Accelerated Chamber Music

This summer we will be reinvigorating one of our signature programs at CSS. Accelerated Chamber Music is an opportunity for our more experienced applicants to dive deep into the art of collaboration. Participants will be accepted based on audition, requiring additional chamber music materials beyond the standard CSS audition – see below for details. 

These quartets will have a more intensive rehearsal and coaching schedule, with the expectation that they will work through a complete string quartet. Accelerated groups will perform all of the movements throughout the institute on the evening live-streamed concert series.  

Accelerated Chamber Music is meant for a student with a fairly strong background in chamber music study and performance already. If this isn’t you, that’s ok! All of our  Center Stage Strings students will participate in the main track of chamber music, working in depth with our coaches through a wide range of repertoire. Students will participate in chamber-specific workshops with top artists in the field on the subjects of rehearsal technique, score study and beyond. Non-accelerated students will have the opportunity to perform in public master classes for prestigious chamber music faculty and also in the community at one of our partner programs in the Ann Arbor area. 

ADDITIONAL repertoire for the Accelerated Chamber Music Program Audition
Students wishing to be considered for this program (see Program Description above) will need to prepare the following piece and excerpts in addition to their regular audition repertoire.

NOTE: Accelerated videos must be submitted in one single file.

VIOLIN: Exposition of the first mvmt of a Mozart violin concerto. Piano not required, but accepted.

Chamber Music Excerpts (Violin): Beethoven String Quartet Op.18 no. 4, first mvmt beginning to m.77 (first violin part) AND Brahms String Quartet op. 67 no. 3, first mvmt beginning to m.82 (first violin part)

VIOLA: Exposition of the Stamitz Viola Concerto in D Major, first movement (piano not required, but accepted) OR the first movement of a viola Sonata by Brahms, Hindemith, Vieuxtemps, Schubert or Clarke. Other Sonatas may be considered with prior approval.

Chamber Music Excerpts (Viola): Mozart “Kegelstatt” Trio in E flat Major K. 498, first movement mm. 57-End AND Brahms Quartet No. 3 Op. 67, third movement (Agitato) Beginning to mm. 57.

CELLO: Exposition of the first movement of Haydn cello concertos in C Major or D Major (piano not required, but accepted), OR the first movement of one of the last three Beethoven sonatas, Brahms F Major sonata, or Shostakovich sonata. Other sonatas may be considered upon approval.

Chamber Music Excerpts (cello): Mendelssohn piano trio in C minor, mov III. Scherzo, mm 184-230 AND Brahms piano quartet in C minor, mov III. Andante, mm 1-17