Venice born and educated Mauro Lanza is an experimenter in the broadest sense of the term. He blends classical music lineups with avant-garde instrumentation that includes synthesizers, noise-makers and various toy instruments. For Lanza composition is continuous feedback between the reality of sound (and the reality of the objects that produce the sounds) and the abstract process of formalization. Lanza has an intense interest in the use of electronics in composing and multidisciplinarity, having done collaboration with theatre and visual arts.
His music, often born from a close collaboration with ensembles such as 2e2m, Alternance, Athelas, Court-Circuit, InterContemporain, Klangforum, Mosaik, musikFabrik, United Berlin, Repertorio Zero. He taught composition at McGill University in Montreal (2004/ 2005), at the Conservatory of Cuneo (2004/ 2010), at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in Barcelona (2013/ 2014) and at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold (2014/ 2015). At IRCAM, he regularly worked as a composer in research and was the composition advisor for their annual composition course from 2010 to 2013.
The composer course consists of public lectures and private student lessons. It is possible to apply for the course with an option to compose a new piece for a chamber ensemble (eg. Quartetto Maurice, Schallfeld Ensemble, International Ensemble Modern Academy) which will be premiered during the festival, or without the option. The ensembles available (2–6 musicians) will be notified to the accepted applicants.
The age limit for the course is 32 years (born after 1.7.1990). The course is taught in English.
The course fee includes participation in the course, open lessons and workshops, and free entrance to all of the festival concerts.
