Atlantic Music Festival Instrumental Program provides an immersive six-week summer experience with music-making at the highest level. Through private lessons, masterclasses, and performances, participants can learn from world-renowned faculty members and collaborate with other talented musicians.
Participants in the Atlantic Music Festival's Instrumental Program can focus on one or more areas of study, including individual, chamber, and orchestral music.
Our individual study program offers private lessons with world-renowned artist-faculty members, providing personalized instruction and feedback to help you advance your skills and achieve your artistic goals, no matter where you are in your musical journey.
Work with experienced coaches, providing individualized instruction and feedback. Participants will also have the opportunity to work and learn alongside other talented musicians.
The orchestral program provides the opportunity to play major orchestral repertoire and receive training in mock auditions and career guidance from faculty members who have extensive experience in major orchestras.
Financial aid and fellowship positions may become increasingly limited as the festival season approaches. It is recommended to submit applications well in advance to secure the best opportunity for obtaining aid and fellowship positions.
Applicants will be notified of the results via email on or after January 5, 2024. Processing for applications received after January 5 may vary between three and six weeks, depending on the time of submission. Successful applicants are allowed two weeks to accept or decline the invitation and must complete required paperwork and submit a registration deposit to secure their position.
Ready to apply for the Instrumental Program? Click the Apply Now button to get started on your application today.
The Atlantic Music Festival Instrumental Program is a six-week summer music program that provides an immersive and high-level music-making experience. Through private lessons, masterclasses, and performances, participants can learn from world-renowned faculty members and collaborate with other talented musicians.
Participants in the Instrumental Program can take advantage of opportunities for individual, chamber, and orchestral music.
The artist-faculty members of the Instrumental Program include professionals in various instrument categories, such as winds, brass, percussion, harp, and strings. You can view a full list of faculty members on the Atlantic Music Festival website.
The Instrumental Program is for adults 18 and older. For pre-college programs for students under 18, see this link.
The Atlantic Music Festival provides numerous opportunities to work with composers and contemporary performances. The festival offers collaborative opportunities through the Contemporary Performance Program and hosts over 50 composers each summer. In addition, the festival offers innovative programs such as the Future Music Lab and the Motion Sensor Program.
Our program is intensive, so we don't recommend studying more than one instrument at a time. However, all of our seminars are open to all participants, so you can take advantage of the many opportunities available to you by attending any of them.
Students in the Instrumental Program study with many of the teachers listed on the Atlantic Music Festival website, rather than being assigned to one specific studio. Your lesson schedule will be determined based on your session and the availability of the faculty members. This allows you to have the opportunity to learn from a variety of experienced teachers and broaden your musical education.
After being accepted to the program, you can request specific faculty members to study with. While we may not be able to guarantee a spot, we'll do our best to accommodate you.
You can audition for the Instrumental Program by submitting a portfolio through the online application. Your portfolio should represent your current level of musicianship and can include recordings, scores, and/or other materials.
You are not required to submit professional recordings for your audition portfolio. However, the recording should be able to clearly convey your current level of musicality.
You are encouraged to submit works that require accompaniment with accompaniment. However, this is not a requirement.
The most important aspect of your portfolio is that it represents your current level of musicianship. Our staff is unable to verify whether or not a particular repertoire is suitable for our audition committee or to consult with them.
You can submit an application after the deadline. However, we encourage you to apply early to receive priority consideration. Availability of space and scholarship opportunities may be limited past the normal deadline.
The Atlantic Music Festival offers a limited number of partial and full scholarships to instrumentalists who demonstrate exceptional musical talent and a strong commitment to their craft. Scholarships are awarded based on merit and financial need.
Scholarships include student scholarship, fellowship, resident assistant, and teaching artist awards.
Our application allows you to indicate your preferred options for all available awards opportunities. Simply select them during the application process. For financial aid applications, please note that they are available after the submission of the main application.
The selection criteria for scholarships and awards include musical talent, a strong commitment to their craft, and financial need.
Yes, our tuition includes housing and meals at Colby College. For more information, please see our residency guidelines page.
You are responsible for your own transportation to and from the festival. However, we do provide shuttle services from a major airport near the festival at the beginning and end of the sessions for an additional fee.
The festival does not provide loaner instruments. If you've been accepted but can't bring your instrument, please contact us and we'll help you find a local vendor who may have availability.