The NATS Mentoring Program for Composers

The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) is pleased to announce a new opportunity for composers which intersects with the work fo several national programs and committees.  Recent work between the new NATS Art Song Coalition, the Art Song Composition Award committee, and the NATS Advocacy Committee and intense interest from a group of celebrated art song composers has resulted in creation of a unique opportunity for emerging and early career art song composers to be mentored by this group in order to promote and encourage the composition and performance of new works.  

Composers of vocal music (especially art song but also opera) are encouraged to apply for this new mentoring program in which 10 selected composers will be paired with a mentor for a period of roughly 8 months, from October 15 – June 1.  The mentoring is projected to involve one-to-one online contact approximately once a month. Depending on the schedule of the mentors, the needs of the mentees, and the interests of both parties, the mentors might critique short works, give general counsel about writing for voice, offer advice about resources, point the mentees toward appropriate performers and presenters, give information about recording and publishing opportunities, and just generally be a sounding board for any questions the mentees might have.  For the first year, this program will be reserved for composers from underrepresented groups, with a special emphasis on Black composers.

At the end of each cycle, it is hoped that the mentees might have some of their works presented by NATS, either online or as part of regional or national NATS events.  There is no cost for this program and no application fee and there are no age or stylistic limitations.

As a special feature of the program this year, the Cincinnati Song Initiative will commission a song from each of the composer mentees. These songs will be produced in a video recording and premiered as CSI’s season finale in May 2021.

This year’s mentors (listed alphabetically) are:     

The 2020-2021 mentees and mentors with whom they have been paired are:

Each mentee and their mentor will be working together from October 2020 to June 2021 with one-to-one online contact approximately once a month. Depending on the schedule of the mentors, the needs of the mentees, and the interests of both parties, the mentors might critique short works, give general counsel about writing for voice, offer advice about resources, point the mentees toward appropriate performers and presenters, give information about recording and publishing opportunities, and just generally be a sounding board for any questions the mentees might have.  In addition, all mentees will have access to general mentor H. Leslie Adams.  There is no cost for this program to the mentees and there were no age or stylistic limitations during the application process.

The deadline  to apply for the current session has passed.         

Please e-mail all inquiries to:  NATSComposermentoring@gmail.com