Kutztown University Summer Music Festival Slated for July 2-9

Performers playing on stage.

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University Summer Music Festival returns July 2-9. Talented students from around the world join forces for a one week fully immersive musical experience, working with the festival's renowned roster of devoted musicians and pedagogues.

Concerts and workshops are free and open to the public. Full schedule can be found online.

The opening night program will be held 7:30 p.m., Sunday, July 3, Schaeffer Auditorium. This program will present two of the chamber music literature’s most popular and enduring large-scale works: the lyrical and brilliant Schubert Trout Quintet and the energetic and passionate Piano Quintet of Robert Schumann. Performers will include Festival faculty, joined by international guest artists from Chile, Spain and Greece.

The July 4 concert will feature faculty, guest artists and students from the Festival in a varied and innovative program with works including Spain by Chick Corea, Barber’s Souvenirs for piano, Four Hands, Dvorak’s AmericanString Quartet, Bottesini’s Gran Duo for Clarinet and Double Bass and an exciting arrangement of the Star-Spangled Banner for three violas.

The remainder of the week will showcase the talented students of the Festival in mixed chamber ensembles and works for small orchestra including Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals!

The Summer Music Festival will offer one week of intensive study to ambitious high school and college age musicians, including daily private lessons and chamber music coaching. It is open to piano, strings, winds and percussion, with faculty from The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, University of Macedonia in Greece, University of Chile, Kutztown University, the New York City Ballet Orchestra and other prestigious institutions.

Participants will have the opportunity to work on solo repertoire, learn and perform works from the core chamber music literature and receive instruction on audition preparation. In addition to the intensive chamber music experience, students will have the opportunity to participate in a series of intriguing and informative seminars and workshops on a variety of musical topics, including the concerto competition, sponsored by the Festival and the University of Macedonia in Greece.

Founded in 2010 by pianist Maria Asteriadou, the Kutztown University Summer Music Festival features an intensive and comprehensive approach to learning the core chamber music repertoire for strings, piano, percussion and winds. The festival's mission is to provide opportunities that go far beyond the traditional summer music camp experience, creating a stimulating environment for musical and personal growth through and international exchange of talent and ideas.

Nurturing the love of great music and developing the young artists of the future, KU's Summer Music Festival allows emerging musicians to experience the Art of Chamber Music with internationally acclaimed artists.

For more information, call 610-683-4550 or visit http://www.kusummermusicfestival.com/.