Composers-in-Residence
Newly composed music has always been an integral part of the repertoire at Marlboro, where participants can select a wide range of contemporary works to explore with the luxury of abundant rehearsal time.
The opportunity to interact with the composer of a particular piece of music remains one of the valuable learning experiences at Marlboro for the musicians, one which also offers valuable new perspectives for the composer. Many have remarked that rarely have they had such thoroughly-prepared performances as those at Marlboro.
Among the resident composers who have participated at Marlboro in recent decades are Thomas Adès, Sally Beamish, George Benjamin, Brett Dean, Sofia Gubaidulina, John Harbison, György Kurtág, Helmut Lachenmann, Libby Larsen, Krzysztof Penderecki, Shulamit Ran, Kaija Saariaho, Jörg Widmann, and more who are listed below.
Though composers have been present at Marlboro since its inception, including Co-Founder Adolf Busch, Leon Kirchner established a formal residency program in the 1960s. Through the decades, the program underwent several changes, to be revitalized again in 1993. The following list includes the names and resident years of composers since then with links to the performance history of their works at Marlboro.
Marlboro Music Composers-in-Residence since 1993
| 2025 | Reena Esmail |
| 2024 | Thomas Adès, Sally Beamish, and Paul Wiancko |
| 2023 | Helmut Lachenmann |
| 2022 | Libby Larsen & George Benjamin |
| 2019 | Jörg Widmann |
| 2018 | Shulamit Ran |
| 2017 | Brett Dean |
| 2016 | Sofia Gubaidulina |
| 2014-2015 | Kaija Saariaho |
| 2013 | Krzysztof Penderecki |
| 2012 | William Bolcom & Lera Auerbach |
| 2009 | Robert Cuckson |
| 2008 | Tigran Mansurian & Jörg Widmann |
| 2007 | Sebastian Currier |
| 2006 | Marc-André Dalbavie |
| 2005 | George Benjamin & William Bolcom |
| 2004 | John Harbison |
| 2003 | Gunther Schuller |
| 2002 | Osvaldo Golijov & Leon Kirchner |
| 2001 | Richard Wernick |
| 2000 | Thomas Adès |
| 1999 | Alexander Goehr & David Ludwig |
| 1998 | Richard Danielpour & David Ludwig |
| 1997 | György Kurtág |
| 1996 | Leon Kirchner & Jaakko Kuusisto |
| 1995 | Earl Kim & Melissa Hui |
| 1994 | John Harbison & James Primosch |
| 1993 | George Perle & David Horne |
Meet Our 2026 Resident Composer: Marcos Balter
Praised by The Chicago Tribune as “minutely crafted” and “utterly lovely,” the music of Brazilian-born composer Marcos Balter is at once emotionally visceral and intellectually complex.
“It’s such a joy to have this beautiful time working (at Marlboro), really digging into my pieces with these absolutely world-class musicians.”
Reena Esmail, 2025 Composer in Residence
From the Archives: Leon Kirchner
Composer, conductor, and pianist Leon Kirchner first came to Marlboro in 1958 when he played his Sonata Concertante with violinist Alexander Schneider. When he returned in 1963 as resident composer, it marked the beginning of a period when new music and living composers became a major part of the Marlboro experience. With Kirchner’s guidance, Marlboro established an enduring resident composers program that would open new worlds for generations of emerging artists. Learn more about the program’s evolution and Kirchner’s inspiring legacy in our From the Archives profile.