Programs & Courses

The Fall 2023 class of the Wizarding School for Composers’s Artistic Growth Incubator.

Students in this cohort wrote piano preludes for Dr. Benjamin Wong, oboe pieces for the students of Jennet Ingle, and choral pieces for the chamber choir Brevitas, led by Dr. Matthew Nielsen.

Artistic Growth Incubator

The full, 12-month program of the Wizarding School for Composers is designed for emerging, adult composers — both university-trained and dedicated amateurs — who want to expand their skills and hone their artistic voice, so they can build the portfolio needed to generate at least one new commission or performance every month.

Held live over Zoom, this full-featured program includes:

  • Weekly group composition lessons, workshops and score study sessions

  • Private goal-setting calls every ~6 weeks, plus additional private lessons as necessary

  • Quarterly recording sessions, including projects for solo piano, chamber groups, chamber choir, and full orchestra (see “Recording Intensives” below)

  • Masterclasses with A-list guests such as Melinda Wagner (head of composition, Juilliard), Alexandra Gardner (former composer in residence, Seattle Symphony), Conrad Pope (orchestrator for John Williams), Jongnic Bontemps (composer, Transformers), Joshua Habermann (conductor, Santa Fe Desert Chorale), JD Burnett (director of choral activities, UT Austin), and others.

  • Hands-on career-building mentorship to secure performances of your already completed works and obtain commissions for new ones.

  • Access to the full Wizarding School training library (300+ hours of pre-recorded workshops, plus handouts, worksheets, etc.)

  • Requires a 3-month minimum commitment

Learn more and apply here:

The Career Success Accelerator

A pre-recorded course for emerging composers who want to develop their networking and business skills en route to securing one new commission or performance.

It includes a private implementation call with Dr. Sowa, live on Zoom, to ensure you have a solid plan for your networking project (a commission or a performance).

COST: $250

Conductor Peter Pejtsik leads the Budapest Art Orchestra in the Wizarding School for Composers’ July 2023 Orchestral Intensive.

Recording Intensives

Every ~3 months, the Wizarding School hosts recording sessions for emerging, adult composers. The goal of these sessions is to help you build your portfolio, expand your network, and promote your music.

Past and future sessions include:

  • Budapest Art Orchestra (July 2023): Listen on YouTube 

  • Brevitas (chamber choir, January 2024, January 2025): Listen on YouTube

  • Budapest Scoring Orchestra (July 2024)

  • Jennet Ingle Online Studio Recital (Fall 2023): solos, duos, and trios for oboe and English horn

  • Guest artists from the LA Philharmonic: Mick Wetzel, violist (Spring 2023) and Gloria Lum, cellist (Spring 2024)

  • Piano prelude project: Dr. Benjamin Wong (Fall 2023) and Clare Longendyke (Spring 2024)

  • New England Conservatory live concert: Aimee Toner-Cao, flute, and Brooks Clarke, guitar (Fall 2024) 

These sessions come included as part of the full Wizarding School program and are opened to all other composers based on availability.

Private Lessons

Each week, Dr. Joseph Sowa offers a limited number of private lessons to adult composers of skill levels and styles.

Topics may include your current work-in-progress; developing your craft in melody writing, harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, developing ideas, form, etc.; improving your creative process and overcoming overwhelm/procrastination/writer’s block; using Dorico; networking and music business; etc.

COST: $150 per lesson.

Sign up for a time here: calendly.com/josephsowa/private-composition-lessons