Summer Music Academy Launches in July

We are proud to launch our 2020 Guarneri Hall Summer Music Academy (Virtual), an intensive training program for serious string players taught by world class faculty under the directorship of noted Chicago pedagogue Addison Teng—and we are excited to be receiving even more applications than anticipated. Teng reflects on launching a music education program in these times:

In the midst of a pandemic and nationwide protests against police brutality and racism, classical music may not seem like the obvious choice for addressing the world’s problems. We know that the power of music to broaden our minds, communicate our emotions, and transform our souls is more important now than ever.

By connecting humanity through the arts, we can foster empathy and understanding in profound ways. And so, I am excited to announce that I will be serving as Director of the newly organized Guarneri Hall Summer Music Academy from July 12-31, 2020. The Guarneri Hall NFP team and I have been working hard to create an inaugural program for what will be an annual event in the city of Chicago.

After many years of teaching students and assisting some of the great violin pedagogues, I have learned to always keep a notebook handy to keep track of my observations about contemporary music education and log my ideas of what I would do under ideal circumstances. Over the years those ideas have led me to imagine a program more broadly focused than others, and offering students unfettered access to their teachers. With the Guarneri Hall Summer Music Academy (GHSMA) my colleagues and I will put these observations and ideas in practice.

The curriculum is designed to facilitate a constant dialogue between students and teachers, with a weekly minimum of two private lessons, two studio classes, one technique class, and end-of-day group discussions regarding progress and goals. Simply knowing how to physically play an instrument is not enough, so the GHSMA will host classes on performance analysis, history of the instrument, and instrument care. Further insight will be offered by invited guests who will speak about the professional life of a musician. Both students and faculty will be inspired by guest masterclasses with esteemed artists James Ehnes, Paul Huang, and Miriam Fried.

In future years we will hold the GHSMA in person, and will be able to implement our plans to include chamber music and orchestral ensembles. While the imperatives of the Covid-19 pandemic mean instruction will be online this year, we believe that the adapted curriculum will offer students the opportunity to continue their education meaningfully, and in some ways uniquely, over the summer. I encourage you all to watch for updates regarding the Academy through the Guarneri Hall Facebook and Instagram pages. We look forward to sharing our progress with you all as we enter into the inaugural Summer Music Academy.

Addison Teng
Director, Guarneri Hall Summer Music Academy
Guarneri Hall NFP