Cursus Program on Composition and Computer Music

Public: composers (under 35 years old)

Serving the institute’s missions of research and creation, the Cursus program for composition and computer music is the flagship program in the broad range of IRCAM’s educational activities. Initiated in 1990 under Pierre Boulez, numerous composers (such as F. Baschet, F. Bedrossian, O. Bianchi, E. Campion, R. Cendo, F. Filidei, J. Fineberg, S. Gervasoni, C. Iannotta, M. Lanza, B. Mantovani, Y. Maresz, B. Pauset, H. Parra, Y. Robin, L. Ronchetti, G. Spiropoulos, C. Trapani, F. Verunelli) have enhanced their musical thought through the technological tools made available in the Cursus program where the philosophy is that the computer is a tool for musical creation.

For 10 months (from September to June), everything is put into place so the students can acquire real, technical autonomy with a number of computer programs. The Cursus program is divided into two periods: a “program” phase from September to December with 5 courses followed by the “project” phase from January to April where optional classes can be added in addition to the core program.

The Cursus program includes academic classes on IRCAM software (Max, OpenMusic, Modalys, AudioSculpt, Spat, etc.), hands-on studio classes, workshops on composition and improvisation with electronics, meetings with the institute’s research teams and guest composers in addition to individual supervision by the educational team (Simone Conforti, Marco Liuni, Jean Lochard, Grégoire Lorieux, Mikhail Malt) and the composer associated with the Cursus, Thierry De Mey.
At the end of each key module during the program, the students present their “mini projects” that prepare them for the production of their final project presented in concert during the ManiFeste festival at the CENTQUATRE-PARIS.

As a part of IRCAM’s continual renewal and openness, this composition can now be expressed using a multitude of forms: a work for solo musician and electronics (as has been the practice for several years), an electroacoustic work, a sonic installation, etc. This composition can also include other media such as dance, text, or images once the project is validated by the educational team. Students from the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (Cnsmdp) perform the concert. The Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (Cnsmdp) is one of the largest higher-education establishments in the domain of music and dance. Projects are supervised by Thierry De Mey, a team of 5 computer music designers/professors, IRCAM sound engineers, and professors from the Conservatoire de Paris.

Throughout the program, IRCAM provides students with a special classroom reserved for only the Cursus students in addition to 5 studios each equipped with a computer, mixing table, synthesizer, loud-speakers for sound spatialization, and a piano.

Through a partnership with the Conservatoire de Paris, the Haute École de musique de Genève and, beginning in September 2019, the Académie supérieure de musique de Strasbourg-HEAR and the Université de Strasbourg, students signed up in a Master’s degree in composition in one of these establishments can take their first year of their degree in IRCAM’s Cursus if selected by the Cursus jury. The jury is made up of Frank Madlener, Director of IRCAM, Philippe Langlois, Director of IRCAM’s department of Education and Cultural Outreach, IRCAM’s educational team, Thierry De Mey, a composition professor from the Conservatoire de Paris, and a guest musician/composer.

Applicants selected for the Cursus program have the possibility, upon request, to be housed at the Cité internationale des arts de Paris. They will have a studio/room throughout the program. Monthly housing fees are paid by the students.

Candidates selected for the 2019/2020 Cursus

Sofia Avramidou (Greece), Oren Boneh (United-States), Kayla Cashetta (United-States), Fernando Manassero (Argentine), Maxime Mantovani (France), Paul Ramage (France), Justina Repečkaitė (Lithuania), Ko Sahara (Japan), Claudia Jane Scroccaro (Italia), Antonio Tules (France).

Contact: 01 44 78 48 17 | cursus (at) ircam.fr