A Proven Program, Reimagined for the Future
Since 2018, PREMIERE|Project Festival has helped shape the next generation of choral creators.
Over the past 8 years, PREMIERE|Project Festival has:
Supported 75 emerging and mid-career composers
Built a national reputation as the choral composer incubator and accelerator program
Cultivated a thriving, supportive alumni community across the U.S. and abroad
In 2026, PREMIERE|Project Festival enters its next evolution:
The launch of a Conductor Track—pairing 12 conductors with 12 composers in a collaborative creative laboratory.
This new structure expands PPF’s impact while deepening its core mission.
What is PREMIERE|Project Festival?
A four-day, immersive residency where:
12 Composers
12 Conductors
CAI's 26-voice professional ensemble
Come together to workshop, refine, and premiere brand-new choral works.
World-Class Faculty
Dale Trumbore
Faculty
Derrick Skye
Faculty
Matthew Lyon Hazzard
Faculty
Brandon Elliott
Artistic Director
The Daily Experience
You can expect a full day, devoted to learning, artistic development, and creative expression.
Individual mentorship sessions
Q&A's with faculty and CAI leadership
Craft and technique classes
Collaborative meetings between composer-conductor pairs
Business and legal workshops
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Interactive rehearsals with CAI's professional ensemble
Interactive Rehearsals
Evenings are dedicated to rehearsals with CAI, where fellows shape their pieces with a professional ensemble skilled in contemporary music.
This is not a reading session.
This is not a gesture clinic.
This is a commissioning ecosystem brought to life – a place where new music truly evolves in live time.
Two Tracks. One Shared Vision.
Composer Track
For composers who want to:
Workshop a new piece with a professional ensemble
Receive five individual mentorship sessions
Learn practical tools for publication, contracts, and career sustainability
Collaborate directly with a conductor dedicated to their piece
Premiere their work with professional audio and video recordings
Distribute the work through CAI’s ICON Series with MusicSpoke where you keep your copyright and can immediately monetize your work (optional)
Conductor Track
For conductors who want to:
Develop artistic and organizational leadership skills rarely taught in conducting programs
Collaborate with living composers on a premiere
Conduct CAI’s professional singers in meaningful rehearsal settings
Learn rehearsal efficiency, communication tools, and new music fluency
Understand budgeting, programming, and the realities of running a non-academic ensemble
Build a portfolio through guided podium time with a professional ensemble, including a professionally recorded performance
Unparalleled access to CAI’s leadership, practices, and systems
What Makes PREMIERE|Project Festival Unique
No other program offers PREMIERE|Project Festival's integrated model—composers and conductors paired together, creating new works in real time with a fully professional ensemble.
An award-winning professional ensemble specializing in new music
A collaborative composer-conductor model that mirrors real-world practice
Faculty who blend artistry, leadership, psychology, and business expertise
A premiere-to-publication pipeline via CAI’s ICON Series
A proven track record of alumni success since 2018
A community rooted in equity, transparency, and belonging
Support Emerging Artists
A Systemic Problem—and the Reason PREMIERE|Project Festival Exists.
Across the country, composers and conductors learn technique, theory, and craft — but almost none receive the practical tools needed to build a sustainable career in the arts.
PREMIERE|Project Festival directly addresses this gap through mentorship, leadership training, business education, and hands-on collaboration with a professional ensemble.
Join supporters like the California Arts Council, New Music USA, and others in building a stronger, more equitable future for emerging artists.