Composition Prescreening/Portfolio Recording Intensive (CPRI): November 9-10

A Targeted Hybrid Program for High School, Undergraduate, and Early Professional Composers

Submission Deadline: August 23

Submissions open Sunday, August 23.

Initiative Overview

The Soundbox Ventures Composition Portfolio & Recording Intensive (CPRI) is an annual initiative that produces a professional, live video recording of your work for university, conservatory, festival, and competition applications — delivered with time to spare before December 1 deadlines.

Why live, not MIDI

Most programs accept synthetic mockups, but a MIDI rendering can't capture orchestrational depth or expressive nuance, and because it plays anything regardless of difficulty, it invites faculty to scrutinize your score for playability rather than engage with it. A live recording demonstrates that the piece works in performance and that you've worked directly with performers.

The return

A stronger portfolio can open doors to more competitive programs and stronger scholarship offers. Previous participants and Soundbox fellows who've worked with our programs have consistently found the recording pays for itself.

Easy Submission Process

You do have to submit an application for this program. Unfortunately, we do not have unlimited residency time for our musicians to accommodate all applicants. However, this is a recording service that helps support your portfolio. See application steps below.

Program Components

This is a non-residency program. Submit a finished score (works-in-progress also acceptable if you’re requesting composition lessons) and receive a recording. Here’s what the baseline initiative includes:

❋ Elite Performers

The core instrumentation of Soundbox resident artists includes strings, piano, flute, and clarinet. Additional instruments will become available in future programs. Soundbox artists are world-class, graduating from prestigious institutions and often managing busy performing and teaching careers.

❋ Dedicated Rehearsals

Every work receives up to 2 hours of rehearsal time. All rehearsals will be guided by our composer faculty in residence led by Dr. Sean Friar.

❋ Professional Recording Session

Broadcast-quality mixed and mastered audio plus synchronized video formatted and ready for SlideRoom, Acceptd, or any application portal. Recording work is led by our engineer in residence, Eric Black, who has extensive recording experience in the D.C.-area working in prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

❋ 1 Mentorship Session

Private 1-hour meeting with a composer faculty and/or performer which may be a lesson or a meeting to confirm recording objectives and clarify potential issues.

For additional fees, the following support services are provided.

❋ Lessons

Additional hourly private lessons for experienced guidance are available. This is recommended for those in the early stages of composition and would primarily focus on developing and refining your musical content.

❋ Score Preparation/Notation Audit

Developing musical content and notating it clearly are two separate issues. An audit would be an additional lesson that combs through your score to resolve notation problems. This is an essential proof-reading and spell-checking component to your compositional process. 

❋ Mock Evaluation Panel

Receive additional written feedback from a panel of faculty composers and performers on Soundbox’s artist roster on your composition. This gives you a preview of how an actual panel might evaluate your work for a competition, school, or festival application.

Submission Process

The steps are as follows:

  1. Apply: submit an application with the score of your completed work (or a work in progress) and a MIDI mock-up (if possible). The application generates a quote of the recording cost calculated based on the instrumentation, length, and estimated rehearsal time needed (up to 2 hours included in baseline). You may request additional lessons, especially if you decide to submit a work in progress.

  2. Submission Acceptance: Your application and recording cost quote will be evaluated ad verified by our admissions team. Once your submission is accepted, you will receive a finalized invoice for the recording. You are required to pay 50% of the fee upfront as a deposit.

  3. Lessons and Recording: Virtual lesson meetings will be scheduled during the month prior to the recording session. You will receive an audio recording of a run-through of your work from the musicians’ rehearsal. You will be able to preview a short segment of your work from the recording session prior to receiving it.

  4. Receiving Recording Files: Upon payment of the remaining 50% of the fee, you will receive the audio and video files of your work.

Composer Faculty

Submission Period & Cost Calculator

Rolling Submission Period: August 23–October 12 (11:59 PM EST)

Decisions will be communicated within 3 business days upon receiving your submission.

You must accept the finalised invoice within 3 business days of receiving your decision.

PROGRAM COSTS

Please use the following calculator to estimate your recording costs. You must use this calculator in the application form to submit an estimation of your recording costs and receive a finalised quote for a recording of your submitted work.

There is no financial aid for this initiative.

Submissions open Sunday, August 23.