2026 Composition Academy: selected artists
The Académie Ravel welcomes young musicians and composers each summer to Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The 2026 session will take place from August 17 to 30, under the artistic direction of Bertrand Chamayou.
It offers a demanding and supportive environment, combining individual and group lessons, public masterclasses, open stages, meetings, and ensemble projects, with particular attention given to contemporary creation through its composition class.
The 2026 Composition Academy
For the 2026 session, five young composers have been selected to develop their work and create original pieces during the academy. Their diverse backgrounds reflect the international scope of today’s musical creation: hailing from Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Finland, and France, they have trained at renowned institutions such as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, Musikene, and the Barenboim-Said Akademie.
Mentored by spanish composer Hèctor Parra, with Alphonse Cemin leading the ensembles, the artists of the 2026 session will, over the course of these two weeks at the academy, have the opportunity to benefit from encounters with other emerging composers, collaborate with highly skilled young performers from leading institutions, and present their works to the public during the closing day of the Académie Ravel.
The selected composers
Sophia Chambon © CR
Sophia Chambon
– Age: 25
– Nationalities: french and finnish
– Education: Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (France) and the Sibelius Academy (Finland)
– Website : sophiachambon.com
Jon Esnaola © CR
Jon Esnaola
– Age: 26
– Nationality: spanish
– Education: Musikene, Higher School of Music of the Basque Country (Spain)
– Website : jon-esnaola-1.webnode.es
Damián Gorandi © CR
Damián Gorandi
– Age: 34
– Nationality: argentine
– Education: Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (France)
– Website : www.damiangorandi.com
Guillem Palomar © Nik Hunger
Guillem Palomar
– Age: 29
– Nationality: spanish
– Education: Barenboim-Said Academy (Germany)
– Instagram : @palomar.guillem
Guilherme Ribeiro © CR
Guilherme Ribeiro
– Age: 31
– Nationality: brazilian
– Education: Conservatoire de Strasbourg (France)
– Instagram : @guiribeiro.cda
Highlight: the composition competition
On August 30, 2026, the works by the composers of the cohort – developed and completed during the Academy – will be premiered and performed by the artists of the Académie Ravel, in public and before a jury made up of industry professionals, during the Academie Ravel Composition Competition.
The prize: a commissioned work for the 2027 Festival Ravel, along with the publication of the piece by Durand-Salabert-Eschig Editions.
This free event offers the audience a unique moment: the opportunity to discover, as a preview, the works of the leading young creators of tomorrow.