SPLICE Fellowship Program — Composition Fellows (2026)

If you have been curious about writing for electronics but never had a reason to start, this is built for you. SPLICE Music pairs emerging composers with pianist Keith Kirchoff to create a new work for instrument(s) and electronics. Roughly half the selected composers write for solo piano; the rest write for Kirchoff plus one other instrument, with those players drawn from the partner institution — for this round, the University of Oklahoma.

There is no application fee and no cost to participate. Up to six composers are chosen. No previous experience with electronics is required, and the call states that anyone is welcome to apply, without stated age, nationality or career-stage limits.

What you receive is time with people rather than cash: a workshop on writing for piano with Kirchoff, a workshop on commissioning with Flannery Cunningham, composition coaching from Sam Wells, masterclasses and practical help with electronic materials, a performance of the finished piece, and automatic admission to SPLICE Institute 2027 at Western Michigan University. Note that admission is not free attendance — fellows pay as everyone else does, though they can apply for the Institute assistance offered each year.

Applications are made through a Google form. The timeline is published and firm: notifications by 10 September, drafts due 1 November, final scores and materials by 1 January, performances in March 2027.