The IRCAM Cursus is a unique computer music training program for young composers, held every two years. It aims to provide them with in-depth technical independence and mastery of several computer programs, all in service of artistic creation. Over the course of a full year, from October to the following September, participants receive training on software developed by IRCAM and used in musical composition (Max, OpenMusic, Modalys, ASAP, Partiels, Spat, and more). Fully integrated into the institute, participants work in dialogue with researchers, doctoral students, developers, sound engineers, computer music designers and lecturers, composers, and guest artists, all of whom are active daily in IRCAM’s laboratories and studios.
After three years as Associate Composer of the Cursus program, Pierre Jodlowski continues, until September 2025, to champion an interdisciplinary approach to composition. He leads collective workshops on image, movement, text, and improvisation, encouraging participants to experiment and develop their own creative processes. The goal is to extend their exploration into other artis-tic fields. Primarily focused on musical aspects, the Cursus program is open to all forms of artistic practice, integrating technology into a wide range of aesthetic approaches and forms. To validate the skills acquired throughout the year, participants present mini-projects at the end of each unit. These presentations also serve as a preparation for their final project, which will be showcased at the opening of the IRCAM musical season in September.
The next session of the program will take place in 2026-2027, marking the beginning of a new chapter with Eva Reiter as Associate Composer and the introduction of new pedagogi-cal directions. “Composing is like creating a musical instrument,” says Eva Reiter – a concept that takes on its full meaning when composing with electronics, treating them as instruments in their own right. Beyond being a simple composition class, the Cursus is a space-time dedicated to experi-mentation, taking risks, and exploring oneself through interaction with technology. It’s a place where electronics are fully integrated into musical thought and the compositional ges-ture. What vision do we want to project onto the world and society? What do we want to ex-press, defend, or question—and how do we address it to the audience? Under the guidance of Eva Reiter, the new pedagogical directions of the Cursus are grounded in contemporary challenges: using technology to serve musical thought, integra-ting artificial intelligence into the composition process, musicology and the analysis of works
