Curtis Summerfest Chamber Music for Adults
Last week I attended the Curtis School of Music's Chamber Music for Adults, part of the Summerfest program. This five day program took place at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. I stayed in the dormitory housing, so this condensed time period was maximized due to not worrying about commuting or cooking meals.
I played with the orchestra as well as with a chamber group. Our conductor was the relatable and highly skilled David Hayes with the Mannes School of Music. The orchestra had three rehearsals and performed on the fourth night, playing Beethoven's Coriolan and Brahms' Serenade No. 1 in D Major. Our concertmaster and one of our faculty for the session was Melissa White of the Harlem Quartet. A great violinist who has a wonderful personality.
For the chamber portion of the session, I practiced a Carulli Duetto for guitar and violin with a terrific fellow musician. Overall, the program was very well planned and managed, and I would definitely consider participating again.