The New Lexicon I.
Philosophy of Music Composition [research group]
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RESIDENCY PROGRAMME FOR COMPOSERS
[October 2026 – June 2027]
The New Lexicon is an international research residency devoted to advancing philosophy of music composition as a rigorous field of inquiry. It convenes composers who approach composition not only as the production of musical works, but also as a mode of thought through which musical knowledge, value, agency, experience, and possibility may be generated, examined, contested, and reformulated.
Across four online seminars and a culminating public residency, participants will articulate the philosophical premises of their practices, develop projects through critical exchange, and contribute to a shared yet plural vocabulary for thinking musical composition anew.
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PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Program period: October 2026–June 2027
Format: Four online seminars followed by an on-site festival phase
On-site location: Bled, Slovenia (EU)
Public presentation: Seventh Bled Contemporary Music Week
Application deadline: September 15, 2026
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FORMAT
Stage I | Articulation and Presentation | October 2026
Two online seminars introduce participants’ practices, projects, and research questions, with attention to their conceptual premises, methods, and artistic stakes.
Stage II | Critical Inquiry and Development | January 2027
Two online seminars examine the grounds, methods, and functions of philosophy of music composition while establishing trajectories for artistic and research development.
Stage III | Public Presentation and Exchange | June 2027
Participants present their research through lectures and discussions at the seventh Bled Contemporary Music Week in Bled, Slovenia.
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RESIDENCY OVERVIEW
The New Lexicon is an international research residency dedicated to advancing philosophy of music composition as a rigorous field of inquiry. It convenes composers who understand composition not only as the production of musical works, but also as a mode of thought: a practice through which musical knowledge, value, agency, experience, and possibility may be generated, examined, tested, contested, and reformulated.
Across four online seminars and a culminating public residency, participants will articulate the philosophical premises of their practices, develop compositions and research projects through sustained critical dialogue, and contribute to a shared yet plural vocabulary for thinking composition anew. The programme offers a setting in which compositional decisions can be considered not only in terms of technique, style, or effectiveness, but also in relation to the concepts, assumptions, forms of knowledge, and structures of value they enact.
The residency is intended for composers whose work raises questions that cannot be exhausted by technical discussion alone. These questions may concern the identity of the musical work; the status of form and material; the relations among notation, sound, performance, and listening; the distribution of authorship and agency; the role of instruments, media, software, and institutions; or the aesthetic, ethical, social, and political conditions within which composition takes place. Participants need not align themselves with any philosophical tradition or compositional orientation. What matters is a willingness to examine the premises of their practice, submit its assumptions to collective inquiry, and engage with perspectives different from their own.
The New Lexicon is neither a conventional composition workshop nor a seminar in which an established philosophical system is applied to musical works. It is a practice-based research environment in which composition and philosophy are placed in reciprocal relation. Philosophical inquiry offers methods for clarifying concepts, testing claims, distinguishing problems, and situating practices historically. Composition, in turn, is approached as a distinctive form of inquiry capable of producing concepts, experiences, and forms of understanding that may exceed or transform existing theoretical language.
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MENTORS
Dr. Alastair White
Urban Megušar, Double M.Mus.
Dr. Niki Zohdi
Dr. Dré A. Hočevar
COORDINATOR
Brina Kren
DATES
MENTORS
PROGRAMME FORMAT
RESEARCH PREMISE
WHY THE NEW LEXICON?
CENTRAL QUESTIONS
WORKING METHOD
PARTICIPANT VALUE
WHO THE PROGRAMME ADDRESSES
TOWARDS MULTIPLE PHILOSOPHIES OF COMPOSITION
APPLICATION
APPLICATION FORM AND
PARTICIPATION FEES
The New Lexicon program is produced by .abeceda Institute
.abeceda [Institute for Research in Art, Critical Thought and Philosophy], a public-benefit NGO and non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing contemporary artistic practices and critical inquiry. Through its innovative programmes, .abeceda has gained international recognition as one of the leading platforms for contemporary music and artistic research in the Adriatic region and across Europe: www.abeceda.io