In 2009, I was one of four young composers mentored by the late Dr. Steven Stucky, then composer-in-residence at the LA Philharmonic.
I was just a teenager. I had no idea what I was doing. (…Now I have slightly more of an idea...)
But Dr. Stucky saw something in me. And everything changed.
That fellowship gave me something I couldn’t have found on my own:
-A mentor who pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of. -A tight-knit group of composers who challenged and supported each other. -And a way of writing that felt personal, urgent, and performable.
We weren’t trying to impress anyone.
We were writing to figure out who we were.
And we were actually getting our music played.
That experience helped me get into USC, Juilliard, and Columbia…
It led to commissions and performances from the LA Phil, JACK Quartet, Imani Winds, and more…
But most importantly, it showed me the power of community, mentorship, and focus.
Dr. Stucky passed away in 2016. I think about him every day.
And I’ve tried to honor his legacy by creating something similar:
-A space where composers are supported. -A place where their work is taken seriously. -Where their voice can grow into something real.
If that resonates, you can join the waitlist below to be the first to hear when we reopen.
Saad Haddad
In 2009, I was one of four young composers mentored by the late Dr. Steven Stucky, then composer-in-residence at the LA Philharmonic.
I was just a teenager. I had no idea what I was doing.
(…Now I have slightly more of an idea...)
But Dr. Stucky saw something in me. And everything changed.
That fellowship gave me something I couldn’t have found on my own:
-A mentor who pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of.
-A tight-knit group of composers who challenged and supported each other.
-And a way of writing that felt personal, urgent, and performable.
We weren’t trying to impress anyone.
We were writing to figure out who we were.
And we were actually getting our music played.
That experience helped me get into USC, Juilliard, and Columbia…
It led to commissions and performances from the LA Phil, JACK Quartet, Imani Winds, and more…
But most importantly, it showed me the power of community, mentorship, and focus.
Dr. Stucky passed away in 2016. I think about him every day.
And I’ve tried to honor his legacy by creating something similar:
-A space where composers are supported.
-A place where their work is taken seriously.
-Where their voice can grow into something real.
If that resonates, you can join the waitlist below to be the first to hear when we reopen.
composersbrain.com/?community=09.06.25
2 months ago | [YT] | 27