SUMMER CHAMBER MUSIC CAMP | Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, West Windsor NJ
Week #1: Monday July 10 – Friday July 14, 9am – Noon
Friday July 14, 11am Recital for family & friends
Week #2: Monday July 17 – Friday July 21, 9am – Noon
Friday July 21, 11am Recital for family & friends
• Cost: $250 for one week (either week) OR $450 for BOTH weeks (strings only)
• Camp is open to both YOCJ and Non-YOCJ students.
• Non-YOCJ students who are accepted into the camp, are eligible to bypass New Student Auditions for the 2023-24 season upon successful completion of the camp, with the approval of the conductors.
Saxophones (this division is now full and no longer accepting new registrants)
The saxophone division of the Summer Chamber Music Camp will run for Week 1 only (July 10-14). This is an intensive study into the world of the saxophone quartet and other small combinations for saxophones. Taught by Dr. Jordan Smith, students will be provided opportunities to perform on saxophones they might normally not perform on, learn engaging and historic saxophone quartet music, and also learn advanced solo techniques, historical background of the saxophone, daily masterclasses, and more! Performance groups will be split by age so all repertoire will be at the appropriate level. At the end of the week, a performance will be given showcasing the students.
Strings
The string division of the Summer Chamber Music Camp will run for both weeks (July 10-14 & July 17-21). Strings students can participate in either week or BOTH weeks. New repertoire will be offered each week. String students must be at least 9 years old at the time of the summer camp. Recently graduated seniors, class of 2023, may also participate. String coaches will include YOCJ’s Artistic Director Mr. Phillip Pugh and several string musicians from Princeton Symphony Orchestra, including Dr. Jichen Li, and more! Both weeks will culminate in a performance in the sanctuary of Prince of Peace Church, featuring all the chamber ensembles.
Woodwinds
The woodwind division of the Summer Chamber Music Camp will run for Week 1 only (July 10-14), for students in grades 9-12 for the 2023-2024 school year. Recently graduated seniors, Class of 2023, may also participate. Students who play flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, or bass clarinet, will have a unique opportunity to play in smaller groups, including duos, trios, and quartets. Chamber music provides musicians with the unique opportunity to hear themselves as solo voices in more intimate settings. Students will have the opportunity to choose from music for duos, trios, and quartets. Students who have pre-existing chamber groups may join together. Winds coaches will include YOCJ’s Wind Symphony and Woodwind Choir Conductor Mr. Scott Collins, and other YOCJ staff! The winds chamber groups will participate in a culminating performance in the sanctuary of Prince of Peace Church, featuring all the chamber ensembles.
How do I register for the YOCJ Summer Chamber Camp?
• Registration includes uploading a 1 minute video of a solo, which should at least be at the same level as our Audition Requirements.
• YOCJ students can register AND pay immediately.
• Non-YOCJ students should register and WAIT for an acceptance confirmation email BEFORE paying.
• Prefer to pay with a check? Just email executivedirector@yocj.org ASAP for more information.
• On the Registration form, you’ll be asked if you read the COVID waiver form and COVID protocol form.
Step #1: Registration Google Form: Click HERE to register.
Step #2: Submit either your $250 OR $450 fee, via the secure PayPal link for the Summer Chamber Camp:
Summer Chamber Camp Deadline: Thursday June 15th
*Full refunds (less a $50 non-refundable administrative fee) are available up until June 9th
*June 10-16: 75% refund available (less a $50 non-refundable administrative fee)
*June 17-23: 50% refund available (less a $50 non-refundable administrative fee)
*June 24-30: 25% refund available (less a $50 non-refundable administrative fee)
*July 1st and on: all fees are non-refundable
Enjoy some photos from previous camps!
BRAVO to all the camp participants. Relive the memories and enjoy these photos! This program was made possible, in part, with support from ACMP Associated Chamber Music Players.
FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES
Violinist & Violist, Phillip Pugh, Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey Artistic Director and Conductor of the Pro Arte and String Preparatory Orchestras, holds a Master’s degree in music theory and a Bachelor’s degree in music education from Temple University. In addition to extensive study in violin performance, Mr. Pugh is a registered Suzuki teacher, and has also studied string instrument repair and set-up under the tutelage of leading luthiers. As a violinist and violist, he performs with the Boheme Opera Company and the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic Orchestra. He also teaches at West Windsor-Plainsboro’s Millstone River School, has served on the faculty of the Csehy Summer School of Music, and maintains an active private teaching studio. Mr. Pugh has been with the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey since 1988.
Saxophonist, Dr. Jordan Smith, conductor of the Saxophone Choir and Saxophone Ensemble, holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University, a Master of Music in saxophone performance from Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music in music education degree from the College of New Jersey. He has concertized throughout the U.S., Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and Greece as a soloist, conductor, chamber and orchestral musician, and has recently performed with the New World Symphony, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Bravura Philharmonic, and more at such venues as Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Symphony Space in NYC and Yamaha Concert Hall in New York City. As a chamber musician in New York City and member of the Manhattan Saxophone Quartet, he has premiered works over 30 works for saxophone. Articles by Dr. Smith appear often in TEMPO Magazine, in addition to publications in the 2015 edition of The Saxophone Symposium and the 2011 issue of the Saxophone Journal. In addition to Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey, Dr. Smith is an adjunct professor at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City. He maintains a large private studio in Hightstown, NJ, and can be heard on Ravello, Carrier and Navona Records. Dr. Smith joined the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey in 2010 as saxophone director and became the overall recruitment director for the organization in 2015.
Clarinetist, Scott Collins, Conductor of the Wind Symphony and the Woodwind Choir, holds a Master’s Degree in Clarinet Performance, a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, both from Temple University, as well as an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Valley Forge Military College. He studied clarinet with Charles Salinger, Lawrence Wagner, Ronald Reuben and Anthony Gigliotti. Mr. Collins has been teaching in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District since 2004, where he has directed ensembles including concert band, jazz band, marching band, and string orchestra. Currently, he teaches concert band at the Community Middle School. In July 2011, he was named a “Conducting Fellow” for the Conducting Workshop for Music Educators at the Juilliard School. Mr. Collins has performed as a clarinetist with many regional ensembles, including the Haddonfield Symphony, the Opera Festival of New Jersey, the Princeton Festival, the Network for New Music, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and the Arts at St. John’s. These concerts included appearances with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Midori, Gary Graffman, Dame Julie Andrews, and the Moody Blues. He was a featured soloist in May 2014 with the Arts at St. John’s, performing the Clarinet Concerto in A Major by Mozart. Collins joined the Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey in 2015.
Cellist, Dr. Jichen Li is an experienced performer and educator. He is currently a substitute cellist in the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and cello professor at Drew University. He was the principal cellist of the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Orchestra, the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra, the China Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra, and the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra. Li studied cello at the Tianjin Conservatory of Music and the China Conservatory of Music before continuing his education in the United States. He received a master’s degree in chamber music performance and cello solo performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, while under the tutelage of Stefan Kartman. He is currently a doctorate candidate at Rutgers University where he studies with Jonathan Spitz. Li has experience teaching students of all ages and levels. In the past, as a faculty member at the String Academy of Wisconsin, he taught university-level students and was involved in the University Cello Ensemble.
Violist, Bethany Hargreaves has performed as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician across North America, Europe, China, and Israel. Notable performances include her solo debut on Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and two concerto appearances with the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra. Most recently, Hargreaves appeared on a Yale School of Music Faculty Artist Series. A passionate chamber musician, Hargreaves has collaborated in concert with distinguished musicians such as Ani Kavafian, Itzhak Perlman, as well as members of the Cleveland Quartet, Emerson String Quartet, and the Orion String Quartet. In addition to her positions with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Hargreaves has performed with the New World Symphony, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and has served as principal viola of the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, and Yale Philharmonia. She currently performs with multiple New York City based chamber music ensembles including the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, New York Classical Players, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Here are some photos from the Summer 2021 camps!
