Summer Camps
Make Music in GTCYS This Summer! Week-Long Camps for Beginning to Advanced Students
2025 Summer Orchestra Camps: July 21–25, 2025
Dive into a summer filled with music, friendship, and fun at GTCYS’ orchestra and brass camps! Led by GTCYS’ artistic staff and open to students ages 8-18 at all skill levels, these exciting camps offer inspiring music-making, engaging social activities, and the perfect chance to sharpen your skills or experience GTCYS for the first time.
When: July 21–25, 2025 (half days)
Where: University of Minnesota’s School of Music, Minneapolis
Who: Beginning to advanced strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion students ages 8–18
What: 3 orchestra camps tiered by level (morning sessions) plus brass camps (afternoon sessions). 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. See specific camp details below!
How: Register online, and upload a recording of your playing sample by June 25. Scholarships available!
Registration for GTCYS 2025 Summer Orchestra Camps and Brass Camp is now open! If you are interested in auditioning for a school-year orchestra, please visit our auditions page.
2025 Summer Camp Descriptions
Conductor: Mary Sorlie
Meets: 9:00am – 12:00pm, July 21-25 with 12:30pm concert on July 25
Cost: $405 tuition; tuition assistance available
Please note: GTCYS’ camps used to require a separate registration fee which is now rolled into tuition for simplicity.
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.
Co-Conductors: Tamara Gonzalez, Dan Mollick, Diane Hallberg
Meets: 9:00am – 12:00pm, July 21-25 with 12:30pm concert on July 25
Cost: $405 tuition; tuition assistance available
Please note: GTCYS’ camps used to require a separate registration fee which is now rolled into tuition for simplicity.
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).
Refund Policy: A full refund will be given, less a $50 withdrawal fee, if written or email notice of withdrawal is received by 11:59 p.m. CT on July 7, 2025. No refunds will be given after July 7.
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 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.
Summer Sinfonietta Playing Sample
If you are auditioning for the 2025-26 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.
Conductor: Mark Russell Smith
Meets: 9:00am – 12:00pm, July 21-25 with 12:30pm concert on July 25
Cost: $405 tuition; tuition assistance available
Please note: GTCYS’ camps used to require a separate registration fee which is now rolled into tuition for simplicity.
Refund Policy: A full refund will be given, less a $50 withdrawal fee, if written or email notice of withdrawal is received by 11:59 p.m. CT on July 7, 2025. No refunds will be given after July 7.
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 2025-26 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 |
Director: Jason Tanksley
Meets: 12:30pm – 2:30pm, July 21-25 with 12:30pm concert on July 25
Cost: $290 tuition; tuition assistance available. Discounted rate of $160 for students who also participate in one of the morning orchestra camps for a total of $565.
Please note: GTCYS’ camps used to require a separate registration fee which is now rolled into tuition for simplicity.
GTCYS’ Summer Brass Camp serves 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.
Summer Brass Camp Playing Sample
If you are auditioning for the 2025-26 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.
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 |
| Summer Brass Ensembles | Brass Only | Ages 10-18 | At least one year playing your instrument | Playing sample: solo piece of your choice |
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 2025–26 school year orchestras will not need to prepare an additional playing sample.
Summer Camp FAQs
- 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.
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 $405 per student (including a non-refundable $50 deposit).
- Tuition for Brass Camps is $290.
- Students participating in both Orchestra and Brass camps will receive a $160 discount.
- 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.
- Please see our Tuition Assistance Page for more information about how to apply for tuition assistance
A full refund will be given, less a $50 withdrawal fee, if written or email notice of withdrawal is received by 11:59 p.m. CT on July 7, 2025. No refunds will be given after July 7.
Yes! After completing an audition, return to the audition page, click on the next auditionee’s instrument and click “register another.”
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.