Young Performers Program, ages 10–19

For Advanced String Players and Pianists

July 19–August 10, 2024
Dmitri Atapine, Co-Director
Hyeyeon Park, Co-Director

DEADLINE: January 15
APPLICATION FEE: $70 before January 1; $125 from January 2–15

Music@Menlo’s Young Performers Program provides an incomparable experience for some of the most outstanding young musicians from across the country and abroad. Designed for enthusiastic and dedicated string players and pianists ages ten to nineteen, the program immerses students in a rigorous, nurturing environment where, through intense exploration of advanced chamber music repertoire, they are transformed into the leaders of tomorrow.

Highlights of the program include
  • An in-depth exploration of chamber music repertoire with some of the world’s best musicians in an intense and immersive environment
  • Public master classes, streamed live
  • Multiple student performances, all professionally produced and streamed live
  • Free tickets to all Music@Menlo main stage events
  • Educational lectures with leading artists and musicologists
  • Interactive instrument-specific sessions focusing on technique and performance skills
  • Development of public speaking and communication skills
  • Group activities that promote inclusiveness and friendship, including ping-pong, scavenger hunts, etc.

2024 Schedule
From Friday, July 19, through Saturday, August 10, students will be expected to participate in the program every day of the week except Sundays. Below is the typical schedule, although times may vary depending on evening concert schedules:

8:00 a.m.Breakfast*
8:30 a.m.Depart dorm for Menlo School*
8:45-9:00 a.m.Roll Call and Announcements
9:00-9:15 a.m.Warm-up
9:15-10:45 a.m.Session I – Ensemble Rehearsal or Coaching
11:00 a.m.-Noon Master Class or Café Conversation
12:00-12:50 p.m.Lunch
12:50–2:00 p.m.Session II – Ensemble Rehearsal or Coaching
2:10-3:10 p.m.Session III – Ensemble Rehearsal or Coaching
3:15-4:00 p.m.Interactive Instrumental Session
4:00-5:00 p.m.Free time/Individual Practice
5:00 p.m.Prelude Performance
6:00 p.m.Dinner*
7:30 p.m.Encounter lecture or concert
9:30 p.m.Return to dorm*
11:00 p.m.Curfew*
 *Students residing in festival dorm only (minimum age of 14)

To learn more about the festival’s ticketed events and to view the concert calendar from the 2023 season—which will give applicants and parents an example of what to expect for 2024—click here.

Fees
Application Fee: $70 if submitted by January 1
$125 if submitted after January 1
Placement Deposit:
$150 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 Young Performers generously supported through the Ann S. Bowers Young Artist Fund.
Housing Fee: $3,750 for all housing and meals beginning on Thursday, July 18, and ending with breakfast on Sunday, August 11. Housing Support is available (see below).

Housing for Students Under the Age of 14

Students under the age of fourteen are not eligible for festival-sponsored housing, and families must arrange accommodations on their own, such as Airbnb.

Housing for Students Age 14 and Above
Housing consideration is made for students ages fourteen to nineteen who reside at least forty miles from Atherton, California. Space is limited. Accommodations are available in a Menlo College dormitory, five minutes from the Menlo School campus. Students are chaperoned by Music@Menlo residential life staff. The cost per student is $3,750, including all meals beginning with lunch on July 18 and ending with breakfast on August 11.

Rooms are generally double 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. Deviations to the evening schedule are agreed upon by a majority vote of the student resident group and are subject to approval by the Resident Advisors and/or festival staff. Students are expected to yield to the majority wishes of the group when necessary.

Housing Support
Housing support is available for students residing more than forty miles away from Atherton, CA, by completing this application form and submitting it with required documentation by February 15, 2024. Housing support applications are evaluated separately from the admissions process. Music@Menlo attempts to provide financial support to deserving students as much as possible.

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