Our Festival
Our 2026 festival has concluded! Check back soon for info about 2027.
Read more about our festival below and sign up for our mailing list to be the first to know about our 2027 programming!
“This festival was definitely a transformative experience for me--the privilege of seeing an idea through to fruition with supportive mentors, peers, and performers felt crucial to how I now see myself as a composer.”
Lydia Hawley-Brillante, ‘22 and ‘24
Program Overview
Our 2026 program took place from July 6–17 on the Temple University main campus in Philadelphia, PA. No composition training or experience necessary!
Composition students at our festival engage in daily seminars, take composition lessons, learn from experts about compositional topics like film scoring and writing with text, and workshop their compositions with professional musicians. Our 2026 ensemble-in-residence was Network for New Music.
All composers have the opportunity to write a new piece that will be professionally premiered and recorded on the last day of the program. Students who live on campus also have opportunities to use the music labs and practice rooms in Presser Hall during off hours.
Composers may commute to campus or live in dorm housing for the duration of the program.
No fee to apply
No prior composition experience or training necessary
Dorm housing and meals available
Join a growing alumni network & become eligible for Wildflower-sponsored commissions and performances (read more on our resources page)
Financial aid (including full scholarships) available!
Our 2026 faculty included composers Melissa Dunphy, Sepehr Pirasteh, Cerulean Payne-Passmore, Erin Busch, musicians from Network for New Music, and additional guest composers and artists.
Questions? Contact us: erin@wildflowercomposers.org.
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Eligibility
Our festival is open to any female, transgender, nonbinary, or genderqueer student who is between the ages of 13 and 19.
Applicants do not need to have any prior composition experience or training to attend! Students must be able to read music (at least one clef) to attend.
Composers who have just graduated from high school but have not yet started a four-year college are eligible. Composers who have already started a degree program at a four-year college are not eligible, but are encouraged to check out our Virtual Mini-Courses, which have no age maximum. Those who are taking courses at a community college and are within the age range are invited to apply.
Still not sure if you’re eligible? Send us an email.
Tuition & Financial Aid
2026 tuition is $900. Financial aid (including full scholarships) are available.
We are able to provide some level of financial aid to any student in need, including full tuition and housing scholarships.
Please do not let the cost of tuition deter you from applying! There will be an option to request financial assistance in the general application. Please note that housing scholarships are reserved for students who do not live within driving distance of Philadelphia.
There is no fee to apply to the Wildflower Composers Festival.
Our 2026 ensemble-in-residence was Network for New Music.
All students were invited to compose a new piece for the ensemble.
Housing
Students can commute to and from campus, or opt to live in the dorms for the duration of the program.
Commuters and overnight students alike are welcome to participate in our festival! There is an additional $1,400 charge for room and board. This includes all meals during the festival. We are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies.
Chaperones will accompany students between buildings at all times.
At the Wildflower Composers Festival, participants will experience the following:
1
Mentor–mentee relationship with a private composition teacher.
2
The chance to have a new work rehearsed and premiered by a professional musician.
3
Expand your knowledge of composition and related topics through workshops led by experts.
4
Join a growing community of young composers from all across the country.
“[Wildflower] taught me what it means to be bold, creative, and a risk taker. I am so grateful I was able to take that leap of courage with the support of the women that taught me and were with me at this camp.”
Leia Sofia Mendez, Wildflower ‘18 & ‘20
Join our growing
community of composers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There will be a world premieres concert on the last day of the festival. The concert will be held in Rock Hall at Temple University, and will be free and open to the public. We will also be able to livestream the performance for anyone unable to be there in person.
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Yes, you should still apply! No composition experience is necessary to attend. In your application, you will have the opportunity to submit any materials that display your musical ability - perhaps a recording of you taking a solo with your school jazz band, playing a Bach partita on the violin, improvising at the piano, or a written document of a piece concept that you have been thinking about. If you are submitting compositions, sketches and/or works-in-progress are perfectly fine to submit as well.
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Yes, absolutely! Please express your interest in working with electronics in your application. Should you be accepted, we will take that into consideration when pairing you with an instructor.
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Yes, absolutely! You are not required to compose a finished product during the festival, and you can instead choose to workshop a few ideas with your fellow students in an informal concert setting at the end of the program.
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We’re looking for a young person who is driven, ambitious, willing to experiment, and eager to learn. We want to accept students who can really benefit from a program like ours, and who can bring their full selves to campus with us. We really do read your short answer responses very carefully, and we would encourage potential applicants to spend some time with their written statements. Tell us why this experience would be meaningful to you!
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No, there is no fee to apply.
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Yes, we offer need-based financial aid, including full scholarships! You will be able to request consideration for financial aid in your application.
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Yes of course! We would love to welcome back returning students.
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Students will receive notification of their admissions decision via email by early May at the latest.
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If you are on the wait list, you may be notified of a change of status to accepted up until July 1st. If you don’t hear from us, we would encourage you to apply again next year.