Skills and Drills for Intermediate level chamber music players at Summertrios

About the Workshop

I’d like to introduce you to a special chamber music workshop designed for the intermediate level adult player.
While much chamber music was written with the amateur in mind, too often the more popular pieces have technical hurdles that make enjoyable music making a frustrating challenge for the intermediate player. You may know this feeling. You try a piece where the tempo, rhythmic or ensemble issues are at a level where too many things feel difficult and the experience becomes less enjoyable and more stressful. Or, while you might have played in the past, you have limited chamber music experience and you want to review the ensemble techniques needed to play independently in a chamber music group.

In this workshop, we start with a focus on skills that build fluency in chamber music communication, sight reading, practice techniques and drills that improve intonation and group bowing issues.
We then delve into 3-4 chamber works selected to focus on particular styles or musical issues that can be applied to many other pieces. There are other pieces selected to enhance sight reading abilities.
Our schedule includes morning and afternoon workshops with coaches in a supportive environment where we learn from each other as well as from the coach. Performance is in a non-stress setting. Our location in Lancaster Pennsylvania is a uniquely interesting place and there will be opportunities to explore the area.

Here are several pieces we have worked on in the past for you to assess the range and difficulty of the music we have done.
Vanhal Op. 6 # 1
Grieg Two Elegiac Pieces