Past Synapse Workshop

Synapse Violin

Summer 2024 Composition Workshop

Featuring composer in residence Dan Trueman and violinists Leah Asher, Rachel Peters, and Kevin Rogers.

Synapse Violin 2024 workshop artist collage

Workshop Overview

Compose for violin and hear your music brought to life

The violin has spent 500 years among the most beloved instruments in the world. It is equally at home at barn dances in Kentucky and temples in India as it is in the most prestigious concert halls in Vienna.

Composing for violin can be intimidating. There are hundreds of years of tradition to contend with, and the way the instrument works can be counterintuitive to those whose experience is mainly with keyboard instruments or software.

Synapse Violin was an opportunity to spend three weeks immersed in the beauty and possibility of this instrument, and come out with a piece recorded by a professional violinist.

What Students Received

Mentorship, workshops, and a professional recording

Six one-on-one composition lessons from professional composition teaching artists.
Additional daily guidance via online forums.
Access to an exclusive online course on the techniques of violin composition.
Two studio classes with composer in residence Dan Trueman.
Two live workshop sessions on student music with a guest violinist.
A recording of each piece, up to five minutes, by a guest violinist.
Two months full access to the Synthase Composers Academy.
Select pieces received a virtual premiere on the Summer Showcase.

Composer in Residence

Dan Trueman

Dan Trueman is a musician: a fiddler, a collaborator, a teacher, a developer of new instruments, and a composer of music for ensembles of all shapes and sizes.

He has worked with ensembles such as So Percussion, the PRISM Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, Gallicantus, the JACK Quartet, as well as collaborators including Naomi Leonard, Rebecca Lazier, Paul Muldoon, Mark DeChiazza, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Monica Mugan, Adam Sliwinski, Cristina Altamura, and many others.

Dan’s work has been recognized by fellowships, grants, commissions, and awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Barlow Endowment, the Bessies, the Fulbright Commission, the American Composers Forum, the MacArthur Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, Meet the Composer, among others. He is Professor and Chair, Department of Music at Princeton University.

Featured Violinists

Leah Asher, Rachel Peters, Kevin Rogers

Leah Asher

Violinist/violist, composer, and visual artist Leah Asher is an avid performer of contemporary music and creator of new artistic works. Leah is the executive director and violinist of The Rhythm Method string quartet and co-creator of MEANINGLESS WORK with Nicolee Kuester.

Leah regularly performs with New York-based ensembles such as International Contemporary Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, and S.E.M. Ensemble. She formerly served as solo violist of NOSO Sinfoniettaen and co-principal viola of the Arctic Philharmonic.

As a composer, Leah has been commissioned by ensembles including andPlay, Chartreuse, Periapsis, NorthArc Percussion Group, The Great Learning Orchestra, Du.0, and solo artists such as Meaghan Burke, Tristan McKay, and Jennifer Torrence. Recent releases include Leah’s solo album “Retreat into Afters” on SCRIPTS records and The Rhythm Method’s self-titled debut album on Gold Bolus Recordings. Leah joined the faculty of Manhattan School of Music as of 2022.

Rachel Peters

Rachel Peters is Principal 2nd Violin of Orchestra Iowa and Section Violin in the Quad City Symphony Orchestra. Peters is a founding member of the Oak Quartet, which operates all Candlelight Concerts in Iowa. She has performed across the United States, United Kingdom, and Asia.

In 2021 she completed her tenure as Assistant Concertmaster in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Collegiate degrees have been obtained from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, and she is currently pursuing a Doctoral Musical Arts degree from the University of Iowa.

Peters served for six seasons as Concertmaster of Opera in the Ozarks. She has recorded commercially for Disney+, National Geographic, Cedille Records, the Charleston Symphony, and more. When not on the stage she works with her violin and viola students at Schultz Strings and is brought fluttering joy from her pet bird named Ori.

Kevin Rogers

Kevin Rogers is a passionate advocate for new music, a violinist, and improviser who has dedicated his career to the discovery and wonder of art for our time. He founded Friction Quartet, whose mission is to expand the modern chamber music experience.

Kevin is also a member of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Northern California’s most long standing and largest new music ensemble. With a deep foundation in classical and contemporary music training, Kevin studied under renowned musicians including Bettina Mussumeli at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and William Terwilliger at the University of South Carolina.

Kevin fulfills his vision of new music advocacy by shaping the landscape of modern classical music, actively inspiring others to explore the profound, mysterious, humorous, and ultimately deeply touching possibilities of art from our time.

