introducing the 2026-27 iQ Test Scholars…

Sebastian Zhang

Unapologetically embracing the electric nostalgia of a younger generation, Sebastian Zhang is a composer-percussionist and asalato/kashaka player joyfully exploring the sounds of everyday objects.

Highlights include projects for and performances by Third Coast Percussion, Sandbox Percussion, and the Living Earth Show. His compositions have been performed internationally and in over twenty-seven U.S. states, at events such as the Percussive Arts Society International Convention and the Round Top Festival Institute. As an asalatist, Sebastian became the first asalatist from outside Asia to attain top 8 in competition at the ASALATO NIGHT Freestyle Battle in 2024.

Sebastian completed a B.M. in Music Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, studying under Ivan Trevino, Omar Thomas, Yevgeniy Sharlat, and Thomas Burritt. Sebastian is currently pursuing an M.M. in Music Composition at the Yale School of Music under the instruction of David Lang and Aaron Jay Kernis.

JASON Zhang

Jason Zhang is a composer, pianist, and programmer from Michigan whose work seeks to push the boundaries of good taste and engage with internet culture through the lens of classical music.

Jason is an incoming master’s student in music technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he will study composition with Evan Ziporyn and Pascal le Boeuf. He received bachelor’s degrees in Composition and Computer Science from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Roshanne Etezady, Evan Chambers, Michael Daugherty, and Bright Sheng. Jason has collaborated with ensembles including Hub New Music, Hypercube, Loadbang, Bergamot Quartet, Attacca Quartet, Nova Linea Musica, and TEMPO. He has also received awards from the Music Teachers National Association, ASCAP and BMI. Upcoming projects include works for the Akropolis Reed Quintet and the icarus Quartet.

Outside of music, Jason enjoys solving crosswords collaboratively, running, and making mead.

iQ Tests

icarus Quartet’s iQ Tests program for college-enrolled composers gives two winning Scholars the opportunity to collaborate on a new piece with the Quartet. The ensemble takes these promising students through the detailed collaboration process behind all of their new works, embarking on a professional relationship that begins with the cultivation, presentation, and documentation of their new works for pianos and percussion.

Eligibility

• Open to composers enrolled in any collegiate degree program during the 2026-27 academic year
  
  

Submission materials

• Simple and FREE application

• 2 scores (pdf) of previously written chamber works (for 2 to 8 players)

  • Score files should be named as: “last name_first name_piece title”

  • Demonstration of percussion and piano writing in one or both pieces is preferred if possible

  • Score submissions are NOT limited to traditional Western notation; other visual representations are acceptable, and questions about this can be emailed to Max Hammond at max@icarusquartet.org

Prizes

• The two selected composers will each receive the following:

  • Two performances during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons

  • $1,000 honorarium

  • Workshops with iQ (in person if possible)

  • Up to $500 travel reimbursements for workshops and/or performances

  • Professionally produced video recording

    • Watch and listen to past Scholar works HERE

  • Mentorship from acclaimed American composer, Nico Muhly

Timeline

• Applications are currently closed. Please check back for announcements regarding future editions.

Questions?

• Contact Max Hammond at max@icarusquartet.org for any clarifications regarding the iQ Tests program

meet the iQ Test Scholar alumni!
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