Contact for Chinese students: trio.jeng@uc.edu
Summer Academy Programs
Professional Development For Educators
Amateur Chamber Music Program for participants involved with music performance and
General Arts Program for participants who are not musicians.
Orfeo Academy Programs in performance provide standard classical repertory training with the world’s renowned performers and teachers to students of piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, and voice. Students have the opportunity to attend a dazzling array of professional festival concerts and to perform. String and woodwind players may participate in the Orfeo Orchestra and Orfeo Chamber Orchestra. Pianists have the opportunity to collaborate with other instrumentalists and singers.
In addition to Instrument/Voice instruction, we offer additional Optional Courses (see below and the Application Form).
All programs are offered at Pre-College, College, and Amateur levels.
General Arts Program is non-age-specific and does not require specialization in music or art.
Who should attend?
Whether you are a college student majoring in voice or instrument, a student interested in arts and music, an educator, or an emerging professional interested to improve credentials, this outstanding program is for you.
Application Process
1) The first step is to register for participation in the Orfeo Music Festival by filling out the Registration Form found on the "Registration and Fees" page and submitting your payment.
2) You will receive Acceptance Letter email from us and will need to complete your registration by paying tuition within one weeks. You can also pay tuition at the time of application to secure your spot.
3) If you are a performing student, you will need to email your Concert Repertoire Request immediately following your tuition payment.
4) Notifications of chamber music groups and repertoire, solo and orchestral programs (if offered) are e-mailed to each performing participant in late spring. All student concert appearances are subject to faculty approval and at the discretion of the festival organizers. Chamber music groups will start performances after several days of rehearsals. Everyone has to arrive with their parts learned and ready for a rehearsal immediately.
Because of popular demand, several day trips are offered and will be available to select locations. Past trips have included Verona, Venice, and Salzburg. There is plenty of superb recreation locally including hiking in the Alps and swimming and sunbathing at the newly opened health complex.
Sample Daily Schedule
7.30 – Breakfast
8.00 – Lessons/Coachings/Practice
14.00 – Lunch
15.00 – Public Master Classes, rehearsals
17.30 – Concert
19.00 – Dinner
20.30 – Concert
Optional Courses
We offer several Optional Courses available to all participants and taught by Orfeo's world-class faculty. It is a remarkable resource for enriching student's musical, mental, and physical horizons for years to come.
*New! - String Techniques.
The course is designed to provide opportunities for growth as a player of string instruments. Students will work on correct posture and instrument placement, on developing correct left- and right-hand positions, and on a variety of performance techniques including left- and right-hand strategies. Taught by Dr. Routa Kroumovitch, Stetson University.
*New! - Mindfulness For Musicians.
Within the stress of daily practice, performance, audition, and competition obligations, musicians can often find themselves anxious, exhausted, and burned out. Many times this results in a performance that is less than your best. Based on the principles of Koru meditation, you will explore techniques for relaxation, management of performance anxiety, tools for practice efficiency, and mindful meditation. No experience is required. Prepare to meet your best self! Taught by Dr. Jamie Reimer, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Additional Instrument Or Voice Instruction
is offered as a supplemental course to your main instrument/voice instruction. Add adventure to your musical summer by exploring a new instrument and taking advantage of Orfeo's rich resources of international faculty specializing in a wide range of orchestral instruments, piano and voice.
Collaborative Piano
is designed for pianists and offers an opportunity for intensive instruction in the art of the collaborative piano. The student is involved in active interaction with a soloist or a chamber group. Work with the professor is concentrated on collaborative skills.
Secondary Piano
course for non-pianists offered by members of piano faculty involves individual instruction with an emphasis on the thorough development of essential keyboard skills, technique, style, interpretation and repertoire accommodated to student’s individual level of progress.
Conducting Course
is offered to festival participants of all specialties and is designed to familiarize students with the fundamentals of conducting. Students are able to observe conductors work with two Orfeo Music Festival orchestras.
Orchestra Auditions Course
is led by our outstanding string faculty members. Students will explore excerpts from the standard orchestral literature, highlighting favorite audition materials of the major symphony orchestras. Each student will be given a list of excerpts and coached on how to prepare them. Emphasis will be on stylistic content, bowing, fingerings, and challenging rhythms. Students will participate in mock auditions and receive feedback. The course will also address the mental aspects of successful auditions and the expectations of professional orchestras.
Pedagogy Course
(Piano, String, Winds, Voice) cover the fundamentals of teaching in each discipline and explore new trends and methods in the art of teaching. Students will be engaged in learning the subject by combining lectures, private and group lesson observations and class discussions of teaching techniques and having a chance to practice some of the newly learned skills under the close supervision of a professor.
Developing The Musician’s Portfolio.
In this course, students will work on developing all of the aspects of a musician’s portfolio under the professor's close guidance. The participants will create their own biographies, learn about cultivating a professional image both on and off stage, have headshots taken and receive audio and video recordings of performances. Students will learn about creating a digital portfolio and website. The students will leave the class with a working digital portfolio, including headshots, recordings, and biographies.
