Dear Colleague,

I write to invite your advanced high school students to apply for an exciting musical opportunity at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County this fall. On October 27-28, 2007, twenty-five selected students from the Mid-Atlantic region will gather at UMBC for our Fourth Annual High School Chamber Music Festival and Concerto Competition - a weekend of performances, coachings,and new musical experiences.

Selected students in flute, piano, percussion, voice, strings, and classical guitar will rehearse intensively with their assigned chamber group coached by members of the UMBC faculty on Saturday the 28th and Sunday morning the 29th, in preparation for a Sunday afternoon concert. This concert will be professionally recorded, and a CD will be mailed to participating students. In addition, students will attend a chamber music performance by UMBC faculty, a variety of master classes (on their major instrument), and a class in a related musical area (including composition, early music, gamelan and others). Meals and lodging will be provided on campus, with current UMBC music students serving as hosts.

In addition, UMBC will sponsor a concerto competition as part of the festival with cash and scholarship prizes, and an opportunity to perform with the UMBC Symphony Orchestra. Please recommend one or more of your most outstanding students to attend the festival by having them return the online applications.

If you have any questions about the festival, please feel free to contact Dr. Lisa Cella, the festival director (cella@umbc.edu or 410-455-1405). One of our students from last year told us “I loved my experience, had a lot of fun, learned a lot and experienced the joy of making music!” I hope that your students will join us in what promises to be an equally prestigious and memorable event.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Linda Dusman
Professor and Chair
Department of Music