PROGRAM COORDINATORS:

Stephanie Baer, 35 West Fourth Street, Suite 1077, 212 992 9447, stephanie.baer@nyu.edu

Marion Feldman, co-director: marion.feldman@nyu.edu or 212 874 7756

For the Karen Tuttle NYU Summer Coordination Workshop, click here

Program Overview

SummerStrings brings together 60 of the most talented students from around the world to study and explore the art of string quartet playing.  At the end of the three week program each quartet performs as part of the SummerStrings@ NYU Festival in the Frederick Loewe Theatre.

The intensity of the schedule and the exacting performance standards make SummerStrings most appropriate for the serious, dedicated musician, attracting  advanced high school and college students and young professionals.

Each student participates in the Creativity Workshop which includes classes in Alexander Technique, Improvisation and 5Rhythms Movement. These classes are designed to unleash the performers' creative potential thus enabling them to communicate more effectively with their audience.

NYU Artist faculty Stephanie Chase, Gregory Fulkerson, violin; Stephanie Baer, Shmuel Katz,  Karen Ritscher, viola; Marion Feldman, Eileen Moon, cello; and Edward Malave, Alexander Technique; give intensive string quartet coaching, conduct classes in the Creativity Workshop as well as provide private lessons to the students. During the third week, each quartet performs in a master class for the Amphion Quartet, our resident quartet.

The seminar culminates in a string quartet festival held in the Frederick Loewe Theatre which includes a concert given by the Amphion Quartet and student performances which are open to the public.

A typical day includes a minimum of four hours of scheduled quartet rehearsal, a one hour coaching (there are three quartet coachings per week), two or more hours of individual practice and a Creativity Workshop class.

Evenings and weekends have activities as varied as NY Philharmonic concerts, operas in Central Park, sight-seeing in New York City or visits to museums.

Deadline

Application deadline: April 1, 2013
Competition application requirements: a CD or DVD with two contrasting movements or works from the solo repertoire. Send audition materials to (or submit video online, instructions here):

Stephanie Baer, Director
Program in String Studies
Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
35 West Fourth Street, Suite 1077
New York, NY 10012

Housing/Meals

Housing is available only for participants who are 16 years or older. Students stay in private or shared rooms with one or two roommates in an NYU residence hall. The residence hall is located near Washington Square Park, a short walk from campus buildings. Campus meal plans range from 8 to 12 meals per week and include a card with $30 of Dining Dollars. Linens are provided; students should bring their own towels. The residence hall building has air conditioning and Internet access with an Ethernet cable.

NYU Public Safety Services officers are on duty 24 hours a day. Specially assigned Resident Assistants (R.A.) monitor discipline, including enforcing a curfew for students in this program, and help students as they adjust to living away from home.

Because our standards for achievement are high, we accept highly motivated students who will enjoy the classes as well as the cultural activities. It is, therefore, important to know that failure to comply with regulations will be grounds for immediate dismissal from the program. Parents and/or guardians will be contacted as soon as any unsatisfactory behavior is recognized. Click here for more specific housing information.

Cost

The cost of the program is $1,900. The fee for housing and meals is not included in the program fee.

Personal Expenses

A great benefit of the SummerStrings@NYU workshop is the chance for students to experience life in New York City and Greenwich Village. The cost of living in the city is high. The activities fee students pay for the workshop covers only the primary cost of participating in the evening and weekend events and does not cover personal expenses. Students should budget for enough money to last the entire time they will be participating in the workshop. Students are encouraged to discuss expenses and decide upon a budget with their families prior to arriving in New York City.

Application Fee & Audition Materials

Participants must be 15 years or older to be considered. (Housing is available only for participants who are 16 years or older.)

If you would like to be considered for the workshop, you must do the following:

• Submit a general online summer application  
• Pay a $50 application fee (nonrefundable)
• Fill out a workshop questionnaire (select SummerStrings)
• Submit a DVD or CD (or submit a video online, instructions here) with two contrasting movements or works from the solo repertoire
For scholarship information, please contact the program director about writing a scholarship request essay.

Please be sure to include your contact information: phone number, mailing address, and your e-mail address as well as the name of your school and your year of study (i.e., high school senior, college junior).

Send your audition materials to:

Stephanie Baer, Director
Program in String Studies
Music and Performing Arts Professions
35 West Fourth Street, Suite 1077
New York, NY 10012

If you submit your audition video online, you should put all your contact information requested above in the same email to Professor Baer at stephanie.baer@nyu.edu. You will still need to mail in your application fee to the address above.

Audition materials become the property of NYU Steinhardt and cannot be returned.

***PLEASE NOTE: Participants under the age of 18 will be required to attend activities on practically every evening during the program. Activities will include trips to the theatre, concerts and visits to important sites throughout New York City.***

 (top of page and bottom photo: Marion Feldman)