Chamber Music

In January, the annual ChamberFest program allows 20 chamber groups a week of intensive work before the second semester begins. Each group receives a rehearsal studio for the week and eight hours of coaching from the faculty. ChamberFest ensembles give public performances at Juilliard during the first week of the second semester.

Student musicians form their own groups, audition for faculty coaches, then attend weekly coaching sessions that culminate each semester in performances around the building and beyond. In addition to standard groupings, such as string quartets, piano trios, and brass and wind quintets, we offer a wide variety of chamber music opportunities — including vocal chamber music; coaching with members of the composition faculty; Classical repertoire with fortepiano; Baroque repertoire with the Historical Performance faculty; the Pierrot Ensemble; harp, guitar and wind groups; and other repertoire specific ensembles. Juilliard also provides professional development opportunities through the Starling Emerging Ensembles Initiative, in which select groups are mentored and prepared for high profile concerts at Lincoln Center.

Participants in the American Brass Quintet Seminar study the brass quintet repertoire and participate in master classes, seminar classes, and performances under the guidance of members of the American Brass Quintet. All undergraduate brass students must complete one year of the seminar.

Participants in the New York Woodwind Quintet Seminar study repertoire for woodwind quintet, and other woodwind chamber ensembles, and participate in seminar classes and performances under the guidance of members of the New York Woodwind Quintet. All undergraduate flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn players must complete one year of the seminar. To facilitate wider varieties of repertoire, pianists and other instrumentalists are also welcome in the seminar.

Participants in the Harp, Guitar, and Winds class study mixed chamber music repertoire in weekly classes with flute faculty member Carol Wincenc. Groups in the seminar perform at the end of each semester

All first-year and transfer undergraduate violin, viola, and cello students are required to audition for the String Quartet Survey class at the beginning of the fall semester. Quartets will be formed by the course instructor, a former member of the Juilliard String Quartet. Participants in the class have weekly rehearsals and coaching sessions, and study four quartets over the course of the year, including a quartet by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and more recent repertoire. Specific guidelines and grading procedures are outlined by the faculty coach at the beginning of the year.