A Mentoring Program for Young Composers

WomenSing is very excited to introduce Julia Seeholzer, winner of the 2013 Youth Inspiring Youth (YIY) composition competition. As our YIY winner, Julia will write a piece for WomenSing using a Spanish language poem from the River of Words collection. During the composition process, she will work with American composer Libby Larsen and Venezuelan composer Cristian Grases. This collaboration will culminate in a public workshop* held in April, 2013 where the composer, the mentors, and the singers of WomenSing will work together on the music, experimenting with and fine-tuning the composition in preparation for the premiere in June, 2013.

Originally from Santa Monica, CA, Julia displayed an affinity for music very early on, composing her first piece at the age of five and taking up piano at six. Throughout her youth she played French Horn in bands and orchestras and sang alto in various choirs. This past May, Julia graduated summa cum laude from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA with a B.M. in Composition.

During her time at Berklee, Julia received numerous awards for her compositions, including the Laurie Anderson Women in Technology Award and the 2011 Berklee Composition Achievement Award. Last year, she was invited to participate in Yale University’s New Music Workshop as a Composition Fellow. In addition to her more conventional musical pursuits at Berklee, Julia founded and directed the Video Game Music Choir (VGMC), a 25 member vocal ensemble that performs video game scores arranged for a cappella choir.

Julia’s work experiences have provided an interesting complement to her formal music studies. She interned at Columbia Records and worked in the film scoring department at Berklee as well as the Berklee City Music High School Academy. Currently, she is a personal assistant to pop singer Vonda Shepard.

This summer, Julia is continuing her composition studies with John Corigliano and David Tcimpidis at the California Summer Music program through Sonoma State University. She is also working on new arrangements for VGMC and an SATB choral piece for Tenuto, a chamber choir at Berklee.

Get to know Julia better by listening to some of her music: Escape from the City (for VGMC), Uneven Strides (for Yale’s New Music Workshop), and Trio in Scattered Leaves. Her web site, juliaseeholzer.com, provides even more information and links.

Youth Inspiring Youth Commissions

Since the program began in 2008, WomenSing has commissioned the following compositions through the Youth Inspiring Youth program:

• Isle of the Bless’d (2012). Music by Anastasia Pahos, words by Lindsay Ryder
• Reflections (2012). Music by Dale Trumbore, words by Lindsay Ryder
• Moon Songs (2011). Music by Nick Norton, words by various poets
• A Precious Pearl (2011). Music by Lauren McLaren, words by Mirabai Britton
• Sisyphean (2010). Music by Elizabeth Lim, words by Skyler Pham
• Unseen Secrets (2010). Music by Joshua Fishbein, words by Quinn Whitlow
• Sombra del Mar (2009). Music by Jack Henry, words by Alejandro Yañez
• Wit and Fright (2009). Music by Ryan Harper, words by Eric Pierson

*The Youth Inspiring Youth Composers Public Workshop and Reception are funded in part through New Music USA’s MetLife Creative Connections program.