Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative
Application Process for Year 10
In Year 10 of the Harvard Choruses New Music Initiative (HCNMI), the program will offer at least 6-8 undergraduate composers the opportunity to create a choral piece for Ensemble Veritas, a professional choral ensemble, or one of the Harvard Choruses, which will premiere their music in April 2026, which will be recorded.
Each of the selected composers will have the opportunity to create a work through a yearlong creative process with Professor Robert Kyr, HCNMI mentor and composer-in-residence. The deadline for the application is Monday, April 28th no later than 11:59 pm Eastern time. The deadline for the completed choral works will be at the beginning of the 2026 spring term.
One of the primary purposes of the program is to mentor participating composers in the creation of choral music as a living expression of community and collaboration, which demonstrates the power of music to enliven and connect all of us. HCNMI inspires each composer to create the music that they truly believe in, which is not tethered to fads or trends, but emerges from the inner life of each individual.
Regarding text for music, each composer is given the opportunity to create their own text, either written solely by the composer, or “composed” as a composite of source texts (“found texts”). If a composer chooses to create their own lyrics, then it will enable them to create the text and music together, as a single entity that fully expresses their inner vision through a vibrant and totally original sound world.
During Years 5 through 7 of HCNMI, composers created music that emerged out of their study of “sonic healing,” which combined the best practices of composition and performance with the science of healing as revealed through neuroscience. The program will revisit this important theme in 2025-2026 and in future years as a significant aspect of both the composition and performance process.
The director of HCNMI is Andrew Clark, Director of Choral Activities at Harvard, who envisioned and initiated the program in 2016. Each new choral work will be created under the mentorship of composer Robert Kyr, a Harvard alumnus (Ph.D., 1989; Society of Fellows, 1978-81), who has created music for each of the Harvard Choruses (and all of them together) and has extensive experience in the area of “healing through music.”
Each of the selected composers will have the opportunity to create a work through a yearlong creative process with Professor Robert Kyr, HCNMI mentor and composer-in-residence. The deadline for the application is Monday, April 28th no later than 11:59 pm Eastern time. The deadline for the completed choral works will be at the beginning of the 2026 spring term.
One of the primary purposes of the program is to mentor participating composers in the creation of choral music as a living expression of community and collaboration, which demonstrates the power of music to enliven and connect all of us. HCNMI inspires each composer to create the music that they truly believe in, which is not tethered to fads or trends, but emerges from the inner life of each individual.
Regarding text for music, each composer is given the opportunity to create their own text, either written solely by the composer, or “composed” as a composite of source texts (“found texts”). If a composer chooses to create their own lyrics, then it will enable them to create the text and music together, as a single entity that fully expresses their inner vision through a vibrant and totally original sound world.
During Years 5 through 7 of HCNMI, composers created music that emerged out of their study of “sonic healing,” which combined the best practices of composition and performance with the science of healing as revealed through neuroscience. The program will revisit this important theme in 2025-2026 and in future years as a significant aspect of both the composition and performance process.
The director of HCNMI is Andrew Clark, Director of Choral Activities at Harvard, who envisioned and initiated the program in 2016. Each new choral work will be created under the mentorship of composer Robert Kyr, a Harvard alumnus (Ph.D., 1989; Society of Fellows, 1978-81), who has created music for each of the Harvard Choruses (and all of them together) and has extensive experience in the area of “healing through music.”
how to apply
Applications for Year 10 are now closed
Questions
If you have questions during the application process, you are always welcome to contact Robert Kyr, HCNMI mentor and composer-in-residence, by email ([email protected]), or by phone or text [(541) 870-1099].
