Music & More SummerFest provides an opportunity for students to study and collaborate with some of the finest names in classical music. More detailed information about our program and studies is provided below. 

Instrumental Studies: Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello and Jazz Piano & Improvisation

The weekly schedule will include private instruction, chamber music coaching; master classes and lecture presentations. Solo, chamber ensemble and string orchestra performances will make up the balance of the schedule. Participants may choose to either have all four individual lessons with their primary instructor or have three (or two) individual lessons with their primary instructor and one (or two) additional individual lesson(s) with a second artist-faculty member (four lessons in all, 50 minutes each), and four chamber music practice and coaching sessions (50 minutes each) with two or more professors. Formal MMSF evening concerts as well as additional informal public performances will be created throughout the festival. All master-classes are open to the public and everyone is encouraged to attend as many of them as possible. Ample daily practice and rehearsal times will be available to each participating musician.

Inaugural Voice Program

We are thrilled to announce that one of the highly requested voice pedagogues, soprano Deborah Massell will be working with our students and aspiring professionals. Additionally, Dr. Massell will join forces with one of the most talented and inspiring collaborative pianists and vocal coaches, Djordje Nesic. They will be working together creating programs of art songs, accompanied by our top pianists and chamber ensembles, and opera scenes, staged for concert performances and performed with our festival orchestra - SummerFest Camerata under Maestro Pascal Verrot’s direction. Our students will have 4 individual voice lessons (2 per week, 50 minutes each) with Dr. Massell and 4 individual voice coaching sessions (2 per week, 50 minutes each) with Professor Djordje Nesic. Additional rehearsal are scheduled for our Opera Scenes performance, which is schedule for August 11. Furthermore, vocal students may be programed to work with a chamber ensemble, which will be coached by several other faculty members. Various voice/piano student collaborations will also be scheduled as there will be many additional performance opportunities in collaboration with festival musicians. As an added bonus, vocal students will be able to take part in Performance Wellness workshops led by pianist and director Tatjana Rankovich, as well as take part in masterclasses given by soprano Xenia Cumento as well as our international guests.

Ensemble studies: Chamber Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra

The collaborative principle is fundamental to our program. Every chamber ensemble will be carefully assembled taking the levels and ages of participants into consideration. When coaching and working with advanced groups, a faculty member will in many cases play and perform along with participating musicians. Depending on the size of enrollment, we will strive to create two separate string orchestras, rehearsing and performing different programs. The chamber and orchestra repertoire will be finalized by early June. We will then send the assigned parts to those selected musicians and their chamber groups.  

Composition

A limited number of students who wish to take lessons in composition will compose a work, preferably less but not longer than five minutes for a featured instrument or festival’s chamber ensemble. A collaborative performance would be featured at one of the final concerts. If an applicant wishes to apply for the composition program, a short recently composed original work should be submitted along with the application for review. See Guidelines for all additional information.

Conducting

Studies in conducting are coordinated by our artist-faculty, conductor Pascal Verrot. Up to three young conductors are chosen to work with Maestro Verrot and assist as his festival liaison-conductors. This mentorship will culminate in the final concert when, if ready, the liaison-conductors would have a chance to lead the MMSF orchestra in their assigned works.

One Plus One

This is an additional track of studies only available to students who have selected one of the above choices. Students are welcome to add a more intensive workload, doubling the amount of lessons (for example: if you register as a pianist, you may add lessons in jazz piano or conducting or string instrument; or if you are a composition student, you can add piano or conducting or string instrument; or study two string instruments) for an additional payment fee stated in the Guidelines.

Showcase Concerts

Most of our concerts are formal, publicized and super well-attended. These concerts are the best kind of showcases for both faculty and students. To assure that each and every student presented is in top shape and ready to perform, if you would like to participate in these featured concerts, please follow these two steps:

Send us a video using Vimeo or Youtube of your chosen solo or duo performance (string instrument and piano) piece, not longer than 7 minutes, by June 15, to: info@mmsummerfest.com. Include your name, instrument and “MMShowcase” in the subject line.

Please note: to be considered for a showcase performance, your tuition must be paid in full by May 1, 2023.

SummerFest Camerata

Students may apply to join our artist-faculty chamber orchestra, SummerFest Camerata, which will perform at the festival’s opening Gala concert on August 3, 2023 as well as at other concerts during the festival. This highly prestigious, by-invitation only position is for the most advanced students. To apply, check the appropriate box on the application form and submit your teacher’s letter of recommendation. Spots are extremely limited for this position so apply early and do include your teacher’s letter of recommendation for this position.

Concerto Competition

To be announced at a later date.

Partnership

MMSF would like to recognize and thank our Sponsors!