SUMMER STRING FESTIVAL
Hillsdale County School of the Arts, Inc. is pleased to announce the 2024 Summer String Festival running July 22-August 2, 2024 at Davis Middle School in Hillsdale!
Summer String Festival Information
Summer String Festival is an intensive strings education program for youth in grades
1-12. Students who already play a string instrument can participate based on their experience level.
Students in elementary school also have the opportunity to begin learning an instrument.
1-12. Students who already play a string instrument can participate based on their experience level.
Students in elementary school also have the opportunity to begin learning an instrument.
Meet Our Guest Artists: ESME
Violinist Gene Hahn and cellist David Ledoux of ESME (Eclectic String Music Ensemble) as the Guest Artists for the 2024 Summer String Festival. ESME is an acoustic fusion string band founded and based in Grand Rapids, MI, pursuing a mission that fosters community engagement in the arts. ESME writes and performs their own mashups and arrangements that blend classical repertoire and instruments with pop, rock, jazz, folk, americana, bluegrass, spiritual, film, hip-hop and more. To find out more about ESME, visit https://www.facebook.com/esmelivemusic/.
Thursday, August 1 at 7:00 pm
ESME will present a Guest Artist Recital, performing some of their custom mash-ups.
Friday, August 2 at 7:00 pm
ESME will perform with Summer String Festival students on their final concert.
Both concerts will be at Davis Middle School Auditorium, 30 North West Street, Hillsdale, MI. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
Hillsdale County School of the Arts strives to make its Summer String Festival and its public concerts welcoming to all students and patrons regardless of background or ability.
ESME will present a Guest Artist Recital, performing some of their custom mash-ups.
Friday, August 2 at 7:00 pm
ESME will perform with Summer String Festival students on their final concert.
Both concerts will be at Davis Middle School Auditorium, 30 North West Street, Hillsdale, MI. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
Hillsdale County School of the Arts strives to make its Summer String Festival and its public concerts welcoming to all students and patrons regardless of background or ability.
The 2024 Summer String Festival is sponsored in part by a grant from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council & Creative Washtenaw.
Apply to the Summer String Festival!!!
Beginning and Young Strings
The Beginning and Young Strings Session is a two week session for grades 1-6. Young Strings are students who already play a string instrument, but have little or no orchestral experience. Beginning Strings are students who have very little or no experience with a stringed instrument.
Download the letter and application information below.
Application deadline was June 1.
Download the letter and application information below.
Application deadline was June 1.
Intermediate & Advanced Strings
This one week session for intermediate and advanced students offers students a unique opportunity to improve their skills and to work with highly trained instructors and guest artists. String players in 6th-12th grade are eligible to participate. Students must have at least one year of ensemble experience and have note reading skills. Orchestra and small ensemble rehearsals are part of the daily activities, coached by String Festival staff and the guest artist.
Download the letter and application information below.
Application deadline was June 1.
Download the letter and application information below.
Application deadline was June 1.
Tips for Video Applications
In order to help our HCSA teachers place each student at the level that best fits them, we’ve introduced a video upload as a component of the application.
ALL APPLICANTS (except Beginners): Please send a video of a song or song excerpt (up to approximately 3 minutes) of the student playing a piece they’ve been working on.
Afternoon Session (Intermediate & Advanced Strings only): An excerpt will be given below for you to read and record as well. Please send that video in a separate email to avoid creating attachments that are too large for email.
Use the guide below to help with your application videos. If you have questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]!
ALL APPLICANTS (except Beginners): Please send a video of a song or song excerpt (up to approximately 3 minutes) of the student playing a piece they’ve been working on.
Afternoon Session (Intermediate & Advanced Strings only): An excerpt will be given below for you to read and record as well. Please send that video in a separate email to avoid creating attachments that are too large for email.
Use the guide below to help with your application videos. If you have questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]!
Afternoon Session Video Excerpts
These excerpts are only for students applying to the afternoon (Intermediate & Advanced) session. Excerpt music is below the measures to play for the video.
**1st Violin- m. 23-34 and m. 128-134 (to the rest).
Viola - m. 23-29 and 39-43.
Cello - m. 29-32 and 35-41.
**1st Violin- m. 23-34 and m. 128-134 (to the rest).
- **Note: 1st violins can create one video with a pause between sections, or two videos, but please specify which section you're playing in the video.
Viola - m. 23-29 and 39-43.
Cello - m. 29-32 and 35-41.
Previous String Festival Guest Artists
2023 - Hannah Holman, cellist with the New York City Ballet Symphony
2022 - Rick Robinson (aka "Mr. CutTime"), former bassist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and founder of CutTime Productions (https://cuttime.com/)
2021- Returning Guest Artists Violinist Gene Hahn and cellist Jeremy Crosmer of ESME https://www.facebook.com/esmelivemusic/
2019- Csaba Erdélyi, violist formerly with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London
2018 – Karin Loberg Code, hardingfele (Norwegian folk fiddle)
2017 – Violinist Gene Hahn and cellist Jeremy Crosmer of ESME https://www.facebook.com/esmelivemusic/
2016 – Aaron Johnson, string bass
2015 – Rachel Klaus, violinist with Detroit Symphony Orchestra
2022 - Rick Robinson (aka "Mr. CutTime"), former bassist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and founder of CutTime Productions (https://cuttime.com/)
2021- Returning Guest Artists Violinist Gene Hahn and cellist Jeremy Crosmer of ESME https://www.facebook.com/esmelivemusic/
2019- Csaba Erdélyi, violist formerly with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London
2018 – Karin Loberg Code, hardingfele (Norwegian folk fiddle)
2017 – Violinist Gene Hahn and cellist Jeremy Crosmer of ESME https://www.facebook.com/esmelivemusic/
2016 – Aaron Johnson, string bass
2015 – Rachel Klaus, violinist with Detroit Symphony Orchestra