Visiting Composer Series

Under the auspices of the Visiting Composers Series, established and emerging composers visit CCM to lecture, meet informally with students, comment on their work and meet the public. 

These visits coincide with performances of the composers' works by CCM resident soloists and ensembles and/or the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Vocal Arts Ensemble and other Cincinnati performing arts organizations. Composers discuss a range of topics with students, faculty and the public, including the position of the composer in contemporary society, the future of new music, the relationship between music and culture and the challenge of reaching audiences, along with whatever else is on their minds.

Past guests have included such distinguished composers as John Adams, Samuel Adler, William Bolcom, Elliott Carter, George Crumb, Philip Glass, Jennifer Higdon, Karel Husa, Aaron Jay Kernis, Krzysztof Penderecki, Bernard Rands, Frederick Rzewski, Joseph Schwantner, Sir Michael Tippett and many others. In addition, the Visiting Composers series also invites prominent performers of new music to give concerts and/or conduct reading sessions of students' works, often in conjunction with composers with whom they have collaborated.

Recent Visiting Composers

CCM hosted visiting composers and guest artist ensembles from five countries in 2021-22 as part of the Alexander Prize for Composition Event Series. The visiting composers included:

  • Carl Vine (Australia) Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney | Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2021
  • Missy Mazzoli (US) The New School, Mannes School of Music | Nov. 16-19, 2021
  • Aya Yoshida (Japan/Netherlands) Winner of the 2019 Alexander Zemlinsky Prize for Composition | Nov. 28-Dec. 6, 2021
  • Iris ter Schiphorst (Austria) University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna | Feb. 22-25, 2022
  • Colin Matthews (England) Prince Consort Professor of Music, Royal College of Music, London | March 8-11, 2022

Previous Visiting Composers

View the below list of selected guests who have participated in the Visiting Composers Series since its inception:

  • John Adams
  • John Luther Adams
  • Samuel Adler
  • Dominic Argento (mainstage opera production of The Voyage)
  • Daniel Asia
  • Michael Barnhart (CCM alum)
  • Robert Beaser
  • Dan Becker (composer) and Kathleen Supove (pianist)
  • Burton Beerman
  • Ofer Ben-Amots
  • Jennifer Bernard (CCM alum)
  • Jack Body
  • William Bolcom
  • Henry Brant
  • Martin Bresnick
  • Bruce Broughton
  • Zack Browning
  • Ivica Bukvic (CCM alum)
  • David Burge
  • Moiya Callahan (CCM alum)
  • Elliott Carter
  • Daniel Catán
  • Thomas Cipullo
  • Michael Colgrass
  • Luca Cori
  • Nuno Corte-Real
  • David Crumb
  • George Crumb
  • Michael Daugherty
  • William Scott Deal
  • Shiau-uen Ding (visiting pianist, CCM alum)
  • George Duke
  • Moritz Eggert
  • Michael Fiday
  • Josef Fung
  • Brad Garton
  • Douglas Geers
  • John Gibson
  • Philip Glass
  • David Gompper (composer/pianist) with Wolfgang David (violinist)
  • Henry Gwiazda
  • John Harbison
  • Ellen Harrison
  • Dieter Hennings (visiting guitarist)
  • Jennifer Higdon
  • Syd Hodkinson
  • Melissa Hui
  • Karel Husa
  • Ralph Jackson (Assistant Vice President – BMI Classical)
  • Stephen Jones (CCM alum)
  • Seth Josel (electric guitar)
  • Jonathan Kramer
  • Paul Koonce
  • William Kraft
  • Esther Lamneck (visiting clarinetist)
  • Thomas Larcher (composer/pianist)
  • Libby Larsen
  • Yinam Leef
  • Fred Lerdahl
  • Peter Lieberson
  • Elaine Lillios
  • Annea Lockwood
  • Colin Matthews
  • Andrew May
  • Missy Mazzoli
  • Donald McCullough
  • Elizabeth McNutt (visiting flautist)
  • Jennifer Merkowitz (CCM alum)
  • Jeffrey Mumford
  • Pauline Oliveros
  • Eleonore Pameijer and Marcel Worms (flute and piano)
  • Stephen Paulus
  • Terry Pender
  • Krystof Penderecki
  • Marta Ptaszynska
  • Bernard Rands
  • Belinda Reynolds
  • James Romig (composer) and Ashlee Mack (pianist)
  • Frederick Rzewski
  • Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez
  • Margaret Schedel (CCM alum)
  • Michael Schelle
  • David Schiff
  • Iris ter Schiphorst
  • Joseph Schwantner
  • Stephen Scott and the Bowed Piano Ensemble
  • Judith Shatin
  • Roberto Sierra
  • Stephen Stucky
  • Morton Subotnick
  • Piotr Szewcyk and Violin Futura (composer/violinist/CCM alum)
  • Gregory Taylor
  • Sir Michael Tippett
  • Augusta Read Thomas
  • Richard Toensing
  • Juan Trigos
  • Dan Trueman (CCM alum)
  • Carl Vine
  • Gao Weijie
  • Dan Welcher
  • Eric Whitacre
  • Randall Woolf
  • Scott Wyatt
  • Qu Xiao-Song
  • Evan Ziporyn (composer/clarinetist, in conjunction with Bang on a Can/MusicNow festival)
  • Aya Yoshida
  • Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon (former CCM faculty)