Strings International Music Festival
Directed by Kimberly Fisher of The Philadelphia Orchestra

Solo Performance Opportunities

Solo Performance Hours:
These informal concerts are open to all Strings 2008 students with performance-ready, memorized pieces. Performers should be confident of the repertoire with accompaniment (if appropriate), as rehearsal time is minimal. Students must have selections ready before arrival at festival. These concerts provide wonderful opportunities for students to enjoy the experience of performing and sharing music with others, while encouraging each student to seek high performance standards. Please be sure to select repertoire that is ready to perform.

Concerto Competitions:
Musicians participating in the competition must be ready to perform with orchestra if selected. This event is one of the most intense of the performance opportunities at Strings 2008. Repertoire must be performed by memory and readily available for orchestral accompaniment. Please note that rehearsal with faculty accompanist will constitute preliminary round. Rehearsals may be schedule as early as Sunday, June 15, so please insure that you arrive at the festival ready to perform competition repertoire. Final rounds are performed in public at an evening concert event at Bryn Mawr College. One Grand Prize Winner will be selected to represent Strings 2008 as a soloist with the Ocean City Pops Orchestra! Visit our Competition Page for additional competition information.

Bach Double and Vivaldi Competition:
Violin students will be given an opportunity at the Strings 2008 International Music Festival to compete for an on-stage duo concerto performance at the Kimmel Center – or other Philadelphia area venue - with Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violinist, Philadelphia Orchestra, or other member of The Philadelphia Orchestra! To qualify for this competition, violin students must prepare by memory either the first, second, or third movement of the Bach Double Violin Concerto, 2 violin part. One winner will be chosen for each movement. Cello students must perform by memory the first movement of the Vivaldi Concerto in B Flat Major - F.IV, n.2 for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra. Look for similar opportunities for viola and bass in future festivals. Visit our Competitions Page for additional competition information.

Private and Lessons:
Each student will be given two one-hour private lessons with a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Extra lessons are available for purchase. Students should bring scale, study, and repertoire music to each lesson. Students should be prepared to play both polished and newer repertoire.

Master Class:
Students of varied levels will be selected by adjudicators reviewing placement audition tapes/cds to perform in Master Classes presented by members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Performers with highly polished repertoire will be chosen based not only on advancement, but also on responsiveness and a demonstrated willingness to learn.

In addition to these performances, all students will perform with their festival orchestras at the Strings 2008 Grand Finale Concert. Students participating in the Chamber Music Program will also perform chamber music at one of two Strings International Music Festival Chamber Music Concerts, tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday June 26 at 7:00 p.m..