DELIAN ACADEMY
FOR NEW MUSIC
International Academy for Composers & Sound Artists
19 - 27 June 2020
© Yiorgis Yerolympos
WHO WE ARE
The Delian Academy for New Music is an international summer academy for composers and sound artists located on the island of Mykonos, Greece.
Curated under the auspices of Georges Aperghis and Grypario Cultural Center, the Academy derives its name from the nearby island of Delos, the birthplace of Apollo, and a UNESCO world heritage site.
Unlike top-down organization programs, our Academy is a participant-driven meeting where attendees co-decide and create the agenda for a series of symposia, workshops, and concerts with the guidance of faculty and staff.
The 2020 edition will take place from 19 to 27 June in Grypario Cultural Center of Mykonos. Participating composers will have the chance to take part in masterclasses, presentations, workshops and have their music performed by our ensembles in residence. The main language of the Academy will be English. Additional languages may be used in private masterclasses.
FACULTY AND STAFF
GEORGES APERGHIS
Honorary President
FRANCK
BEDROSSIAN
Composition
CHRISTOPHE
HAVEL
Music with (live) electronics
JOSH
LEVINE
Composition
ALEXANDROS
SPYROU
Composition, Artistic Director
DIMITRI
PAPAGEORGIOU
Composition
ANNA
GRYPARI
Assistant
BERA
ROMAIRONE
Assistant
ENSEMBLES IN RESIDENCE
Proxima Centauri
Proxima Centauri is a music ensemble that rewrites the codes of chamber music namely by integrating electro-acoustic as a full-fledged member of the formation. For over twenty years, Proxima Centauri has been cooperating with many artists, other musicians, interpreters or improvisers as well as dancers or visual artists. The ensemble thus has a multidisciplinary artistic approach combining musical creation and visual arts.
Under the artistic direction of Marie-Bernadette Charrier, the ensemble follows an active commissioning policy and creates many works by composers of this century, alternating with the interpretation of the great masters of the 20th century.
Proxima Centauri invests all the dimensions of creation, from research in contemporary instrument-making down to the transmission of know-how to young interpreters. The ensemble was created and resides in Bordeaux but its scope of action goes beyond the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the French border. Of international renown, the ensemble is invited to many festivals and tours regularly in Europe, America, Asia and Oceania.
Marie-Bernadette Charrier
Saxophone
Benoît Poly
Percussion
Sylvain Millepied
Flute
Hilomi Sakaguchi
Piano
Christophe Havel
Electroacoustics
AWKAS
AWKAS is an ensemble based between France and Switzerland. It specializes in contemporary chamber music and promotes the creation of new work through concerts, masterclasses, workshops, residencies, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Coming mainly from Latin America, Awkas’s members share a common diasporic identity that has shaped their artistic trajectory. Awkas proposes a reflective approach to working with composers and artists from other fields aiming at an enriching creative experience.
Tatiana Timonina
Flute
Román Bayani
Percussion
Bera Romairone
Saxophone
Emmanuel Acurero
Violoncello
GUEST ARTIST
VENUE
GRYPARIO CULTURAL CENTER
The Grypario Cultural Center was donated to the municipality of Mykonos by Nikos and Sophia Grypari in 2006. It is a building complex of 1600 m2 featuring a 350-seat concert hall with a 80 m2 stage, a delicate foyer, and a number of smaller educational rooms. There is also a free parking space and a playground. The building is located in Argyraina, just 1 km from the center of Mykonos.
©Yiorgis Yerolympos
FEES AND FUNDING
All participants are encouraged to seek funding through state grants, foundations, institutes of higher education or other institutions. The Academy will provide you with all necessary documentation that will help your application. You can find a guide to cultural mobility funding at
Scholarship in memoriam Iannis Xenakis
One (1) merit/need-based scholarship will be awarded in the memory of Iannis Xenakis, covering the full amount of participation fees. The scholarship holder must still cover their travel and accommodation expenses. If you would like to be considered for the scholarship, please include a short letter in your application, explaining the circumstances. If you have sufficient funds or a source of funding (e.g., through your school, foundations, state grants), we kindly ask that you refrain from requesting funding so that others in real financial need can be assisted.
COMPOSITION FOR ENSEMBLE AND MEDIA
€650
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Masterclasses with faculty members.
-
Give a presentation at the composers' conference (optional, but recommended).
-
Write a new piece for ensemble and media (live or fixed).
