Pat Morehead and Sebastian Huydts, Merit’s composition faculty and accomplished Chicago–area composers, provide a unique program of composition instruction to aspiring young composers in the Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-free Conservatory. They work with students to explore the art of writing music and to create compositions for a variety of ensembles that are performed by professional musicians and fellow students at an annual assembly. Graduates of the Conservatory have gone on to study composition in college and have received scholarships to such institutions as Oberlin Conservatory and Berklee School of Music.

Partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

During the 2006-2007 school year, Merit’s Composer’s Forum will have a special partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Mead Composer–in–Residence, Mark–Anthony Turnage. Mr. Turnage will provide guidance to students in the Composer’s Forum, as well as present his works to the entire Conservatory student body.