over the course of the project, you will learn about extended techniques, dive into an overview of non-traditional notational styles, and ultimately write a solo or duo piece of your own. At the end of the project, teaching artists Joe Bricker (percussion) and Hannah Christiansen (violin) will premiere the new pieces at a concert at the Cincinnati Public Library, and professionally record all of the student works at Legacy Soundworks in Madeira; students attend the recording sessions in-person for maximum creative input in bringing their pieces to life. Check out these recordings from 2025-26 or check out our archive to see pieces from previous students!
HOW WILL THIS WORK?
The first six sessions will be focused on learning about different styles of notated and non-notated music and modern performance technique. The remaining five sessions will be one-on-one work with teaching artists/contemporary performers Joe Bricker and Hannah Christiansen as you write pieces for some combination of violin and percussion instruments.
WHAT IF I’VE NEVER WRITTEN MUSIC BEFORE?
That’s great! No composition background is necessary for this project. We are not looking for prior composition experience; just tell us what kind of music you are curious about! There is no need for any fancy composing software, either.
WHAT IS THE TIME COMMITMENT?
Workshops will be one hour each and we will meet about once every other week in the fall semester for six sessions via Zoom. These first six sessions will be group meetings with all participants and both teaching artists; we will come up with a schedule that works for all of us once participants are finalized. In the spring semester, we will schedule five one-on-one sessions with each student to work in depth on the new pieces. These sessions will be scheduled individually between the students and the teaching artists. All sessions take place via Zoom.
During the fall semester, there will be very little outside work; all we ask is that you come to the sessions with an open mind and whatever questions you have. As you begin to develop your pieces, you may want to work independently between sessions. In the spring, compositional goals and weekly work outside of sessions will be determined individually between student and teaching artist. We understand that spring is a very busy time of year with school, auditions, and juries all happening and want this work to be a fun and creative supplement, not draining your time and energy!
The workshops will begin in October 2026, and the performance and recording sessions will take place in May 2027; dates will be finalized once participants are confirmed. The planned performance is currently scheduled for Sunday May 30th at 2pm, and the recording session will be Memorial Day, Monday May 31st (of which you’ll only be required to attend for one hour).
WHAT IF I HAVE PLAYED A LOT OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC OR WRITTEN A PIECE ALREADY?
That’s great too! We can’t wait to hear about your experience and build upon what you already know.
WHAT GOOD IS THIS PROGRAM ANYWAY?
This program offers a unique opportunity to take any idea you have and bring it to life! For students considering music further, this kind of experience covers so many skills you’ll need: contemporary music skills, composition skills, creative thinking/problem solving skills, and also provides you with a great video for your resume or any applications in the future. Our alumni have gone onto schools like Eastman and Curtis and have won awards, grants, and other composing fellowships. We also regularly have additional opportunities for young composers to expand the reach of their work!
WHO ARE JOE AND HANNAH?
Joe Bricker is the Associate Principal Timpani/Percussionist with the Cincinnati Symphony. He has done a bunch of different things within music: he’s played with orchestras all over the world, written and recorded music for advertisements, built new band programs in schools, and created new works with lots of people, including golfer Tiger Woods and tons of composers. Joe has spent a lot of time working with young composers to develop their ideas about percussion and helping their visions come to life. He studied at the Juilliard School and DePaul University.
Hannah Christiansen is a freelance violinist based in Chicago. Her musical life takes on many forms; currently she is the violinist for the Varo String Quartet and also plays with the Milwaukee Symphony. She loves to experiment with new ways of producing sound on the violin and has worked on creating new pieces with students at Northwestern, the University of Chicago, and Roosevelt University as well as many other composers. She studied at Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University.
You are welcome to reach out to us with any questions at joe.bricker@gmail.com and hannahlchristiansen@gmail.com. You can also ask any of our alumni what their experience was like if you want a first-hand account!
HOW DO I APPLY?
We’re so glad you’re interested! Here is the application timeline:
September 1st: Applications open at this link
September 27th: Applications close
September 30th: Selected participants notified
Mid-October: Workshops begin!
