Click the image below for a closer look at the composers whose works were coached during the 2024 conference.
from a participant:
I was thrilled with these sessions. I appreciated learning about the structure of each movement, and I loved that the coach pushed me to play a little beyond myself. Although the time was too short for this enormous piece, I'm taking home great musical ideas about individual passages, as well as practical ideas about how to practice them and work on them as a group.
from participants:
Had an incredible day, rounding out a great week ... Grateful to reach a level of music performance never previously reached. Happy and satisfied!
I LOVE it when I am assigned a piece that I have absolutely never heard of. It's an adventure, and usually a good piece.
from participants:
I really appreciated that the coach pushed us to stretch ourselves and our abilities -- that is why we come to be coached, to find out where our limits are. To our surprise, we could do more than we anticipated!
This coach has a very emotional and enthusiastic connection to music, and worked hard - and successfully - to give us the same connection. He is a lot of fun to work with, is very knowledgeable and worked very hard to make us a better quintet.
Coaching
The heart of the Chamber Music Conference is the coaching program. In daily morning and afternoon sessions, groups of participants study complete works of the chamber music repertoire under the guidance of our distinguished faculty. Groups are carefully assembled for compatibility. Works are assigned several weeks in advance of the Conference, taking repertoire preference into account whenever possible. Participants are expected to arrive having practiced the parts and studied the scores for their assignments. The advance scheduling, assignment, and preparation allow focused and rewarding exploration of the music in the coaching sessions.
You can personalize your coaching experience in several ways, including:
- Choosing between two coaching formats.
- Pre-forming groups and making requests for repertoire and/or coaches.
- Requesting to study and perform a work commissioned by the Conference and composed by a Composer-in-Residence or a Composition Fellow.
View the Coaching Program at a Glance table for a summary of the program and details of the instrumentation in each week of the Conference.
Coaching Formats
We offer two different coaching formats during the four weeks of the conference.
Coaching Format for Week 1 – The format of Week 1 includes more coaching sessions for each piece than the format of Weeks 2, 3, and 4. Participants receive three assignments for coaching, and each piece is coached for four sessions. In addition, scheduled rehearsal times afford the opportunity for participants to practice and to assimilate feedback from coaching sessions; coaches do not attend the scheduled rehearsals.
Coaching Format for Weeks 2, 3, and 4 – Participants in these three weeks receive four coaching assignments per week and are coached on each piece for three mornings or three afternoons. This format does not include scheduled rehearsals and leaves more unscheduled time for informal ensemble playing.
Coaching Requests and Pre-formed Groups
After your application is accepted, you may submit requests, including your preferences for personnel and repertoire for coached groups. These requests help us customize your schedule to an extent not matched in other workshops.
General Requests – We strongly encourage participants to express general preferences for coached groups, for example: I'd like to be coached on Beethoven opus 132
or I'd like to work with one of the following coaches
or I'd like to work on a piano trio
. Offering a variety of repertoire requests, including a list of specific works or composers, will allow the schedule to reflect some of your preferences while also including works that are new for you. We cannot fulfill all requests, but we make every effort to honor them.
Pre-formed Groups – You may submit a request for a pre-formed group by specifying the musical composition and all other players in the group. You can pre-form one of the three groups in Week 1 and two of the four groups in Weeks 2, 3, and 4.
Coaching on a Commissioned Work
In each of Weeks 2, 3, and 4, the Conference invites a Composer-in-Residence and a Composition Fellow to write works specifically for a group of Conference participants. Through the Composers' Forum, a significant percentage of our Conference's population has had the distinction of premiering a new work. On your application form you may indicate your interest in studying a new composition with its composer present at coaching sessions. The group will be coached by the Composer-in-Residence and will perform the commissioned work in a Participant Musicale. See the Composers' Forum page for more information.
2025 Coaching Program at a Glance
| Program Element | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | July 6-13 | July 13-20 | July 20-27 | July 27-August 3 |
| Number of participants | 40 to 50 | 60 to 70 | 60 to 70 | 60 to 70 |
| Number of works coached | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Coaching hours per work | 7 | 5.25 | 5.25 | 5.25 |
| Total coaching hours | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Scheduled rehearsals | ✓ | |||
| Commissioned works* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Instrumentation | violin, viola, cello, bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, piano | |||
* For participants who indicate interest.
Acknowledgements
The chamber music coaching program and other programs of the Chamber Music Conference are made possible, in part, by support from
ACMP Associated Chamber Music Players, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, and generous contributions from individuals.
