Green Lake Festival Chamber Music Institute in central Wisconsin is an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring artists and performers to make music together with greater expression, sensitivity, command, generosity and more; CMI’s students learn by instruction, by example, by collaborating and by doing.

Elizabeth Oakes brings with her decades of experience as a string quartet and chamber music performer, an arts entrepreneur and a highly sought-after chamber music coach and presenter.  She combines forces with a faculty of internationally-acclaimed chamber musicians who are known for their world-class musicianship, dynamic artistry, and a true caring for each student of this outstanding program. This summer CMI will welcome Salley Koo (violin / University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Victoria Chiang (viola / Peabody Conservatory of Music and Aspen String Trio), Jesse Holstein (viola&violin / Brown University and Community MusicWorks) and Nicholas Tsavaras (cello / Tianjin Juilliard School and Shanghai Quartet) to the faculty.

This summer, CMI continues to celebrate string chamber music and will be accepting college and graduate level violinists, violists and cellists. CMI also has two openings for pre-formed ensembles – one of those spots can be extended to a piano trio.  The faculty and staff emphasize a supportive, nurturing environment in which to learn chamber music skills that are also life skills: communication, listening, sharing opinions, flexibility, and taking musical risks.  There will also be an exploration of repertoire ranging from canonic works to contemporary music to composers whose deserved recognition has long been overdue.  During the Chamber Music Institute, participants will have the opportunity to investigate an array of topics such as creating sustainable chamber music career paths, fostering equity in an artistic practice, composing, identifying successful approaches to interdisciplinary work and much more.

Each participant lives in a single dorm room and will have chamber music and career coaching, artist classes with faculty as well as opportunities for multiple chamber music performances and individual lessons.  Participants will also have the opportunity to read chamber music with each other and CMI faculty, enjoy the beautiful Ripon/Green Lake area, and have fun!