Midwest Young Artists Chamber Music Program is recognized as a national leader in chamber music training for young musicians. Over the past 14 years, MYA’s chamber groups have won 13 medals at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and have been featured on broadcasts including NPR’s From the Top radio program numerous times, ABC, CBS, Music da Camera, WFMT 98.7 FM, and WFN 720 AM. With more than 60 chamber ensembles, MYA recognizes the value of chamber music training at every level and encourages its students to experience the excitement of performing major chamber works in venues across Chicago.
MYA prides itself in offering the most comprehensive, yet fully individual and personalized, Chamber Music Program possible for our students. Very few programs in the nation are as large as MYA and no other youth program has experienced the competitive success that MYA has had at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition over the past fifteen years - both indicators of the quality that MYA offers our students.
All of MYA’s Symphony and Concert Orchestra members must be available for placement in MYA’s Chamber Music Program. When requested, every attempt is made to place interested Prep and Cadet Orchestra students as well. In addition, some students audition to be considered just for the Chamber Music Program.
Students can be placed in any one of five possible Chamber Music Program options.
Chamber Music Program Offerings
Ensemble Chamber Music - trios, quartets, quintets, sextets, septets or octets. Often this is what we traditionally think of as chamber music. MYA has expert coaches and ensembles for the following:
- Choral
- Percussion
- Saxophone
- Strings & Piano
- Winds & Brass
There are two expectations levels of Ensemble Chamber Music: Regular and Intensive.
- Standard
- prepare music outside of rehearsals
- perform on a minimum of one Sunday Soiree per semester
- in the event that a student is absent from their chamber music coaching, they are expected to find a substitute
- Intensive
- commit to rehearsing with their ensemble at least one hour each week outside the regular coaching
- possible participation in chamber music competitions
- perform on a minimum of two Sunday Soirees per semester
- Sonata Class - Sonata Class is a wonderful opportunity for 3-5 students to meet with a coach/pianist and discuss sonata form while working on a sonata piece of their choosing, usually selected in consultation with the student’s private teacher, and performed on a special Sonata Class recital each semester. Sonatas are considred chamber music because there is much more "interplay" between the piano and solo part than between the solo and orchestral part as in a concerto. The sonata can be for any instrument so the Sonata Class can be for mixed instruments (e.g. violin, oboe, trumpet, tuba).
- Technique/Performance Classes (such as Double Bass Class). We are planning on offering additional classes this coming fall. Classes include: work on technique, feedback on solo performances, orchestra excerpts, and even works for ensembles.
- NEW: Choral Chamber Music Elective -
A new
offering for MYA’s Chamber Music Program! Chamber Music is an
opportunity for students to investigate other types of vocal music
performance other than traditional large group choral music. The kinds
of repertoire that will be rehearsed and performed by students will be
a myriad of styles from Bach to bop including: musical theater, opera
literature appropriate for the adolescent singer, period music, and
acappella/vocal jazz. During each semester students will work in one
(or possibly more) small groups in which they will choose repertoire,
learn their music, and eventually perform. In addition, students will
be taught how to do their own rehearsing, learn how to identify and
solve technical problems as well as learn how to create more expressive
performances. The size of the chamber groups and genre of music
selected will be determined based on enrollment.
Audition for Chamber Music
Chamber Music Questionnaire - to be considered for MYA’s Fall Chamber Music Program, all current MYA Members must fill out the Chamber Music Questionnaire. Please note: All Symphony & Concert Orchestra members are required to participate in chamber music if placed. Filling out the Chamber Music Questionnaire facilitates preferences for placement.
Coachings
Ensembles are coached one hour per week by a member of our faculty. Additionally, ensembles may choose to rehearse by themselves. Most coachings take place at MYA Center at Fort Sheridan before or after large ensemble rehearsals on Saturday and Sunday, but other times and locations may be set up at the convenience of the coach and the students.
Performances
Sunday Soirees! & Beyond the Fort , Chamber Music Series
Throughout our 2008-09 Season, join us for several inspirational afternoons of chamber music at MYA and beyond! Free and Open to the Public!
Sundays at 2:00 PM
MYA Center, Ft. Sheridan (unless otherwise indicated)
September October November
December January February
March April April 19, Chicago Cultural Center
May
Master Classes
Throughout the year MYA students have the opportunity to work with outstanding musicians. Last year MYA welcomed:
Avalon String Quartet eighth blackbird
Barbara Butler (Chicago Chamber Musicians) Marc Johnson (Vermeer Quartet)
Patricia Dash (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) Charlie Pikler (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Carrie Dennis (Berlin Philharmonic) Rami Solomonow (Chicago Chamber Musicians)
Mathieu Dufour (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) John Bruce Yeh (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
3:00 PM Saturdays or 12:00 PM Sundays
MYA Center at Fort Sheridan
Free and Open to the Public
Awards & Accomplishments
Although not the goal of the Chamber Music Program, MYA has been very successful in chamber music competitions.
Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Junior Division
Fischoff Web Site
- 2006 1st Place, Beat 3 Percussion Trio
- 2006 3rd Place, Alethea String Quartet
- 2005 2nd Place, AYM Piano Trio
- 2005 3rd Place, BAM Quartet
- 2004 1st Place, Rattan Percussion Trio
- 2002 1st Place, Orion Piano Trio
- 2001 2nd Place, Versailles Piano Quintet
- 2000 3rd Place, Karma Quartet
- 1998 1st Place, MYA Quartet
- 1997 3rd Place, Chonky Quartet
- 1996 1st Place, MYA String Quartet
- 1994 2nd Place, MYA Sextet
Rembrandt Chamber Players Chamber Music Competition
- 2008 1st Prize, Trio Vita
- 2000 1st Prize, MYA Brass Quintet
- 1999 2nd Prize, Armbrust-Chung Duet
- 1998 1st Prize, Inas Quartet
- 1998 Honorable Mention, Neo-Classical Woodwind Quintet
- 1997 1st Prize, Yellow Luck Quartet
- 1997 Honorable Mention, AW Woodwind Quintet
- 1996 1st Prize, Manchriskybeth Quartet
- 1996 Honorable Mention, Yellow Luck Quartet
Coleman Chamber Music Competition
Coleman Competition Web Site
- 2001 Finalist, Favrile Piano Quartet
Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop, Carnegie Hall
- 2001 Favrile Piano Quartet
