Summer Camps
Make Music in GTCYS This Summer! Week-Long Camps for Beginning to Advanced Students
2026 Summer Orchestra Camps: July 20–24, 2026
Join young musicians from across the region for a week of inspiring music-making, engaging social activities, and the perfect chance to sharpen your skills or experience GTCYS for the first time.
GTCYS offers 3 summer orchestra camps for beginning to advanced students with at least one year of playing experience, so everyone can play their part!
When: July 20–24 from 9:00am–12:00pm, plus an afternoon concert on Friday, July 24
Where: University of Minnesota’s School of Music, Minneapolis
Who: Beginning to advanced strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion students ages 8–18
What: 3 morning orchestra camps tiered by level. Highlights include full ensemble rehearsals led by GTCYS conductors, sectionals with professional musicians, social activities, and a final performance on stage at Ted Mann Concert Hall.
Register by June 9!
2026 Summer Camp Descriptions
Conductor: Mary Sorlie
Meets: 9:00am–12:00pm, July 20–24 with a 12:30pm concert on July 24
Cost: $420 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!
Conductors: Tamara Gonzalez and Dan Mollick
Meets: 9:00am–12:00pm, July 20-24 with a 12:30pm concert on July 24
Cost: $420 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).
String Playing Level
- 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.
Winds, Brass, and Percussion Playing Level
- This camp is best for woodwinds, brass, and percussion students ages 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.
Summer Sinfonietta Playing Sample
If you are auditioning for the 2026-27 GTCYS season, your audition video can 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.
Conductor: Mark Russell Smith
Meets: 9:00am–12:00pm, July 20-24 with a 12:30pm concert on July 24
Cost: $420 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).
Summer Symphony Playing Sample
If you are auditioning for the 2026–27 GTCYS season, your audition video can 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 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 Orchestra Camps
Playing sample videos are required to help conductors get to know you as a player and match you with a camp level. Playing sample requirements are listed under the camp descriptions. Students auditioning for the 2026–27 season can use their audition video for their summer camp playing sample!
Summer Camp FAQs
- Please see our Tuition Assistance Page for more information about how to apply for tuition assistance
A full refund will be given, $420 less a $50 withdrawal fee, if written or email notice of withdrawal is received by 11:59 p.m. CT on June 22, 2026. No refunds will be given after June 22.
Yes! After completing an audition, return to the audition page, click on the next auditionee’s instrument and click “register another.”
- Summer Philharmonia: Only string players are eligible for Summer Philharmonia. Summer Philharmonia introduces beginning violin, viola, cello, and bass players ages 8-12 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: 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.
- Summer Symphony: 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.
If you’re auditioning for our 2026–27 season, you may reuse your audition playing sample for the solo piece requirement.
Yes, as long as the registration period is still open, you may log in to your account, un-submit your original playing sample, and upload your new one.
- GTCYS will email families with camp details and placements in July.
- If you receive a Snap Audition notification that your playing sample has been judged, please do not contact GTCYS inquiring about your results as they may not have been finalized yet.
Before camp, GTCYS will email directories to families who indicated interest in carpools on the registration form. Families can contact each other to coordinate carpools.
Choose 1 of these 3 ways to record and upload your playing sample video:
- 1) Recommended: Upload a video of no more than 3gb in size from your computer’s files. Or:
- 2) Recommended: Record directly on your phone from Snap Audition’s website on your mobile browser. Click the box with the up arrow on the “Upload” tab, then select “take photo or video”. You may re-record as many times as you wish directly from your mobile browser. Or:
- 3) Record a video on your phone and upload it to your audition registration. Please do not record your videos in 4k! This may result in file sizes that are too large to upload from your phone. Note that upload times may take longer using this method. Do not exit your mobile browser window while your video is uploading.
- Tuition for Summer Orchestra Camps is $420 per student (including a non-refundable $50 deposit).
- Families who want to apply for tuition assistance can register with a $25 fee using coupon codes provided on the registration website. A tuition assistance application is required thereafter so GTCYS can determine an award and balance due.
Note: The camp no longer has a separate registration fee like it did in past years.