One-on-one recruiting, an enviable assemblage of composers and teachers, plus a world-class performing arts center helped bring students to "No Barriers," the first summer arts program for young musicians at the University of California, Davis.

"Everywhere I went on tour last year, I did hands-on recruiting to tell students about our program," said pianist Lara Downes, founder and artistic director of the new program, now in the midpoint of its two-week run.

The program involves 53 students, half of them players, the other half composers. Each student will have private instruction and may participate in workshops, master classes, rehearsals and performances. Composers will be paired with performing groups to create new music during the session.

"The main focus is a collaboration between performing and creative artists," Downes said. "Collaboration is usually something that comes later in life, and when it does it is a revelation. But I think it's important to introduce the collaborative attitude earlier in life."

When she was a young student, Downes did not have any opportunities to collaborate with her peers, she said, and she doubts that even now there are many such opportunities for students as there are in the UC Davis program.

"The experience of collaborating with other artists has been very formative in my career. So my idea is, the younger the better," said Downes, an artist-in-residence at UCD. Downes will give a recital of contemporary music in conjunction with "No Barriers" at 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Studio Theatre at the Mondavi Center.

"I will play all new music, mostly written for me and all from my newest CD, 'Reform,' on Azica records. Pablo Ortiz and Andrew Frank are among the composers," Downes said.

Ortiz is among the instructors for the summer arts program. He is joined by Downes; composers Steve Mackey, professor of music at Princeton University and also an electro-acoustic guitarist; and UCD faculty members William Beck and Yu-Hui Chang, co-director of the Empyrean Ensemble. Laurie San Martin, the other co-director of the Empyrean Ensemble, will coach performance, along with the player-members of the Empyrean Ensemble and the Chicago sextet, eighth blackbird.

The 53 students in the program range in age from 9 to 22.

"We have two 9-year-olds, both pianists. They are under our age limit, but they are very advanced students," Downes said. The participants have come from all over the country. "I was surprised that the younger students are not as local as I thought they would be.

"This summer, we are specifically focused on music performance and composition, but the idea of collaboration applies to all art forms, and in the future we hope to expand to include them," Downes said.

One of the other goals of the program is to create "more complete artists" who can help spark interest in new audiences, she said.

"We will try to make young people aware of their responsibilities as musicians to keep all the art forms alive," Downes said. "These days, musicians are expected to work with their communities and communicate about their art. They have to be able to give informative and interesting presentations along with making music. It's just part of the package now."