Synapse Composition Instructors

Nathan Nokes and Huijuan Ling

Nathan Nokes

Nathan Nokes is a composer and sound artist whose music has been described as an exploration of time and space. He has worked with ensembles such as Tuscan Symphony Orchestra, Switch~ Ensemble, Tak Ensemble, Line Upon Line, Wet Ink, and Invoke Quartet.

His string quartet and electronics piece Alone Together received the 2020 Matera Intermedia Festival award in mixed media. He has been featured in SEAMUS, American Composers Orchestra’s EarShot 2022, International Saxophone Symposium, Oh My Ears Festival, Fusebox Festival, New Voices Festival at COA, Foot in the Door, Cohen New Works Festival, Electric LaTex, and Festival of Contemporary Art Music.

His fellowships, scholarships, and residencies include the Kent Kennan Graduate Fellowship, I-Park Foundation, Nief-Norf Technology Fellowship, Hartt Talent Scholarship, and The Walden School. He holds a doctorate in composition from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.M. in composition from Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, and a B.M. in Composition from Washington State University.

Huijuan (Susie) Ling

Huijuan (Susie) Ling is a composer and keyboardist currently based in Durham, NC. She likes to draw her inspiration outside the boundaries of the wobbly concept of Western art music and enjoys the process of discovering and negotiating a sound world that feels authentic both to her and her collaborators.

Her music has been performed by ensembles and musicians such as the Utari Duo, Cracow Golden Quintet, Ciompi Quartet, Yarn/Wire, Imani Winds, JACK Quartet, Line Upon Line Percussion, and others.

In 2022, her woodwind quintet “Toward a Rediscovery” won the first prize in the fifth International “New Vision” Composition Competition from the New York Dance & Arts Innovations; in 2021, she was awarded the William Klenz Prize in Composition from Duke University; in 2020, she was among the recipients of the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters; and in 2019, her harpsichord solo “Those Cold Winter Rains” won the third prize in the SIMM 2019 International Harpsichord Composition Competition. Huijuan joined Synthase in 2022 and has been an avid teaching artist who advocates for a supportive and friendly creative space.

Tuition

2024 pricing

$850 due by June 28th.
No-cost payment plan available.
Synapse Alumni and Synthase Composers Academy members were eligible for a 10% discount.

FAQ

Who is this for?

The minimum age for enrollment was 13. Aside from that, this was for anyone who understood the basics of music notation and would enjoy mentorship and a recording by a professional violinist. Previous Synapse workshops included students ranging from beginner composers with performing experience to graduate students at top conservatories.

Do you offer refunds?

Participants who needed to withdraw from the workshop received a full refund up until the last day of registration, June 28, 2024. Refunds were not available after registration closed.

When can I register?

Registration opened on May 18 and closed on June 28, 2024, or earlier if the workshop filled sooner.

Will I have one-on-one lessons with the guest composer?

No. Dan Trueman, composer in residence, offered two studio classes to everyone in the Synthase Composers Academy. Students interested in presenting work and receiving comments could choose the presenter option on the registration form.

Can I use the recording of my piece for my portfolio?

Yes. Students could use the recording privately for portfolio and grant applications. If making the recording public on platforms such as SoundCloud or YouTube, they could list that the piece was written for the 2024 Synapse Violin Workshop, but not list the performer’s name. The recording could not be released commercially on platforms such as Spotify or Bandcamp.

Do I have to apply or am I automatically accepted?

For this summer workshop, students were accepted as long as registration was open. Synthase reserved the right to close registration early if needed.

Am I guaranteed an audio recording of my piece?

As long as students followed the requirements and met the workshop deadlines, Synthase guaranteed a professionally edited and mixed recording of the piece. The audio recording could not be released commercially, and public posts on YouTube or SoundCloud could not list the performer.

Can I get a video recording of my piece?

It was possible at the violinist’s discretion, but not guaranteed. If the piece was not technically too challenging, violinists were open to doing a run-through video. Producing video is more demanding than audio, and public release required contacting the violinist first.

Are all of the workshop events live?

There was a mix of live and asynchronous events.

What days/times are the live events?

Group events such as studio classes and workshops were held on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9pm ET. Composition lessons were scheduled directly with the Synapse composition faculty. Housekeeping meetings were scheduled for Monday, July 8 from 7-8pm ET and Friday, July 26 from 7-8pm ET.

What happens if I have to miss a live event?

Students could watch recordings whenever they had a moment and could post comments or questions on the academy forum.

Can I talk to someone to find out more?

Absolutely. Just email synapse@synthase.cc.

This workshop has passed

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