Summer Camps
Make music in GTCYS this summer! Week-long camps for beginning to advanced students.
2023 Summer Camps: July 17 – 21, 2023
GTCYS’ summer camps are now open for registration! Our four weeklong camps are for beginning to advanced strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion students. Half-day sessions on July 17-21 are filled with music, social activities, and summer fun at the University of Minnesota’s School of Music in Minneapolis. The week culminates in a free public concert at 12:30pm at Ted Mann Concert Hall. Need-based tuition assistance is available. Click here to view the full audition and summer camp flyer information!
- NEW! Summer Brass Ensembles: Developing and advanced brass ensembles led by Jonathan Brandt & Jason Tanksley
- Summer Philharmonia: Beginner strings led by Mary Sorlie
- Summer Sinfonietta: Developing strings, winds, brass & percussion led by Tamara Gonzalez & Dan Mollick, with woodwinds, brass, and percussion specialist Diane Hallberg
- Summer Symphony: Advanced strings, winds, brass & percussion led by artistic director Mark Russell Smith
Full details and descriptions are below.
NEW! Summer Brass Ensembles
Co-Directors: Jason Tanksley & Jonathan Brandt
Meets: 12:30pm – 2:30pm, July 17-20 with 12:30pm concert on July 21
Cost: $25 registration fee + $225 tuition; tuition assistance available. Discounted rate of $150 for students who also participate in one of the morning orchestra camps.
GTCYS’ new Summer Brass Ensembles will serve beginning, intermediate, and advanced horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba students ages 10 – 18. This camp provides a unique brass experience designed for students with at least one year of playing experience.
If you are auditioning for the 2023-24 GTCYS season, your audition video will be used as your playing sample. If not, please prepare a solo using the parameters below:
Solo: Prepare one piece of music that demonstrates your best abilities. Selections can include solos, studies, school music, or other pieces. Your solo selection should not be more than 2 minutes in length. If your solo is longer than 2 minutes, please make appropriate cuts within the music.
Summer Philharmonia
Conductor: Mary Sorlie
Meets: 9:00am – 12:00pm, July 17-21 with 12:30pm concert on July 21
Cost: $25 registration fee + $330 tuition; tuition assistance available
Summer Philharmonia introduces beginning violin, viola, cello, and bass players ages 7-12 to playing in an orchestra. This camp is designed for students who have been playing their instrument for at least one year. Students must be able to read music. No playing sample needed.
Summer Sinfonietta
Co-Conductors: Tamara Gonzalez & Dan Mollick
Winds/Brass/Percussion Specialist: Diane Hallberg
Meets: 9:00am – 12:00pm, July 17-21 with 12:30pm concert on July 21
Cost: $25 registration fee + $330 tuition; tuition assistance available
Summer Sinfonietta is a full orchestra camp open to strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. This camp is best for string players ages 12-15 with at least two years’ playing experience, and best for woodwinds, brass, and percussion students ages 13-16 with at least two years’ playing experience. Playing sample video required (see below for details).
This camp is best for string players age 12 – 15 with at least two years’ playing experience.
Students should be comfortable playing with a range of articulations in music including up to 3 sharps and 2 flats concert pitch.
Students should be able to play in the full range of their instrument in first position and have some experience in other positions.
This camp is best for woodwinds, brass, and percussion students age 13 – 16 with at least two years’ playing experience.
Students should be comfortable playing with a range of articulations in music including up to 3 sharps and 2 flats concert pitch.
If you are auditioning for the 2023-24 GTCYS season, your audition video will be used as your playing sample. If not, please prepare a solo using the parameters below:
Solo: Prepare one piece of music that demonstrates your best abilities. Selections can include solos, studies, school music, or other pieces. Your solo selection should not be more than 2 minutes in length. If your solo is longer than 2 minutes, please make appropriate cuts within the music.
Summer Symphony
Conductor: Mark Russell Smith
Meets: 9:00am – 12:00pm, July 17-21 with 12:30pm concert on July 21
Cost: $25 registration fee + $330 tuition; tuition assistance available
A fulfilling and rigorous full orchestral experience for the advanced student, Summer Symphony is similar to the Philharmonic and Symphony levels in GTCYS school-year orchestras. Students will be immersed in challenging orchestral literature, striving for musical expression at the highest level. This camp is best for students ages 15-18, with exceptions for younger students playing at a very advanced level. Playing sample video required (see below for details).
If you are auditioning for the 2023-24 GTCYS season, your audition video will be used as your playing sample. If not, find your instrument below and follow the instructions to prepare your playing sample. All playing samples will include scales, a solo, and prepared excerpts, as listed below:
| Violin | Viola | Cello | Bass |
| Flute | Oboe | Clarinet | Bassoon |
| Horn | Trumpet | Trombone | Tuba |
| Percussion | Harp |
Which Summer Camp Orchestra should I register for?
Registering for a specific orchestra does not guarantee you’ll be placed in that orchestra, but this guide below will give you an idea of where you’ll have the most fun this summer!
| Orchestra | Instrumentation | Age Level | Playing Level | Playing Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Brass Ensembles | Brass Only | Ages 10-18 | At least one year playing your instrument | Playing sample: solo piece of your choice |
| Summer Philharmonia | Strings Only | Ages 8-12 | At least one year playing your instrument | No playing sample needed |
| Summer Sinfonietta | Full Orchestra (strings, winds, brass, percussion) | Strings: ages 12-15 Winds, brass, percussion: ages 13-16 | At least two years playing your instrument | Playing sample: solo piece of your choice |
| Summer Symphony | Full Orchestra (strings, winds, brass, percussion) | Ages 15-18 | Advanced playing level | Playing sample: scales, solo piece of your choice, and prepared excerpts |
Playing Samples for Summer Camps
Playing sample videos are required for Summer Sinfonietta and Summer Symphony to help conductors get to know you as a player and match you with a camp level. No playing sample is required for Summer Philharmonia. Playing sample requirements are listed under the camp descriptions, and videos will be due June 22. Students auditioning for the 2023-24 school year orchestras will not need to prepare an additional playing sample.
New! Summer Mariachi Camp
Conductor: Cristela Frias Koski
Meets: 9:00am – 12:00pm, August 7 – 11
Cost: $275 tuition; tuition assistance available
We are beyond excited to share that GTCYS will hold our first ever mariachi camp this summer! This camp will be led by mariachi expert Cristela Frias Koski in collaboration with the GTCYS Harmony program, at Riverview Spanish/English Dual Immersion Program, 160 Isabel Street East, Saint Paul. String students in Harmony, Philharmonia East & West, and Sinfonia East & West are invited to participate!