2026 Summer Composition Workshop
Apply Triangle x Synapse
Live Online Workshop, July 6-24.
Offering opportunities for students to fully participate as a fellow, or audit the three live workshops as an observer.
Synapse Workshop is an opportunity to spend three weeks working with the New York-based ensemble Apply Triangle and to come out with a piece of your own recorded by them, in a professional recording studio.
About Apply Triangle:
Apply Triangle is a New York City–based electroacoustic trio founded by flutist Yoshi Weinberg, clarinetist Tyler Neidermayer, and pianist Jixue Yang. Blending live electronics, multimedia elements, and socially engaged themes, the trio has performed internationally at the SinusTon Festival, NYU’s Pulsing and Shaking Macro Festival, the Manhattan School of Music, and the University of Pennsylvania, and has led residencies at Bowling Green State University and the University of Florida. Their three-album collection Oxalis Triangularis, featuring 33 electroacoustic works, was released on cmntx records in 2024 and reviewed by I Care If You Listen and Neon Music UK for its innovation and artistic breadth. In 2025, Apply Triangle presented a special edition of Magical Garden in collaboration with Chaospace and guest bassoonist David Nagy, featuring new works by emerging and established composers from across multiple continents.
A recipient of Chamber Music America’s Ensemble Forward Grant (2021) and support from Foundation for Contemporary Arts (2025), Apply Triangle continues to present works by emerging composers in electroacoustic chamber music.
New York–based pianist Jixue Yang works in experimental and electroacoustic music, with a focus on sound, gesture, and identity. She collaborates closely with living composers, developing performance practices that incorporate extended techniques, electronics, and multimedia within immersive concert settings.
Yang is currently completing her Doctor of Musical Arts at the Manhattan School of Music, where she was the first Chinese citizen admitted to the Contemporary Performance Program. Her principal teachers include Anthony de Mare, Phillip Kawin, Margaret Kampmeier, Solomon Mikowsky, and Inesa Sinkevych. She has received top prizes at the Singapore International Music Competition and the Ad Libitum Piano Competition for performances of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire. She has performed internationally at venues including Akoesticum (Netherlands), Hochschule für Musik Leipzig and Dresden, Marc A. Scorca Hall at Opera America, the DiMenna Center, and the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. Her festival and residency appearances include the SinusTon Festival, Nief-Norf, Cortona Sessions, Creative Dialogue IX, NYU’s Pulsing & Shaking Festival, and Negentropy Nexus by Absonus Lab.
Alongside her performance work, Yang teaches and mentors students in contemporary performance practices. She has taught at Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University and through community programs such as the Misty Copeland Foundation’s Be Bold initiative. She has presented lectures and workshops at the University of Florida, the University of Pennsylvania, Indiana State University, Bowling Green State University, and Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar, focusing on performance, technology, and collaboration in new music.
Piano/Keyboard: Jixue Yang
Flutes: Yoshi Weinberg
Yoshi Weinberg (they/them) is a NYC-based flutist, harpist, and composer. Lauded for their “sublime tone” and “creative interpretation and technical virtuosity” (I Care If You Listen), Yoshi is a dedicated performer of contemporary and experimental works. Yoshi has performed as a soloist across North America and Europe including Carnegie Hall (NYC), Walt Disney Concert Hall (LA), the Fitzgerald Theater (St. Paul, MN), among many others. They currently are Artistic Director of InfraSound, and is founding member and flutist for Apply Triangle, InfraSound, and Aqueeressence.
An active freelancer, Yoshi performs regularly with Talea, Contemporaneous, and ChambeQUEER, and as a guest artist with Ensemble Signal, the Da Capo Chamber Players, Zeitgeist, and many others. They currently sub on Reed 1 for The Lion King on Broadway. Additionally, Yoshi served as Artistic Director of the Minnesota new music ensemble RenegadeEnsemble for the 2017-2018 season.
As a composer, Yoshi’s compositions have been described as “a stunning compositional display of polyphony and texture” (ICIYL) and “transcendent, emotional, and intimate” (Sparks and Wiry Cries). Their works have been premiered by Contemporaneous, ChamberQUEER, InfraSound, e(L)ement duo, the dream songs project, and RenegadeEnsemble, and have been featured on Minnesota Public Radio and at the American Harp Society Summer Institute. Yoshi is currently studying their DMA in Flute Performance at CUNY Graduate Center, studying with Robert Dick. They received their MM in Contemporary Performance from Manhattan School of Music with Tara O’Connor, and their BM in Performance from Saint Olaf College with Catherine Ramirez. www.yoshiweinberg.com
Dr. Kathryn Vetter is an internationally award-winning clarinetist based in New York City. She performed at the 66th Festival Internazionale di Musica Contemporanea during La Biennale di Venezia, where she was awarded “Best Performance.” As a soloist, she won the 2018 Contemporary Performance Competition at the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Cortona, Italy and has performed solo recitals in Ireland and across the United States. As an orchestral musician, she performs with the Fort Greene Orchestra and has previously performed with Teatro Grattacielo, New York Philharmonic Very Young Composers, Juilliard Lab Orchestra, Painted Sky Opera, Ohio Light Opera, Oklahoma Festival Ballet, and Norman Philharmonic.
