MUSIC COMPOSITION masterclasses will be taught interchangeably by Prof. Ofer Ben-Amots (Colorado College, USA) and Prof. Jan Jirasek (Prague, Czech Republic)
Students can bring with them any current project they would like to develop or complete. Additionaly, all students will have an opportunity to participate in the chamber composition contest and will be able to work with professional performers during the second week. Participating compositions will be performed in an open concert during the competition on the second Thursday. The composer's matinee with all compositions will be recorded.
All ISAM participating composers are invited to partake in an international competition annually. This competition is intended to increase the excitement, energy, and creativity among our hand-picked young and talented composers, while at the same time generate a harvest of new, beautiful, and highly artistic works. The competition carries the name and blessed memory of ISAM co-founder, composer, pianist, musicologist, teacher, and visionary leader, professor Joseph Dorfman (1940-2006.). Winning compositions will be repeated at the Gala Concert and prize giving ceremony. Every year the composers are give a theme or motives by another composer of whom we celebrate a significant anniversary.
Prize money 2024
Currently Chair of the Music Department at Colorado College, Dr. Ben-Amots teaches composition, music theory, and a wide variety of liberal arts subjects. His compositions are performed regularly in concert halls and festivals Worldwide and have been professionally recorded. Ofer Ben-Amots is the winner of International Competitions for Composers. His innovative multimedia opera, The Dybbuk, has been produced in over ten different productions and has been described as “a uniquely beautiful and powerful new work”. His music has been published by several publishing companies and can be heard on Naxos, Vantage, Plæne, Stylton, and the Milken Archive of jewish Music. |
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Ofer Ben-Amots, ISAM director and co-funder | |
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Jan Jirásek’s music was widely performed and is published by Ricordi, Berlin, Schott Musik Int., Mainz, Editio Baerenreiter, Prague and Musica Mundana Musikverlag.The music was recorded on labels like BMG Classics etc. Mr. Jirásek writes a lot for films. He was awarded with the prestigious film music prize “The Czech Lion” for movie “Nejasná zpráva o konci sv?ta”. Jirasek taught and teaches composition at different universities in USA and Europe (Colorado College, Florida International University, University at Lehigh, Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Vienna, ISAM, Ochsenhausen, Noosa ISAM, Australia, etc.) |
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Jan Jirasek, composer | |
JOSEPH DORFMAN MEMORIAL COMPETITION'S FIRST PRIZE WINNERS
2010 | Nick Ehlers |
2011 | James Canepa |
2012 | John Zirkle |
2013 | Michael Essl |
2014 | Andrey Stolyarov |
2015 | Cecilia Damström |
2016 | Augustin Bernard |
2017 | Leyou "Snooz" Wang |
2019 | Benjamin Nuzzo |
2021 | Bryce Weber |
2022 | Ryan Meredith |
2023 | Michael Stubblefield |
2024 | Robert Strauss |
APPLICATION