A New Era in Sound: Juilliard Students Highlight the Future of Classical Music

Juilliard musicians and faculty premiere new works at the Kennedy Center’s Sounds of US festival

By Sammy Gibbons
The term “exquisite corpse” comes from a collaborative game invented by the Surrealists, where participants took turns adding to a composition without seeing the full work. The name originated from the first sentence created in this way: “The exquisite corpse shall drink the new wine.” This spontaneous and collective approach often led to unexpected and inventive outcomes.

In celebration of the Kennedy Center's Sounds of US—a new music festival curated and directed by violinist and Juilliard Arnhold Creative Associate Jennifer Koh—Juilliard composers from its Pre-College, College, and faculty will create a musical “exquisite corpse,” writing individual pieces that flow seamlessly into one another to form a larger work. 

Ten Pre-College and eight college student composers individually created short pieces, which were then woven together into separate “exquisite corpses.” These collaborative works are bookended by new pieces composed by Music Division and Pre-College faculty. As part of the day-long festival on November 16, professional and student musicians will present more than 40 new works.

Dean and Director of Juilliard’s Preparatory Division Weston Sprott said there was a “natural connection” for the Kennedy Center to partner with Juilliard—“as one of the leading arts educators in the world”—to create a program that “brings faculty and students together to create new music.” This collaboration provides Juilliard students with the unique opportunity to perform on one of the most iconic stages in the world, a pivotal moment in their artistic development.

“When you start feeling agency and ownership within highly regarded artistic spaces at an early age, I think that breaks down some traditional barriers of insecurity and imposter syndrome,” said Sprott. “A student can be in a place like the Kennedy Center and say, ‘You know what, this is a place where I belong and am welcome to present my art.’”

The first concert, To Believe, features compositions by Pre-College students aged 12 to 18. Asha Melvani and Sophia Dou, both Pre-College students at Juilliard, never anticipated hearing their work performed at a prestigious venue like the Kennedy Center at such a young age—certainly not while still in high school. However, the process of creating pieces for their Kennedy Center premieres reinforced the idea for Melvani and Dou that careers in composition are within their reach. 

“I never perceived music as a real career opportunity,” Melvani said. She continued, “But going to Juilliard where, firstly, teachers have real experience and it's a fulfilling career for them and being around other composers where that is their goal … is inspiring. It's just a realistic goal for so many people [here] so it doesn't feel so far-fetched and alien of a career to me now.”

Melvani and Dou both used the writing opportunity to explore what makes their voice unique and identify the impact they want to have on their audiences. Both were challenged creatively and technically, but knowing their pieces were part of a greater whole brought some comfort and a sense of community.

“The classical literature gives musicians a foundation on which they build their technique, yet it's still good to remember that all music at one time was new,” said David Ludwig, dean and director of Juilliard’s music division, and one of the college faculty members taking part in the exquisite corpse. 

“We want students to feel like they own a musical inheritance, and that they belong in a significant lineage of artists,” Ludwig continued. “Each of them has their own voice, but they grow that voice together—the form of the ‘exquisite corpse’ is a great metaphor for an artists' life.”

Danae Venson, a senior composition student in Juilliard’s college-level music division, said the exquisite corpse structure “really makes you think about how your piece can connect to the next one.” The project helped her and the other student composers think about what comes next—not just in the composition, but as a metaphor for their musical careers as students and professionals. For some Juilliard students, both situations are happening at once.

Venson composed a piece for the second concert in the series, To Become. Through her involvement, she gained a firsthand look at where she could be after college, inspired by the professional composers featured in the concerts. The experience affirmed that Venson is “going in the right direction” down her chosen path. Sprott and Ludwig hoped this validation would strike students during this project. Sprott said the Kennedy Center opportunity was intended to show students their time is now. Ludwig agreed, and as a professional composer himself, reflected that the early opportunities he had as a Juilliard student greatly impacted his career.

Sprott will perform in the final Sounds of US concert, To Be. The trombonist said he’s “living a life far beyond [his] wildest dreams” by performing with the Metropolitan Opera and leading Juilliard’s Preparatory Division. “When I was the age of our Pre-College students, I couldn't imagine that I would be performing at the Kennedy Center,” he shared. “But for our students, it's not something they will have to imagine happening one day far in the future. It's something they are doing now.”  

The possibility of a music career was also something Dou never imagined. The Pre-College student didn’t seriously consider a composing career before attending the Juilliard program. Now, composing for Sounds of US helped Dou hone her unique voice. She and Melvani navigated instrumentation out of their comfort zones and adhered to a tight deadline. That “pressure was a privilege,” Dou said, quoting tennis legend Billie Jean King. 

“When I started composing, I never thought these sorts of opportunities would come to me,” Dou said. “This is pretty amazing and makes me see more amazing opportunities in the future.” 

Sammy Gibbons is a journalist, fiction writer, and lifelong dancer based in Brooklyn.