NIMA 2026
Mai 01, 2026 - November 27, 2026
NIMA 2026 - Ciné-Concert is a six-month online Composition Academy dedicated to exploring the relationship between contemporary music and moving image in a live performance context. The programme is designed for advanced students and young professionals who wish to deepen their compositional practice and engage critically with the artistic challenges of writing for ciné-concert.
Throughout the Academy, selected participants work closely with internationally active composers from diverse backgrounds in contemporary and film-related practices. Through individual lessons, collective sessions, and artistic exchange, participants develop their approach to music–image interaction, addressing questions of form, timing, dramaturgy, notation, instrumental writing, and conceptual development.
As part of the programme, each active participant creates a new 5–8 minute composition based on a copyright-free film or visual material. The works are written for the Academy’s ensembles in residence and developed in dialogue with both faculty and performers. All compositions will be professionally recorded. A selection of works will be presented in live performance at the Nice International Music Festival and Academy (NIMFA) in November 2026.
By fostering dialogue between different aesthetic approaches and encouraging experimentation across genres, the Academy offers a space for reflection, collaboration, and artistic growth at the intersection of music and moving image.
NIMA 2026 – Ciné-Concert est une académie de composition en ligne d’une durée de six mois, consacrée à l’exploration de la relation entre musique contemporaine et image en mouvement dans un contexte de performance live. Le programme s’adresse à des étudiants avancés et à de jeunes professionnels souhaitant approfondir leur pratique de la composition et interroger les enjeux artistiques et techniques propres au ciné-concert.
Tout au long de l’académie, les participants sélectionnés travaillent en étroite collaboration avec des compositeurs et compositrices internationalement reconnus, issus de parcours variés — musique contemporaine, musique de film, pratiques transdisciplinaires. À travers des cours individuels, des sessions collectives et un accompagnement artistique personnalisé, les participants développent leur approche du rapport musique–image, en abordant des questions de forme, de temporalité, de dramaturgie, de notation, d’écriture instrumentale et de conception artistique.
Dans le cadre du programme, chaque participant actif compose une œuvre originale de 5 à 8 minutes à partir d’un film ou d’un matériau visuel libre de droits. Les œuvres sont écrites pour les ensembles en résidence de l’académie et développées en dialogue avec les professeurs et les interprètes. L’ensemble des compositions fera l’objet d’un enregistrement professionnel. Une sélection d’œuvres sera présentée en concert lors du Nice International Music Festival and Academy (NIMFA) en novembre 2026.
En favorisant la rencontre entre différentes esthétiques et en encourageant l’expérimentation, l’académie offre un espace de réflexion, de collaboration et de recherche artistique au croisement de la musique contemporaine et de l’image en mouvement.
DEADLINE
Deadline: 31.03.2026 at 23:59
FACULTY MEMBERS
Martin Matalon
Argentina - France
©DidierOlivré
Professor
Etienne Haan
France
©
Board
Anna Rice
Ireland
©
Professor
Hanna Mesgari
France - Iran
©
Board
Felicity Wilcox
Australia
©NatCartney@RollingMediaProd.
Professor
Alireza Farhang
France - Iran
©
Peyman Yazdanian
Iran - France
©
Professor
RULES
Overview
Before applying please read this notice carefully !
The NIMA – Ciné-Concert is an online academy dedicated to the dialogue between contemporary music and film music. Selected participants will compose a 5–8 minute work based on a short film (or film excerpt), developed over six months through individual online lessons and collective sessions with an international faculty.
The composed works will be recorded during the Nice International Music Festival and Academy (NIMFA) in November 2026 in Nice. Some works will be selected to be performed at the festival.
All teaching is conducted online and in English.
Educational Approach
The academy focuses on the relationship between music and image within a live performance context, bringing together diverse compositional practices—from mainstream film scoring to contemporary and art-house approaches. The faculty’s varied backgrounds offer complementary perspectives and encourage critical reflection on how music interacts with moving images. We encourage participants to present innovative projects, new and experimental approaches, whatever their own musical language. There is also the possibility to use electronics, as long as the technical set up is simple and feasible.
Participants are expected to familiarize themselves with the work and aesthetic approach of the professors when expressing their preferences in the application form.
The pedagogical team will strive to match each participant’s preferences for ensembles and professors, according to preferences and artistic coherence.
Faculty
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Martin Matalon
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Anna Rice
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Felicity Wilcox
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Peyman Yazdanian
Each professor will select 3–4 active participants.
Ensembles
Participants will compose for one, two or three instruments (possibly also electronics), for one of the following ensembles:
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Ensemble Mêtis 1 (hautbois, saxophone, piano, violon)*
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Ensemble Mêtis 2 (flute, saxophone, piano, violin, viola, cello, double bass)*
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Trio K/D/M (accordion, percussionist)
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Trio Polycordes (guitar, mandolin, harp)
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Duo Sarah Jeanne Ziegler (multi-instrumentalists)**
Participants may add electronics.
