RMU organizes the first in Russia international creative laboratory for film composers - NGC Lab

This summer, from July 19 to 24, the first in Russia international creative laboratory for composers writing music for films, named the Next Generation Composers Lab, will be launched in Moscow. The organizer of the project is Russian Musical Union, the official partner is Russian Union of Composers, and the main mentor will be the Hollywood star Harry Gregson-Williams.

Talented and experienced film composers are extremely in demand, and the demand for experts in this field is only growing every year. The new NGC Lab program is designed for composers who want to expand their knowledge and improve their skills in film music writing, as well as gain experience in writing scores for a symphony orchestra. The goal of NGC Lab is, under the guidance of film industry professionals, to acquaint composers with the necessary tools to create original soundtracks for films, because in order to write music for films, you need not only to be a gifted author, but also to possess a number of specific skills and abilities.

The authors and ideological inspirers of NGC Lab are the founder of the laboratory, composer, and sound designer Nikolay Skachkov, and producer, manager of cultural projects Maria Mitroshina.

“The profession of a film composer in Russia needs to move to a qualitatively new level,” says Nikolai Skachkov. - Our NGC Lab project is a promising platform for the professional growth of composers, as well as a springboard for the beginners. We wish that talented Russian composers are recognized all over the world.”

The laboratory will bring together 16 young composers from different countries, and the main mentor will be Harry Gregson-Williams, Hollywood film composer, author of music for numerous films, television projects and video games, such as Shrek, Prince of Persia, Mulan, Spy Game. The NGC Lab program provides for workshops and individual sessions with the mentor. Participants will have to create a musical theme for a given excerpt from the film and then record it at the Mosfilm Studio with a symphony orchestra. As a result of the laboratory work, every participant will receive a professionally mixed track of his or her composition. Applications are accepted until March 20, 2021.

As part of the project, on July 21, a concert of Harry Gregson-Williams will take place at the Svetlanov Hall of the Moscow International House of Music. The composer will present a program with the themes from his most famous works. Artists of the Opensoundorchestra Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Choir of the Moscow Conservatory directed by A. Solovyov, the leading Moscow musicians who specialize in contemporary music will take the stage with him. The concert will also feature the work of the winner of the open international composers’ NGC Competition for the first time, the acceptance of applications for which will last until May 1, 2021. An international jury, chaired by Harry Gregson-Williams, will listen to the works of composers submitted for an open competition and will announce the winner on July 1, 2021.

Russian and foreign speakers will give lectures on the profession of a film composer. Harry Gregson-Williams will also give several lectures on the peculiarities of creating music for films and share the secrets of the profession. Master classes will be held both online and offline. Some lectures will be available to the general public.

“Russian Musical Union, as the organizer of the NGC Lab film composers laboratory, seeks to support novice authors and contribute to the development of international cooperation in the field of film music creation,” says Andrey Krichevsky, Chairman of the Board of Russian Musical Union. “The laboratory will become a platform for finding novice sound, a meeting place and communication for representatives of the professional community”.

Karina Abramyan, General Director of Russian Union of Composers, notes the importance of NGC Lab: “This project, firstly, is interesting from the point of view of gaining experience in recording with an orchestra, especially for those young composers who never had such experience. And if a composer wants to try his or her hand at the Western film industry, he or she will receive useful information in the laboratory about its specifics.”

Young Russian composers have the opportunity to join the main NGC Lab program for free: Russian Musical Union and Russian Union of Composers have established two training grants. Their owners can be Russian students who have passed the selection to the program on a general basis, and one of them must be a member of Russian Union of Composers.

The lab is planned to be held annually, and the best world film composers will be invited as mentors.

Detailed information about the project can be found on the Internet at ngclab.com .