More than 150 young musicians gathered in Beruit, Lebanon for the 11th annual YES Academy. Presented by the Association of American Voices with Notre Dame University Louaize and the National Conservatory of Lebanon, the program saw participants from Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and Pakistan. The offerings were varied with workshops in chamber music, music composition, piano, classical voice, conducting, chamber orchestra, and private lessons, leading to a rich musical experience.

Over the course of the program, students spent 60-90 minutes per day exploring chamber music repertoire with YES Academy faculty and special guests. Students were assigned to string trios and quartets, brass and woodwind quintets, piano trios, vocal ensembles, and a variety of other small ensembles. In addition to intensive coaching on the assigned repertoire, each participant was involved in sessions designed to explore new and unique angles to musicianship and performance.

The program concluded on August 12 with a large gala concert showcasing the hard work of the students.

One student said: “The YES Academy Lebanon changed my life. I learned more in 10 days than I have in the past year at home. I am so grateful for the opportunity.”

Some of the chamber music repertoire included:

     Mozart, Quartet in Eb Major, K160, Mvt 3 Presto

     Schubert, String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor, Death and the Maiden

     Popper, Requiem for three cellos and piano

     Dvorak, Piano Quintet, Mvt. 1

     Haydn, String Quartet Op. 74 N. 2, Movt 4, Finale Presto

     Beethoven, Six Minuets

YES Academy is one of many chamber music workshops and programs supported by the ACMP Foundation. For more information about ACMP’s grant programs, visit our Grants Programs page.