Illinois Wesleyan Schedules Two Summer Music Camps

March 25, 2003

As part of its 2003 Summer Music Programs, Illinois Wesleyan University will offer a Cello Camp and a Chamber Music Camp to young musicians in high school and junior high, who wish to participate in intensive musical training.

Nina Gordon, assistant professor of cello and chamber music at Illinois Wesleyan and principal cellist of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, is the founder and director of the camps. Lisa Nelson, supervisor of the preparatory string department, is the administrator for the camps.

In its fourth season, the Cello Camp will be from June 25 through July 6, with an application deadline of May 1. All performances will be open and free to the public, and will take place in Westbrook Auditorium of Presser Hall, 1210 Park St., Bloomington. Tuition for the lessons, classes, and elective studies and activities is $385 and $330 for room and board for out-of-town participants.

The camp, which attracts participants from eight states, will include daily private cello lessons and cello ensembles, master classes, performances, and practice times. The camp also will provide elective studies for the students such as piano, voice, music theory, foreign languages, portrait drawing, and painting. Activities will include international dance, knitting, ethnic cooking, a July 4 celebration at the Doran Farm, and outdoor sports and games.

Instructors for the camp will include: William Cernota, principal of the Chicago Lyric Opera and principal, Chicago Chamber Orchestra, Opera Theatre and Concertante di Chicago, Illinois; Dana Woolard Huglett, principal, St. Joseph Symphony, Missouri; Ludmila Lupacheva, who has a private studio in Overland, Park, Kan.; Adriana LaRosa Ransom of the Minnesota Opera; Ingrid Krizan, who has a private studio in Chicago; Bridget Nelson, orchestra director for Unit Five schools in Normal; Charlotte Williams, assistant principal for the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, and Gordon will be instructors for the camp. Teaching assistants will be Jennifer Heflin from Minnesota and Valerie Thompson from Massachusetts.

The Cello Camp will conclude with the 10th annual Midwest Cello Celebration, a combined performance of the camp’s students, faculty and guests.

For additional information, contact Gordon at (309) 556-3828 or by e-mail at ngordon@iwu.edu.

The Illinois Wesleyan Chamber Music Camp will be held July 6 through July 19, and also has an application deadline of May 1. Tuition for lessons, classes, and performances is $400, and room and board for out-of-town participants is $420.

The program, which will have auditions for placement in appropriate ensembles at the beginning of the camp, is open to intermediate and advanced string players – violinists, violists, cellists and double-bassists and pianists. The intensive chamber music training will include string quartets, piano trios, chamber orchestra, and string ensemble. The schedule will consist of daily coaching, master classes and regular performances of students and faculty.

Illinois Wesleyan Professor of Piano Lawrence Campbell will conduct master classes. Other faculty for the camp will include Cernota; Joy Doran of the IWU Preparatory Department; Yulia Lipmanovich from the piano faculty at Sherwood Conservatory of Music and Beverly Art Center in Chicago; R. Kent Cook, professor of piano at IWU; Julieta Mihai, concertmaster for the Illinois Symphony Orchestra; Nelson; Eugene Pazin of the Chicago Lyric Opera, and professor of violin at Harper College in Palatine, Ill., and the University of Illinois in Chicago; Ed Wilcox from the violin and chamber music faculty at Adler Institute in Chicago; and Gordon. Artistic advisor for the camp will be Terrine Gomez of the Young Artists Studio in Champaign, Ill., and the teaching assistant will be Rachel Sompong of New Mexico.

For additional information, contact Nelson at (309) 556-3547.