Program Coordinator:
Dr. Diana Gheorghiu – composer, co-founder of the ICon Arts Academy & Festival, and artistic director of several high-impact cultural initiatives with both national and international recognition over the past 20 years.
Composition Residency
The ICon Arts Transylvania Composition Residency brings together emerging composers and internationally acclaimed artists for an intensive period of artistic research, experimentation and collaborative creation in the unique cultural landscape of Transylvania. Combining mentorship, intercultural exchange and direct collaboration with professional performers, the residency offers participants the opportunity to develop new contemporary works while engaging with current artistic practices and international creative networks.
Backstage of Life – Composition Lab
2–10 August 2026 | Copșa Mare, Transylvania
Backstage of Life is an international composition laboratory developed within the ICon Arts Composition Residency, exploring the creative space where written music, spoken-sung poetry and improvisation converge. Set in the heart of Transylvania, this year’s programme invites participating composers and performers to experiment, collaborate and develop new artistic works inspired by the idea of the creative “backstage”—the space where musical ideas gradually evolve into fully articulated artistic expressions.
The laboratory brings together an international artistic team including Mihai Murariu (internationally awarded composer, pianist and Associate Professor at the National University of Music Bucharest), Harry O’Connor (winner of the Contemporary Music Centre’s Emerging Artist Scheme 2026–2027), Aleksandra Line (Latvian poet, performer and founder of LOUDER agency), Alexandra Tănase (violinist and soprano) and Cristina Tegzeșiu (Principal Oboe of the Brașov Philharmonic).
Developed in partnership with the Contemporary Music Centre (Ireland) and LOUDER (Latvia), the laboratory encourages artistic exchange between Romania, Ireland and Latvia while exploring new approaches to contemporary composition, performance and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Presentation Concert
Saturday, 8 August 2026 | 12:00
Copșa Mare 122, Sibiu County, Romania