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Rehearsals of your piece with the ensembles in residence.
-
Live performance and recording of your piece.
COMPOSING WITH
(LIVE) ELECTRONICS
€300
-
Masterclasses with faculty members.
-
Give a presentation at the composers' conference (optional, but recommended).
-
Collaborate with soloists and faculty on your compositional sketches for instruments and electronics (live or fixed).
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Develop the electronics, complete and rehearse your composition during the Academy.
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Live performance and recording of your piece.
COMPOSITION FOR ENSEMBLE
€550
-
Masterclasses with faculty members.
-
Give a presentation at the composers' conference (optional, but recommended).
-
Write a new piece for ensemble.
-
Rehearsals of your piece with the ensembles in residence.
-
Live performance and recording of your piece.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
HALF-DAY TRIP TO DELOS
€30
A half-day trip, to the sacred island of Apollo and Artemis, a famous religious and political center in Antiquity. The whole territory of the deserted Delos is one of the most important archaeological sites of the eastern Mediterranean protected by Unesco as one of the Unesco heritage sites of the world.
APPLICATIONS
The application deadline has passed.
Thanks to everyone who applied to Delian Academy for New Music 2020! 115 applications were received from all around the world. We expect the results by the end of January 2020. Until then, here are some interesting statistics:
32.2% of all applicants applied for the "Composition for ensemble and media" program
82.6% of all applicants applied for the "Composition for ensemble" program
20.9% of all applicants applied for the "Composing with live electronics" program
9.6% of all applicants applied for the "Visiting composers" program
--
27% of applicants identify as "Female"
71.3% of applicants identify as "Male"
1.7% of applicants identify as "Other"
--
The oldest applicant was born in 1938 and the youngest one in 1999.
--
71.7% of applicants did not apply for the Xenakis memorial scholarship.
28.3% of applicants applied for the Xenakis memorial scholarship.
IMPORTANT DATES
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21 December 2019: Application Deadline
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17 April 2020: Deadline for Submission of New Works
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19 June 2020: Arrive in Mykonos
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28 June 2020: Depart from Mykonos
ACCOMMODATION
Participants are encouraged to make accommodation arrangements as soon as possible, as hotels in Mykonos can be quite expensive. The Academy will provide suggestions about local hotels and guest houses to selected fellows.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Arriving to and departing from Mykonos
You can arrive to Mykonos by plane (best option), by ferry boat from Athens or by ferry boat from Crete.
From Athens airport (ATH) you can travel to Piraeus Port by metro or by bus.
From Athens airport (ATH) you can travel to Rafina Port by bus only.
From Heraklion airport (HER) you can travel to Heraklion Port by bus.
Here to Help
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What does “honorary president” mean? Will Georges Aperghis be in Mykonos?
A. This is an honorary position which means that Georges Aperghis serves as an advisor to the faculty and staff, and as a consultant for the artistic activities of the Academy. Due to other commitments he will not be able to teach at the Academy this year.
Q. I’m not sure about which program I should apply for. What should I do?
A. Just send us an email and we will explain to you the details.
Q. I don’t have a recording of the score I am submitting; can I send a midi realization?
A. Unfortunately, we cannot accept midi realizations.
Q. I am applying as an electronic composer/sound artist. I have no scores for my work or my scores are unconventional. What should I send?
A. You can send whatever represents you best. This can be in the form of a score, text, image, video or other medium.
Q. Can I have my piece or part of my piece performed by the ensemble in residence if I participate in the composition in progress program?
A. Unfortunately not. The ensembles will perform a limited number of pieces. If you would like to have a piece for instruments and electronics performed you should apply for the acoustic composition program.
Q. When are the fees due?
A. You should pay the fees upon accepting your participation.
Q. I can’t attend the academy for the whole period. Can I take part in it if I arrive later or leave earlier?
A. Yes, you can arrive and depart whenever you like.
Q. I don’t speak any Greek; will I be able to communicate with locals on the island?
A. Yes, Mykonos is a very touristic destination and everyone speaks English.
Q. If I am not accepted, should I take it personally?
A. No, you should apply again next year.
PROUD CONTRIBUTORS
Friends of our Academy
CONTACT
Please feel free to contact us for any additional information.
For general questions, please fill in the contact form or email us at
For questions regarding the summer academy, please contact Bera Romairone, at
For questions regarding artistic programming, please contact the artistic director, Alexandros Spyrou, at