ASTA

THE EIGHTH ANNUAL ASTA/NJ CMI AT KEAN UNIVERSITY WILL BE JULY 29-AUGUST 11, 2012!   

REGISTRATION IS NOW LIVE FOR 2012!

We are pleased to announce the 2012 ASTA/NJ Chamber Music Institute!  Planning is underway for another great year of chamber music.  

We are once again holding the CMI at Kean University.  Kean University's outstanding facilities, world class Concert Artist Faculty, elegant concert hall (Enlow Hall) and first-rate staff are integral to the success of ASTA/NJ CMI and are greatly appreciated by students, families & faculty alike.  Kean University has generously supported the CMI and continue to make this camp possible.  To get an online tour of Kean's beautiful campus, click here.

Click here to read student & parent testimonials concerning their experience at CMI in past years! 
Click here to read testimonials from Faculty.
Click here for a press release.  

ABOUT THE ASTA/NJ CHAMBER MUSIC INSTITUTE

WHAT IS CMI? CMI is a residential classical music camp focusing on chamber music performance. Students are assigned to work with a trio, quartet or quintet throughout the week. Each group meets twice daily for coaching sessions with CMI artist faculty. Each session culminates in a public concert featuring student ensembles. Two internationally renowned guest artist ensembles are featured in performance each session. Concerts by CMI Faculty, special presentations, reading sessions, workshops and a variety of fun activities round out CMI. Learn about our history.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? CMI is open to students age 13 - 18 who play violin, viola, cello, or double bass (or, as we like to think of it, the ASTA family of instruments).  A program for collegiate string players, including expert coaching in a specially-oriented chamber ensemble is also available.  Whether you are an advanced chamber music player or a newcomer to the genre, ASTA/NJ CMI 2012 has much to offer in a fun, exciting environment.

WHAT IS THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL OF MOST ASTA/NJ CMI PARTICIPANTS? We have been fortunate to attract many very high level student performers in all years of ASTA/NJ CMI. The most advanced of these students are participants in top level precollege programs in NYC, regular participants in competitions and the highest level student orchestras. CMI also regularly attracts students new to chamber music or to summer music camps. We are an excellent "first experience" for these students in that we are able to place students in ensembles with students of similar age & ability level.  For this same reason, we are able to accomodate students with greater experience and more advanced performance levels.  We work to create an environment in which students are supportive of one another's efforts and in which one can be successful at any level of advancement. 
 

HOW LARGE A CAMP IS CMI? Enrollment is limited to around 40 students per session in order to keep a high student – faculty ratio and a high level of personalized attention for every student.

WHEN IS IT? CMI runs in two consecutive, week-long sessions.
Session I, July 29 - August 4, 2012
Session II, August 5 – 11, 2012
Students may attend either, but many of our students attend both sessions.

HOW DO I APPLY TO CMI? Simply click here or on the ‘Apply Now’ button on this page. Then, follow the instructions found on the downloadable 'application procedure' document.
IMPORTANT: several of the application materials are to be completed online. Only the downloadable ‘Application Authorization/Photo Release Form’ and 'Medical History Form' (along with application fee) will be sent via regular mail!

TUITION & FEES
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All Participants: non-refundable registration fee of $100
Students attending one session: $800.00 (additional to the application fee)
Students attending both sessions: $1,500.00 (additional to the application fee)  
    * All tuition fees include tuition, room, board, and concert tickets for students.  
    * Private lessons with faculty by arrangement and at an additional fee of $70 per hour.
    * All payments non-refundable
Payments will be accepted via secure PayPal service.  Click Apply Now icon above and follow instructions to make payments online.

QUESTIONS: Please address any questions you have to:
Neil Aaronson • neil.aaronson[at]gmail.com

Check out photos of CMI 2011!

The CMI faculty, staff, special presenters, and elective faculty make CMI the great experience it has become for our students.  Our staff for 2012 includes:

Coaching Faculty:
• Linda McKnight, Bass, Manhattan School of Music, Montclair State College
• Anthony Scelba, Bass, Director of the Kean Concert Artist Ensemble, Chair of the Music Department at Kean University
• Mark Gunderman, Violin, Conductor of the NJ Youth Symphony
• Mikhail Kuchuk, Violin, Wharton Music Center
• Mary Ann Mumm, Violin, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Metroplitan Opera Orchestra
• Victoria Stewart, founder and artistic director of the Arco Ensemble, Westfield Symphony, Kean Concert Artist Ensemble
• Brennan Sweet, Violin, Associate Concertmaster of the NJ Symphony Orchestra, Kean Concert Artist Ensemble
• Naomi Youngstein, Violin, NJ Symphony Orchestra, Amaryllis Ensemble
• Maurycy Banaszek, Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, Metropolis Ensemble, Kean Concert Artist Ensemble
• Craig Mumm, Viola, Youth Orchestra of the Americas Associate Principal of the Metroplitan Opera Orchestra
• Vincent Lionti, Viola, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Conductor of the Greater Westchester Youth Orchestras Association
• Margaret Zufall Roberts, Viola, Montclair Srate University, Wharton Music Center
• Na-Young Baek, Cello, International Sejong Soloists, Kean Concert Artist Ensemble
• Yari Bond, Cello, Columbia University, Thurnauer School of Music
• Susannah Chapman, Cello, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Cygnus Ensemble, Kean Concert Artist Ensemble
• Erika Boras-Tesi, Cello, President of ASTA/NJ, Tenafly School District

Special Presenters:
• Bruce Adolphe, Composer-in-Residence of the Brain and Creativity Institute in Los Angeles, Director of Family Concerts for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
• Yang Yi, World-renowned teacher and performer of the guzheng

Sincerely,
Neil Aaronson
Program Director, ASTA/NJ CMI

MISSED CMI 2011??
check out information below to find out what it is all about.

Featured guest artist ensembles in 2011 were the JACK Quartet, Voxare Quartet, Dalí Quartet and the Kean Concert Artist Ensemble.  Special presentations & daily workshops (see below) will once again be an important  part of this year's schedule.  Students will be housed in Kean University's newly refurbished student residence halls - a wonderful treat (quite luxurious actually) for CMI participants!

Elective courses for 2011 - included in tuition -  include Composition, Mandolin Family Ensemble & Workshop, Vocal Ensemble: Fun With Your Voice, Your Bodies' Instrument! and (a favorite every year) Music Technology in Kean University's Mac Lab!  Click here to learn more about elective courses at CMI 2011.

Special presentations for 2011 - included in tuition - are Gamba, Gamba, Gamba!! with New Jersey's premiere viol de gamba authority, Roland Hutchinson and Say What!?  Music Perception Research at Kean University with Dr. Lyn Schraer-Joiner & colleagues at Kean University presenting latest research in music perception, the processes by which the brain processes sound, hearing loss (and how to prevent it) and much more!  
 

 

FEATURED ENSEMBLES from 2011
SESSION I
    * the internationally renown Voxare Quartet  worked with student ensembles, presented a master class/performance workshop and evening concert.
    * the superb Concert Artist Ensemble of Kean University performed an evening concert and presented performance workshops.

SESSION II
    * the world renowned JACK Quartet worked with student ensembles, presented a master class/performance workshop and and performed an evening concert.
    * rising stars, the Dalí Quartet performed an evening concert.