Kathryn is the founding clarinetist of Sputter Box, a clarinet, voice, percussion ensemble and Nu Quintet, a wind quintet. Sputter Box has commissioned over eighty works for their unique instrumentation and has toured across the US. Nu Quintet was an Artist Ensemble for Chamber Music Society’s Chamber Music Beginnings program where they worked with students across New York City’s five boroughs. As a freelance chamber and solo musician, Kathryn has also performed with Contemporaneous, infraSound, and Collide-O-Scope Music.
Dr. Vetter currently teaches clarinet at William Paterson University, clarinet, music theory, and ear training at Mannes Prep at The New School, and a private studio of clarinet, saxophone, and flute students. Previously, she was an Adjunct Music Professor at Five Towns College (2021-2025), the sabbatical replacement Professor of Clarinet for Dr. Suzanne Tirk at the University of Oklahoma (2022), and maternity-leave replacement for Dr. Tirk at the University of Oklahoma (2016). Dr. Vetter was awarded with the OU Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching (2018).
Kathryn earned her doctorate of musical arts in clarinet performance at Stony Brook University. She earned her master’s degrees in clarinet performance and music theory from the University of Oklahoma and a bachelor’s in music education from Michigan State University. Her primary teachers include Alan Kay, Dr. Suzanne Tirk, Dr. Guy Yehuda, Ted Oien, Dr. Caroline Hartig, and Sarah Bednarcik on classical clarinet and Dr. Derrick Newbold on jazz clarinet and saxophone. Originally from New Jersey, Kathryn now resides in Brooklyn.
Clarinets: Kathryn Vetter
Through the workshop, fellows will get:
- Six 30 minutes one-on-one composition lessons with Synthase Teaching Artists Susie Ling or Josh Weinfeld.
- Two live workshop sessions on your music with Apply Triangle.
- One live workshop session with Synthase Teaching Artist Josh Weinfeld on recording, editing, mixing, and mastering for composers.
- A recording of your piece (up to five minutes) by Apply Triangle in a professional recording studio.
- Pieces written for the workshop will receive a virtual premiere on the Synthase 2026 Summer Showcase.
Through the workshop, observers will get:
- Access to the three 2-hour live workshops led by Apply Triangle and Synthase Teaching Artist Josh Weinfeld (See Dates and Format).
- One 55-minute composition lesson with Synthase Teaching Artists Susie Ling or Josh Weinfeld. N.B. Depending on the demands, observers might receive their lesson after the ending date of the workshop. Lessons are scheduled individually with our teaching artists.
- Observers are invited to the Friday happy hours (See Dates and Format).
Dates and Format
- The workshop runs from July 6-24, Monday through Friday
- Mondays “hub” meeting with Synthase: overview of the week, Q&A
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: one-on-one composition lessons with Synthase Teaching Artists Susie Ling or Josh Weinfeld (feel free to mix-and-match!)
- Wednesdays: 2-hour live workshops.
- Fridays: happy hour. Come hang! The content of each Friday’s hang is decided collaboratively during the hub meeting.
Registration is first come first serve, with only 10 fellow-track spots available.
If you are interested in observing the workshop, please register through the observer registration link.
Tuition
- $725 due at registration
- Payment plan available through Klarna.
- Synapse Alumni and Synthase Students are eligible for a 10% discount.
- $150 due at registration
- Payment plan available through Klarna.
- Synapse Alumni and Synthase Students are eligible for a 10% discount.
Synapse
Synapse is the workshop series run by Synthase, an online school for music creators. The series is organized and curated by Susie Ling. Synthase was founded by Nate May.
FAQ
The workshop is designed with college students and adults in mind. However, any creative people older than 13 are welcome, as long as they are aware that the workshop is not specifically designed for middle school students. Beginners are welcome!
The Fellow track is perfect for anyone who would like to write a new piece for Apply Triangle and receive their (as well as the Synthase Team’s) feedback, tailored specifically to their piece. Fellows also receive a high-quality recording that can be used for college/graduate school applications, future workshop/festival/conference applications, and more.
Observer track is perfect for anyone who’d like to hear what Apply Triangle has to offer, as well as to receive some feedback on music they have written previously, but do not have time to write a new piece during July, or do not wish to write a new piece.
Yes! Participants who need to withdraw from the workshop will receive a full refund up until June 26, 2025 (last day of registration). However, we will not be able to issue a refund after the registration closes.
We will put you on a waiting list. If a spot opens up later, we will email you, and you have up until the first day of class to decide whether you want to participate or not. Alternatively, you are welcome to participate as an observer!
February 9, 2026 – June 26, 2026 (11:59 pm PT), or until all spots are filled. We only have the capacity for a maximum of 10 fellows. Grab your spot now!
For this summer’s workshop, we will accept students as long as registration is open. However, we reserve the right to close the registration early if needed.
Yes! Unless you don’t want to.
Of course not. Just let us know.
Yes! All lessons and workshops are live on Zoom.
Workshops are held on Wednesdays from 3 – 5 pm Eastern. Lessons will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you will schedule your individual lessons with our teaching artists Susie or Josh.
You can check out the recording of these events whenever you have a moment. Reach out to the Synapse support team if you have any questions.
Absolutely. Just email synapse@synthase.cc.