*1, 2, 3 instruments chosen among the list
**concert for young audiences
Course Structure & Volume
The academy includes approximately 384-512 hours of teaching, accessible to auditors, and consists of:
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Faculty presentations:
Each professor presents their work during a one-hour session (4 hours total) -
Collective classes:
Each professor gives a common class to all students prior to the beginning of the composition process (4 hours total) -
Individual lessons (active participants only):
Each active participant receives 7 individual one-hour lessons with their professor over the course of the academy
Auditors have access to all collective sessions and individual lessons (as observers).
Participation Formats
Active participants:
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Compose a new 5–8 minute work for ciné-concert
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Receive individual supervision from a professor
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May attend the masterclasses and lessons of other participants
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Will get a professional recording of their work
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Are invited to attend rehearsals and the public performance of their work at NIMFA in Nice (November 2026) (if selected)
Active participants receive free access to all festival concerts. Travel and accommodation costs are not covered by the academy.
Auditors (full access):
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Have access to all classes and individual lessons as observers
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Auditors receive a discount on the festival pass.
Applications for auditing participation are open to all nationalities, with no prerequisites and no jury evaluation.
Applicants who are shortlisted but not selected as active participants will be offered free auditor status and a festival pass.
Film Material
Applicants are encouraged to propose a copyright-free film, video, or visual material they wish to work with, subject to approval by the pedagogical team. If no proposal is made, the film material will be selected in dialogue with the pedagogical team from a pool of copyright-free works.
Eligibility
The academy is open to:
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Advanced students and early-career professionals
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Applicants with a strong command of musical notation
Experience in composing for film is appreciated but not required.
Applicants should have a basic familiarity with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) (e.g. Reaper, Logic, Ableton), though advanced technical skills are not mandatory.
Tuition Fees
Active participants
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Application fee: 10€
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Registration: 950€
Auditor
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Full access to all courses: 200€
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Single session: 10€
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available.
Applicants wishing to be considered must submit:
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A motivation letter explaining their financial and personal situation
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A letter of recommendation
The jury will pay particular attention to applicants from economically or socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
The applicants can choose to withdraw in case they don’t get the scholarship.
Application Process
Applications are reviewed by a jury composed of the academy team and the faculty.
Required Documents
All materials must be submitted in English:
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First name and last name
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Short biography
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CV
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Photo
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Preferences for professors (ranked)
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Preferences for ensembles (ranked)
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Two chamber music compositions
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Instrumentation: 2–8 instruments
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Must demonstrate chamber music writing skills
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Works with video are welcome but not required
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(Scholarship applicants only)
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Motivation letter
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Letter of recommendation
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Timeline
All applications must be received by 31 March 2026.
Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Information Webinar (Applications): 16 March 2026, 20:30 (CET)
01.05.2026 — Selection announcement
09.05.2026 — First group session (from 01.05 to 18.05: selection of the films)
18.05.2026 — First individual lesson (the lessons will take place approximately every 3 weeks).
28.10.2026 — Last lessons
01.10.2026 — Deadline for submitting the scores
17.11.2026 — Festival starts
We recommande to use desktop version
ENSEMBLES
TrioPolycordes
Plucked String Trio (guitar, harp, mandolin)
Dedicated to contemporary repertoire and new creation
Founded by harpist Sandrine Chatron, mandolinist Florentino Calvo, and guitarist Jean-Marc Zvellenreuther, TrioPolycordes is passionately committed to contemporary music. The ensemble has inspired and premiered numerous works written specifically for this unique combination of plucked strings, including solo pieces for each instrument. Its members are actively involved in major contemporary music ensembles in France and abroad. The trio was born from the first works composed for this formation by Goffredo Petrassi and Hans Werner Henze.
Sarah-Jeanne Ziegler
Singer-Songwriter (voice, guitar)
Pop-folk repertoire blending French and North American influences
Sarah-Jeanne Ziegler is a singer-songwriter and guitarist with a distinctive, expressive voice and a repertoire that bridges folk, chanson, and contemporary pop. Influenced by North American artists such as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, she now writes primarily in French, drawing inspiration from both her Parisian roots and her time in Canada.
She has released several EPs and a live acoustic album, performed widely across France, and appeared in notable cultural events including “Une nuit au Louvre.” Alongside her songwriting career, she composes for short films and develops cine-concert projects. Her latest EP, Le Ciel n’en finit pas, affirms her folk and chanson roots while embracing a modern pop sensibility.
Trio K/D/M
Accordion and Percussion Ensemble (accordion, percussion duo)
Exploring 20th- and 21st-century repertoire, Trio K/D/M is a collective of soloists dedicated to contemporary music. With a flexible formation ranging from solo to trio configurations, the ensemble explores both landmark works of the 20th century and new instrumental literature of today.
Anthony Millet – accordion
Adélaïde Ferrière – percussion
Aurélien Gignoux – percussion
Emil Kuyumcuyan – percussion
Ensemble Mêtis
Founded in February 2024, Ensemble Mêtis has quickly emerged as a key player in the contemporary music scene of Nice.
Named after the Oceanid of Greek mythology, Mêtis draws its strength from the diversity of its members, who come from a wide range of cultural and artistic backgrounds. As an ambassador for contemporary music, Ensemble Mêtis is devoted to the creation and dissemination of innovative works.
Led by a composer and four exceptional performers, the ensemble represents a new beginning, strengthening connections with local, national, and international cultural institutions within a dynamic and fertile artistic ecosystem.