Copland House Names Ten Composers to 2026 Residency
Ten composers chosen from 133 applicants will receive all-expenses-paid residency stays at Aaron Copland's former home in Rock Hill, New York.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Classical
Copland House has named ten composers to its 2026 Residency Awards, selected by a jury from 133 applicants across 29 states and three countries. The selected composers will receive all-expenses-paid, three- to eight-week stays to live and work at Rock Hill.
Why it matters
The awards give emerging and established composers dedicated time and space to create work in the home of Aaron Copland, the figure whose legacy Copland House is devoted to celebrating. Selected composers become eligible for performance, recording, commissioning and career development opportunities.
Of 133 applicants from 29 states and three countries, ten composers were selected, with stays lasting three to eight weeks at Rock Hill. The source does not detail the specific projects or outputs expected from each residency.
The players
Copland House
Copland House was launched in 1998 after a grassroots movement preserved Aaron Copland's historic home from being sold, and it is the only composer's home in the United States devoted to celebrating America's musical legacy.
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland was a major American composer whose historic Rock Hill home now hosts Copland House's residency program.
The details
A jury including Anthony Brandt, Anthony Cheung, Penka Kouneva, Tamar Muskal, Alex Shapiro, and Robert Sirota chose the ten composers. Keith Fitch returns as a Resident, while Nicholas Bentz, Paul Novak, and Celka Ojakangas are alumni of Copland House's CULTIVATE Emerging Composers Institute.
Timeline
2026: Copland House announces the 2026 Residency Awards for ten composers
Legacy
The awards continue the model established when a 1998 grassroots movement saved Aaron Copland's Rock Hill home from sale and founded Copland House as a dedicated space for American music. The program now extends that preservation effort into active composer residencies.
Ten composers will spend three to eight weeks working at Rock Hill, and their subsequent performances and recordings may reach audiences as they become eligible for post-residency opportunities. The source does not specify public performance dates or ticketing details.
The takeaway
Residency programs like Copland House's offer composers a rare combination of dedicated workspace and career support, which can shape the American repertoire that audiences hear in the years ahead. Readers interested in the field can follow emerging composers as their residency-linked work is performed.
Further reading
Explore more classical music coverage for context on composer residencies and American orchestral traditions.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Broadway World.
