Institute Events

Annual Mostly Modern pizza party! Directly outside of Zankel Music Center.

Annual Concerto Competition. Please note that any participant performers may sign up to perform for faculty, but the competition is otherwise closed to participants. Sign up here: https://mostlymodernfestival.org/concerto-competition/

Meet violinist Victoria Paterson, Executive Director, and composer Robert Paterson, Artistic Director, in a conversation that spans their careers as professional musicians and how these experiences led to the founding of the Mostly Modern Festival and Mostly Modern Projects. They will discuss topics such as what it entails to start a not-for-profit organization, fundraising, what they look...

Seminar with producer and recording engineer Jim Mastrianni, who will discuss his career and recording projects. The first hour will be in ELM; the second hour will be a trip to Jim's home studio, just down Broadway from Skidmore.

Join acclaimed conductor and educator José Daniel Flores-Caraballo for an inspiring seminar exploring his remarkable career in choral and orchestral music. As Artistic Director of Albany Pro Musica, Conductor-In-Residence at the University at Albany, and Chorus Director for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Dr. Flores-Caraballo will share insights on conducting, leadership, rehearsal technique, musical excellence,...

Piano Improvisation Workshop 1: Approaches, Styles, and the Composition-Improvisation Continuum.  Both workshops will include elements of everything from Baroque to jazz and “free” improvisation, and explore the fluidity between the realms of pre-meditated composition and more spontaneous improvisation. No previous improvisation experience required! Workshop 1 will explore Louis Couperin unmeasured preludes, improvising on works of J.S. Bach, classical idioms, and florid romantic improvisation.

Masterclass and Q&A session with Zachary De Pue, concertmaster of the Naples Philharmonic and first violinist of The Indianapolis Quartet.

Seminar with award-winning composer Donald Grantham, whose music has been celebrated for its lyricism, color, and expressive clarity. A recipient of honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Prix Lili Boulanger, and multiple national composition awards, Grantham has received performances by leading orchestras across the United States. In this engaging session, he will discuss orchestration, compositional...

Seminar with composer and educator Stephen Cabell, whose distinctive music blends orchestral, chamber, electronic, and multimedia influences into a bold contemporary voice. A recipient of honors including the Morton Gould Young Composer Award and the Joseph H. Bearns Prize in Music, Cabell’s works have been performed by leading ensembles and orchestras across the country. In...