Community Music School

Stradivarius Strings Summer Chamber Music Camp (ages 8-18)

Come join us at the Oberlin Community Music School for an intensive and fun week of playing chamber music! Camp will include daily chamber music coachings, sessions on developing your technique, making practice fun, and other traditional camp activities.

CMS summer strings camp participants.
Photo credit: Louise Zeitlin

Playing chamber music will not only develop your student's musical skills, but will also enhance their social and emotional development. In rehearsing chamber music, members of a group must act as a team and learn to critique each other in a constructive manner. Your child will learn to be both a leader and a follower, and will learn to listen and assess in a detailed and compassionate manner. Musically, chamber music requires a myriad of skills, including building rhythmic discipline, playing in tune, and listening to the sounds that one is producing; competencies that enhance both solo and orchestral playing.

Your child will be placed in a chamber ensemble of 2 to 8 players of similar age and musical level. All ensembles will receive daily lessons from a master coach and an Oberlin Conservatory student teacher. Each day will also feature classes on string techniques, effective communication, leadership and teamwork. In addition, the camp will feature daily sessions on body movement approaches, including Dalcroze Eurythmics and/or body mapping, skills that are important to building musicianship but are less commonly taught in school-year programs. All ensembles will perform at a closing concert at the end of the week.

Stradivarius Strings Summer Chamber Music Camp is open to all students of a Suzuki book 3+ level, and who can read simple notes and rhythms (you do not need to be a Suzuki student to participate).  If you are not a Community Music School student, we ask that you send us a short 1-2 minute video of your playing that includes one major, one minor scale and a short piece, or section of a piece.  We would like to see your best playing with something slow and something faster. Beginning and advanced chamber music players will be engaged at their experience level.


Dates:  Sunday, June 10 - Thursday, June 14, 2024
Hours:  8:45am-3:00pm
Location: Oberlin Conservatory (77 West College St., Oberlin)
Tuition:  $400.  Scholarship assistance is available.  If you are an already registered CMS student who is receiving scholarship assistance, we will use the application that you have already submitted. If you are a new student to CMS, please fill out our scholarship application and provide proof of income.
Registration deadline:  May 20, 2024. Please complete our online registration form.
Payment deadline:  May 20, 2024.  Make payment through our online payment portal.