Where Aspiring Artists,
Develop, Collaborate & Grow
Call Us! 207-465-9648
June 6 - June 21, 2025
The application portal via ACCEPTD is now open.
Click here to apply.
Important Information
All applicants (including alumni) must register for an ACCEPTD account.
About
The Maine Chamber Music Seminar develops life-long compassionate collaborators. Through our two-week summer intensive, college and graduate-level musicians discover and reimagine their place in chamber music performance as both creative thinkers and cultural ambassadors. Participants focus on three major works in the chamber music literature alongside our dedicated, dynamic faculty. Each year our repertoire includes masterworks of the canon paired with under-celebrated gems, giving students the opportunity to hone their skills in conventional settings while challenging them to find deep meaning in less familiar works.
Our festival features musicians of diverse musical and socio-political backgrounds. Both faculty and students find moments of teaching and learning through the medium of chamber music. In this process, one learns when to lead and when to follow, when to bend and when to remain firm. As a result of these meaningful interactions, our students become part of a supportive and nurturing community and are able to seamlessly transfer their collaborative skills to other musical and non-musical aspects of life.
For more information: www.mainechambermusic.org
Jo-Ann Sternberg, Program Director, Clarinet; Princeton University, Borealis Wind Quintet.
Anna Lim, Violin/Viola, Princeton University, Manhattan String Quartet.
Jacqueline LeClair, oboe, McGill University, Ensemble Signal.
Jesse Mills, Violin, Horszowski Trio, Longy School of Music of Bard College, Brooklyn College, Leschetizky Association (NYC)
Jessica Thompson, Viola, Princeton and Columbia Universities, Daedalus Quartet.
Clancy Newman, Cello, first prize Naumburg winner and Avery Fisher career grant recipient.
Rieko Aizawa, Piano, Horszowski Trio, Bard College, Brooklyn College, Leschetizky Association (NYC)
MCMS Composer-in-Residence & Guest Artists for 2025
Please join us in welcoming Kenji Bunch, composer and violist, as a guest artist and composer-in-residence during the 2025 season. Read more about Kenji and his work here.
For the 2025 season, we are accepting violin and viola Jeiven fellowship applications.
Named after our major donor, the Jeiven fellowships offer high-level, early-career musicians the opportunity to take on a leadership role in our community. Jeiven fellows participate in three groups, partnering with faculty members to lead the ensembles artistically. Most importantly, they act as the solo coach for at least one of their three groups. Jeiven fellows are expected to be excellent social role models as well as musical leaders.
Applicants should be a minimum of 30 years old; have stellar recommendations and a well-developed CV; and be actively pursuing performing/teaching careers.
Jeiven Fellows receive an honorarium.
Applicants will be reviewed in a competitive process. Finalists will be contacted for an interview round.
To apply, please send the following to :
- Cover letter
- CV
- Two recordings (please send as links)
- Two letters of recommendation (recommenders should send on your behalf)
Register Now
Please submit all auditions during the application process directly through the application system.
Individual Instrumentalists and Preformed Ensembles
- Applicants must submit two video recordings showcasing their current level of musicianship.
- Applicants are required to submit two letters of recommendation. (Alumni are exempt from this requirement).
Maine Chamber Music Seminar in residence at Snow Pond Financial Aid Procedures
Applications due February 15, 2025.
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- $14 days – $2600 all-inclusive: instruction, meals, housing, and on-campus activities.
- Register today: Please complete the application and submit the required application fee of $50.
(A discounted rate is offered for pre-formed ensembles)
PLEASE NOTE: Need-based financial aid is available.
Click to learn about Maine Chamber Music Seminar in residence at Snow Pond Financial Aid Procedures
Arrival Day: |
|
| 3:00-5:00pm | Registration |
| 5:30pm | Dinner |
| Evening | Orientation and Evening Gathering |
Daily Schedule: |
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| 8:00-9:00am | Breakfast |
| 9:00-10:15am | Coaching / Rehearsal |
| 10:30-11:45am | Coaching / Rehearsal |
| 12:00-1:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:15-2:30pm | Coaching / Rehearsal |
| 2:30-5:30pm | Flexible Time, Individual Practice, Lessons, Recreation |
| 5:30-7:00pm | Dinner |
| 7:30-9:00pm | Evening Workshops, Readings, Concerts |
Departure Day: |
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| 8:00-9:00am | Breakfast and Departure |
Testimonials
Transformative Experience
I had a transformative experience at MCMS. When I first arrived I was feeling frustrated with my progress, but in just two weeks, It was as if I made a year's worth of progress. I was excited, motivated, inspired, and so much more that is difficult to describe in words. The incredible faculty are not only extraordinary, but they also care so much about your growth and well-being. They push you to be your best every day, and just playing with them will teach you more than anything! – MCMS Participant ‘21