The renowned British composer James MacMillan will lead a workshop for emerging composers who wish to develop their skills in writing for voice and orchestra. This will be a space for sharing and exploring new ideas through a creative process in collaboration with the Gulbenkian Orchestra and professional singers.

Over a period of around seven months, participants will create a new work for voice and orchestra, which will be premiered in a concert by the Gulbenkian Orchestra.

Dates and Location

The workshop will unfold across three sessions at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon:

11 and 12 December 2025

Group and individual sessions with James MacMillan – Participants will discuss contemporary compositional practices and present their initial ideas for what they would like to develop during the workshop, under the guidance of the tutor.

9 and 10 February 2026

Participants will have the opportunity to hear excerpts of their works-in-progress performed by the orchestra and receive guidance from the tutor regarding their creative process.

29 June to 2 July 2026

Rehearsals for the public performance of the new works. This final stage of the workshop culminates in the premiere of the new compositions in a concert with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, on 2 July 2026.

Application Conditions

• The workshop is free and open to composers aged 35 or under (on 31 December 2025), who are either residents of Portugal or affiliated with ENOA network institutions;
• Applicants must complete the application form by 23:59 on 26 October 2025, submitting the following documents:
  – Curriculum vitae/biography;
  – Motivation letter;
  – Orchestral score of a work representative of their writing for orchestra;
  – Score of a work for voice and orchestra/ensemble (optional);
  – List of works with information about their context of creation;
  – Link(s) to recordings of one to three relevant works.
• The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will announce the list of selected participants during the first week of November 2025.

Accessibility

The Gulbenkian Foundation encourages all composers to apply and will make every effort to find solutions to overcome any personal circumstances that may hinder full participation in the workshop.

Specific Requirements

Creation of a new work for voice and orchestra, using the following instrumentation: 3,3,3,3 / 4,3,3,1 / 2 perc. / strings + 1 or 2 singers (voice ranges to be announced). Participants must provide scores properly prepared and ready for performance by the singers and the orchestra, including all instrumental parts.

For further information, please contact: [email protected].

Application form

Submit Application