# Luna Composition Lab

Year-long fellowship founded by Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid for female, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming composers ages 13-18: one-on-one mentorship from October to June plus premieres at a New York festival.

## Key facts

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Organization | Kaufman Music Center |
| Category | arts |
| Cost | Not listed |
| Deadline | Rolling / check official site |
| Eligibility | Grades 7–12 |
| Format | Hybrid (in person + online) |
| Location | New York, NY |
| Apply | https://lunacompositionlab.org/apply/ |

## About this program

# Luna Composition Lab

Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship and performance opportunities to young composers who are female, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming. Founded by composers Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid with New York's Kaufman Music Center, the lab pairs a small national cohort of teenage fellows with acclaimed professional composer-mentors for a full academic year of individual lessons, culminating in an end-of-year festival, and its alumni network's works have received dozens of premieres across the country.

## What You'll Do

- Work one-on-one with a professional composer-mentor, with lesson times coordinated individually from October 1 through June 30
- Write new concert works and hear them premiered by professional performers
- Take part in the lab's end-of-year festival in early June in New York
- Join a national community of young composers addressing classical music's gender gap

## Who Should Apply

Composers ages 13-18 who identify as female, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming; priority goes to students who have not attended college. Applications require at least one completed musical work as a notated score, recording, or performance video, plus an optional proposal for a future piece. The 2026-27 application opens in August 2026. The center also runs Adventures in Sound, virtual Tuesday-evening composition courses open by enrollment.

## Outcomes

Fellows finish the year with professionally premiered and recorded new works, a named mentor relationship with a leading composer, and a nationally recognized credential that alumni have carried into top composition programs.

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is eligible for Luna Composition Lab?

Luna Composition Lab is open to students in grades 7–12 (middle and high school). Some programs have additional requirements (GPA, coursework, essays, or recommendations) — the full criteria are on the official site.

### Is Luna Composition Lab online or in person?

Luna Composition Lab is a hybrid program with both online and in-person components (in-person portions in New York, NY).

### How do I apply to Luna Composition Lab?

Apply directly through Kaufman Music Center's official website. ExtracurricularHub links to the official application — we list and verify programs but don't process applications.

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Last updated: 2026-07-28.
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