Composition Overview
Prepare to be heard. Equip yourself to excel in a wider world of new music creation. Programs in the Faculty of Music’s Composition area offer students inspiring instruction and exciting opportunities to experience their music performed in front of real audiences.
Compose to Present
Weekly composition lessons, seminars, and the Composers' Forum featuring student and guest presentations and discussions comprise the essentials of the Composition offering. In collaboration with U of T performance students, student composers have opportunities to present their work in any of 6 public concerts held annually in the 450-seat Walter Hall.
Programs
Activate your Creativity
Find a venue for your work at Hart House. Write an opera to be considered for performance at MacMillan Theatre. Hang out with brilliant guest composers such as Marjan Mozetich and Salvatore Sciarrino at our annual eight-day University of Toronto New Music Festival. U of T Composition is a thriving scene of motivating events and opportunities.
The Karen Kieser Prize in Canadian Music offers graduate composers a financial reward and a performance spot at the festival. The faculty’s Composer-in-Residence program accepts graduate student applications to premiere music for choir, ensemble, or symphony.
Expand your Horizons
The Faculty of Music campus embraces an entire city—a vibrant nexus of music, dance, art, and new media. With its outstanding concert halls and cool contemporary spaces, Toronto is home to world-renowned symphony orchestras, celebrated opera and ballet companies, and myriad major and minor new music groups. It provides student composers with exceptionally rich and varied artistic experiences.
Upcoming Events
News
Alumni
Academy Award-winning film composer Mychael Danna is recognized for his evocative blending of non-western traditions with electronic and orchestral music. His highly awarded works include the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning score for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, following his collaborations with Lee on The Ice Storm (1997) and Ride with the Devil (1999).
Other notable alumni include Gavin Fraser, Alice Ping Yee Ho, Vincent Ho, Kevin Lau, David Ogborn, Bekah Simms, and Andrew Staniland.
Featured Media
University of Toronto Composition Online
Have a question?
Contact our Composition Coordinator for more information about our Composition area and programs.