Designed for enthusiastic and dedicated string players and pianists ages thirteen to nineteen, the program immerses students in a rigorous yet supportive environment, fostering an intense exploration of advanced chamber music repertoire. Dedicated to developing both technical and interpretive skills, the program expects students to fully embrace a rich array of offerings, including rehearsals, coachings, master classes, and performances on the festival’s main stage.
Key Details:
Age Range:
13–19 (Must be 13 years of age by July 1, 2026)
Application Deadline:
January 5, 2026
Application Fee:
$70 before December 22
$130 from December 23–January 5
Institute Directors:
Dmitri Atapine, Co-Director
Hyeyeon Park, Co-Director
Institute Faculty:
Jessica Lee, Young Performers Faculty (weeks 1 & 2)
Keith Robinson, Young Performers Faculty
Danbi Um, Young Performers Faculty (week 3)
Chelsea Wang, Young Performers Faculty
Example Daily Schedule
*Students residing in festival dorm only
Fees
Application Fee:
$70 if submitted by December 22
$130 if submitted after December 22
For application fee waivers, please email institute@musicatmenlo.org detailing the need for the exemption.
Placement Deposit:
$250 refundable deposit due at the time of acceptance; deposit will be refunded after completion of the first program day.
Tuition:
Full tuition fellowship for all accepted Smith Family Young Performers generously supported through the Ann S. Bowers Young Artist Fund.
Housing Fee:
$3,900 for all housing and meals beginning on Thursday, July 16, and ending with breakfast on Sunday, August 9. Housing Support is available (see below).
Housing Details
Housing for Students Who Reside Outside the Atherton Area
Housing consideration is made for students who reside at least forty miles from Atherton, California. Space is limited. Accommodations are available in a Menlo College dormitory, a five minute walk from the Menlo School campus. Students are chaperoned by Music@Menlo residential life staff. The cost per student is $3,900, including all meals beginning with lunch on July 16 and ending with breakfast on August 9.
Rooms are either double or triple occupancy, and students are grouped together based on age and gender. Because students are expected to attend almost all evening concerts and lectures over the course of the three-week festival, the schedule is very rigorous and intensive and may not be a good fit for every applicant.
Students choosing to reside in the dorm are expected to be highly motivated, mature students who are capable of making their own decisions, as well as accepting the consequences for those decisions. Participants are expected to manage themselves with a high level of independence and self-sufficiency.
Housing Support
Housing support is available for students who wish to stay in the Menlo College dormitories, by completing the housing application form linked below and submitting it with required documentation by February 1, 2026. Housing support applications are evaluated separately from the admissions process. Music@Menlo attempts to provide financial support to deserving students as much as possible.
Young Performers Program FAQs
How many years of private instruction should I have before applying to the Smith Family Young Performers Program (ages 13 to 19)?
We recommend that young musicians have at least five years of prior music study with a private teacher.
Is a live audition required?
Live auditions are strongly recommended, for both Smith Family Young Performers Program and International Program applicants. However, if a Young Performer applicant lives further than 200 miles from a live audition site, a Zoom audition will be scheduled. Faculty would prefer to hear International Program applicants live and will only schedule Zoom auditions on a case-by-case basis.
When will applicants be notified if they are invited to a live audition?
We try to provide one to two weeks’ advance notice, but you should hold the dates on your calendar for auditions in your city until confirmed.
At the live audition, do I need to play the same repertoire that was submitted with my application?
Live auditions are typically fifteen minutes long. For both the Smith Family Young Performers Program and the International Program, applicants should adhere to the repertoire requirements as outlined in the application information section.
If I am a string player invited to a live audition, should I bring a pianist with me?
For the International Program, yes, if possible. If you are not able to do so, please bring piano scores with you to your audition. For the Young Performers Program, we will provide you with an accompanist.
When will I know if I have been accepted?
Audition results are generally sent to applicants by email. All applicants will be notified of their status by March 1, 2026. Invited applicants are typically given twenty-four hours to accept or decline an invitation for admission.
How much does the program cost?
For both the Smith Family Young Performers Program and International Program, all accepted students receive full tuition fellowships through the support of the Ann S. Bowers Young Artist Fund.
I am applying to the Smith Family Young Performers Program and do not live in the Bay Area. Do you provide housing for students from out of town?
Housing is available for students residing outside of 40 miles from Atherton, CA in dormitory facilities on the campus of Menlo College, which is adjacent to Menlo School. The housing fee is $3,900. Housing support is available for those needing assistance by completing a Housing Support Application.
