Young Composer in Residence 2025

The Young Composer in Residence project is a collaborative initiative between three international institutions – the Curtis Institute of Music, the Athens Conservatoire, and the Schwarz Foundation.

This year, the talented Curtis Institute of Music student Elise Arancio was selected to be the Young Composer in Residence from May 25 to June 20, 2025, at the Schwarz Foundation’s facilities in Samos and Athens.

During the residency, Elise stayed in the beautiful village of Chora on the island of Samos, where the Music Rooms are conveniently located just a short walk away. This tranquil setting provided the ideal environment for her to focus on composition and fully immerse herself in her creative process.

The outcome of her residency was the composition How to become sand, a work for piano trio. The piece received its world premiere as part of the Young Composer in Residence programme, highlighting her distinctive musical voice and poetic approach to sound.

Elise Arancio is a composer from Atlanta, currently based in New Haven. Her work often draws inspiration from poetry, language, and everyday sonic textures. She has collaborated with leading ensembles and institutions internationally, and her music has been recognized with major distinctions including the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

This collaboration between the Curtis Institute of Music, the Athens Conservatoire, and the Schwarz Foundation continues to demonstrate the power of artistic exchange, offering emerging composers like Elise Arancio a transformative platform to develop their craft and present new work in an international context.