Summer institutes and camps

Here’s a selected list of musical activities for students of all levels. Have a conversation with your teacher about what’s right for your level, interests and needs. This is a growing and curated list of summer opportunities. A complete listing of summer Suzuki institutes is available at the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA) site.

(NOTE: The continuing global COVID-19 pandemic has put many of these programs in question again for 2021. Students are adviced to check the programs carefully before making any plans.)



Southwestern Ontario Suzuki Institute and Young Artists Program

Held annually on the campus of the Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, ON, SOSI is offers a Suzuki institute with group classes, master classes, recitals, and numerous electives. Many YAPCA students have attended over the years.

This year, the institute will be held from August 6-13, 2021.

For advancing students, the Young Artists Program (YAP) at SOSI is an intensive experience under the tutelage of esteemed faculty: Jerzy Kaplanek (violin), Katie Schlaikjer (Cello), Anya Alexeyev (piano). Students who are eligible to participate in YAP:

  • Violin - Students must have completed Suzuki Book 8 or are working at the Grade 9 RCM level or higher.
  • Cello - If you are a cellist having completed Suzuki Book 7 or are working at the Grade 8 RCM level or beyond.
  • Piano - Students who have completed the Mozart Sonata K.330 in Suzuki Book 6 or are working at the Grade 9 level or beyond

Admission to the YAP program for violin, cello, or piano requires a video audition. The deadline for application and audition videos is July 5, 2021.

Domaine Forget International Music and Dance Academy

The Domaine Forget academy is held yearly in Saint-Irénée in the Charlevoix region of Québec overlooking the St. Lawrence River. The strings academy if a four-week program, welcoming students age 16 and over. Students are required to submit an application and two audition videos of contrasting works. Please check the Domaine Forget site for details.

National Music Camp

The National Music Camp in Orillia, Ontario provides several programs for string players. In both a junior and senior division, students can participate in an orchestral program or a Suzuki strings program.

The junior division (Grade 3-8) camp runs from August 21 - August 28, 2021 and the senior division (Grades 8-12) runs from August 29 - September 5, 2021.

American Suzuki Institute

Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA, the American Suzuki Institute is a large multi-faceted summer institute, the first of its kind outside of Japan, where the concept originated with Shinichi Suzuki. In addition to the typical Suzuki institute format, ASI offers additional programs in chamber music. Students may choose to participate in a two-week, or a one-week chamber music program.

The Aber Suzuki Centre hosts two weeks of programming - July 18-24, 2021 and July 25-July 31, 2021. Violinists and cellists may attend either week. Violists attend the second week. Students in the one-week chamber program attend the second week. See the web site for details and registration.

Interlochen Summer Arts Camp

Interlochen Summer Arts Camp is a well-regarded program located in northwest Michigan, USA. String students may participate in one of several programs based on age and interest level.

For students in Grade 3-6, for example, students may participate in the Advanced Strings Summer Program or the general Music Program. Students in Grade 6-9 can choose to participate in the Advanced Strings Program or the Strings Summer Program.

See the Interlochen site for details concerning the dates and application and audition requirements. The early deadline for students applying to programs that require an audition is January 15, 2021 but students may continue to apply thereafter and are considered on a rolling-admission basis.

The camp is planning to inform applicants of its decision about hosting the camp this year on or before March 15, 2021.

HeifetzPEG and Heifetz Institute

The HeifetzPEG (Program for the Exceptionally Gifted) is a summer program for talented violinists, violists, and cellists. Two sessions are offered in the summer of 2021: June 21 - July 11 and July 12 - August 1. The program is held on the campus of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia. A video audition comprising three pieces is required, including contrasting concert works or concerto movements along with a movement from a Bach suite, sonata or partita. The HeifetzPEG program is intended for children from 9-13 years of age. More on the application and audition process here. The audition deadline is March 15, 2021.

Some students will be admitted to a program on-campus and some will attend remotely given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Strings Summer Intensive at NYU

Hosted at the Steinhardt School of Music at NYU in New York City, NY, this intensive strings program for high school students is an intense experience with world-class faculty. Students must be 12 and older. Two audition videos are required, representing two contrasting works. The program runs in two sessions this year from June 28-July 9, 2021 and July 12-July 23, 2021. The application deadline is April 1, 2021.

Montecito International Music Festival

The Montecito International Music Festival will be held at La Sierra University in Southern California.

For the summer 2021, the festival will take place in three 10-day sessions: June 21-30, July 5-14, and July 19-28. Students may sign up for one or more sessions to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to learn and grow musically. MIMF hopes that splitting the festival in three parts provides more flexibility and opportunities for more students to take advantage of the festival and also enables the possibility of bringing in more guest artists who may have a limited schedule of availability.