*New! - The Entrepreneurial Musician.
This course will focus on practical ways to make a living as a self-starting musician and will cover such topics as: Finding Your Niche, Establishing and Running a Private Studio, Start Your Own Business, Marketing for Musicians, Resume/CV/Graduate School Applications, Music as a Tool for Social Change.
Health Program
includes Body Mapping, Yoga classes and a new course, Psychology of Performance (see Health Program page).
Language
Orfeo Music Festival offers Italian/German Language courses
Music Appreciation - Music History
In music appreciation course students will explore most striking compositional styles, learn about composers, performers, and the modern classical concert scene. Music History course will delve into the context of select musical works and explore closely the history of some of the most beloved compositions.
Music Theory
A course designed to intoruduce students to fundamentals of music theory up to Theory 2 topics.
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Participants are invited to take part in rehearsals and prepare our annual program of the Orfeo Festival Choir, as well as attend traditional annual Art Exhibition and Art/Drawing Course.
2024 Program Information
July 2-13, Vipiteno, Italy
TRIPS
Vipiteno, Italy session:
Mozart’s Salzburg
Tour of historical center of Vipiteno
Hiking in the Alps
If time permits: Verona, Venice Excursions
Instrumental Program
In Private Instruction Program the emphasis is made on individual instruction by Orfeo's Artists in Residence, enhanced by involvement in such group activities as Master Classes, Performance Classes, and, if offered, singing in choir if interested as well as playing in two festival orchestras. Complete Instrumental Program Application Form mark Private Instruction box.
Chamber Music Program. We believe that it is very important for young musicians to play chamber music together where they learn interactive musical skills and discover new sides of their musical talent. You may select to concentrate on chamber music playing rather than individual lessons during your stay at Orfeo this season. Repertoire and groups are organized in advance. Students are assigned specific compositions and have parts to prepare before they arrive. Complete Instrumental Program Application Form, mark Chamber Music Program box.
Instrumental Program is available for Pre-College, College, Amateur participants and *(NEW!) Professional Development for Educators. Complete Instrumental Program Application Form or Voice Institute Form at the bottom of this page, on the "Registration and Fees" page, or here.
Voice Institute
Orfeo Voice Institute is a program for singers where, in addition to taking private lessons with leading teachers and coaches, students have the opportunity to perform solo and in chamber groups, engage in opera scene concert production when offered, sing in master classes with vocal teachers from the best European opera theaters, as well as take language lessons and practice yoga.
Orfeo Voice Institute is available for Pre-College, College, Amateur participants and *(NEW!) Professional Development for Educators (Teachers welcome! Add performances in Italy to your professional portfolio!). Complete Voice Institute Program Registration Form at the bottom of this page or on the "Registration and Fees" page or here.
Amateur Chamber Music Program
Orfeo's Amateur Program/Chamber Music Holiday - for more information and application please visit here.
Professional Development for Educators
Teachers welcome! We offer professional development opportunities for certified educators and teaching artists. This is a unique opportunity to be immersed in the music performance world for two weeks of your life, be mentored by top performers, and to advance your performing skills. Add performances in Italy to your professional portfolio! Complete Instrumental Program Application Form or Voice Institute Form at the bottom of this page, on the "Registration and Fees" or here.
General Arts Program
is designed for students interested to pursue their general studies of art, music and language while traveling to Italy, including visits to famous historical locations and attendance of Orfeo Festival concerts, choir participation if desired, lectures, workshops and events. Complete the General Program Application Form at the bottom of this page or on the "Registration and Fees" page or here.
DATES
February 5
Application Form and Application Fee deadline.
You can pay your tuition at the time of application in order to take advantage of special discounts (see Application Form). Your registration is not complete until all fees are paid.
*After February 5 applications are accepted if vacancies remain, please inquire by email to info@orfeomusicfestival.com.
To students who apply after the deadline and are accepted:
- your solo concert performances will be scheduled only if concert space remains.
- if requesting to play in a chamber group, you will be assigned to groups that are available.
Non-U.S. students that need a visa for Italy: apply for Italian visa as soon as possible.
We advise that Chinese student apply for visa from U.S.
February 10
Early Bird Tuition due (full payment)
February 15
Tuition deposit is due $1,900
March 1
Final tuition payment due (or within one week of acceptance email).
Performing students only: submit by email your Performance Repertoire Request (in order of priority list works you wish to perform per your professor approval).
March 15
Excursions and airport bus payments due
May
Performing students will receive notification of concert assignments (vocal, chamber, choir and soloists, orchestra if offered).
Competition Preliminary Round winners: submit by e-mail your Final Round program after consulting with your teacher: two contrasting works from standard repertory to be performed by memory not exceeding 10 minutes (short piece, movement of a larger composition) or a set of pieces approved by the teacher for vocalists.
Only online payments are accepted after May 30 (see bottom of Registration and Fees" page).
June 10
Final email with instructions sent to all participants before festival begins.
July 2-13
Arrival and Departure days (depart from U.S. on the previous day).
Festival Office closed:
End of festival-September 20
December 15 – January 10
March 15 - 25