About SoCal
Mission
Our mission is to create a space where amateur and professional chamber musicians gather to improve their craft and enjoy each other’s company. We offer a fun, intensive and structured program that strives to deepen a musician’s enjoyment and understanding of chamber music, while improving their ability to play within a group. In doing so, we help keep the tradition of classical music alive and vibrant in our communities.
When
July 20 - 26, 2025
Our workshop orientation meeting is on Sunday afternoon. The last chamber music coaching session ends at 5 PM on Friday, followed by dinner, a participants concert and a farewell party. Breakfast and checkout are on Saturday. Participants are expected to attend the entire week.
Where
Scripps College, in Claremont, California. Scripps is located approximately 50 miles east of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and 10 miles west of Ontario, CA airport (ONT). Most participants live on the Scripps campus in the dorms, with daily activities an easy walk through the beautiful Scripps grounds. Meals are taken in the cafeteria and are a great way to socialize, meet new people, and unwind.
What
SoCal Chamber Music Workshop is a week-long chamber music workshop, where amateur and professional musicians gather to play chamber music in a supportive environment and receive daily coaching. The workshop is open to strings, winds, and pianists. (Many workshops have both winds and strings in roughly equal numbers, but SCCMW has always been a predominantly string workshop.) The target number of groups for the workshop is 26. Typical groups include string quartets and quintets, piano trios, quartets, and quintets, clarinet and flute quartets, although larger and more varied groups are possible.
We will be accepting single applicants who will be placed into a new ensemble each day with a chamber work assignment for the day as well as pre-formed groups that stay together 4 days. Wednesday will be a “pool” day where all participants will be assigned to play with others. The music for pre-formed groups is the group’s choice (except for Wednesday) and should be chosen ahead of the workshop. Groups typically work on one movement of a chamber piece each day with a coach, followed by a group mini performance at the end of the day. During the evenings, musicians can opt to freelance with other players, forming their own groups and choosing their own music. In addition to daily chamber music work, there are evening lectures on a variety of topics, concerts by faculty and participants, and group parties.
For more details about the day-to-day schedule, click here.
Who
SoCal is designed for amateur and professional musicians (strings, winds, and piano) ages 18 and up. Our musicians come from all over the United States, the majority from California given our location. International participants are also welcome.
We admit players that collectively represent a range of playing levels. We only require that participants have the technical ability and musicality sufficient to enable effective group coaching and progress. The typical musician at our workshop has a basic knowledge of the chamber music literature. Musicians who have never played chamber music are not a good fit for this workshop.
We encourage prospective participants to apply as single applicants or as part of a pre-formed group (a trio, quartet, quintet, etc). For individuals applying for the first time and not in a pre-formed group, please submit a recording of your playing with your application.
All pre-formed groups will select their music to work on for the week.
There will be one “pool day,” during the week (Wednesday) when all participants will be placed into new groups for the day to facilitate mixing of the participants.
Is SoCal Chamber Music Workshop right for you? We hope so! Many participants come year after year, creating a community of like-minded chamber musicians such that each summer feels like a happy reunion. We also welcome and encourage new musicians to our workshop! We hope that you will consider joining us for an amazing week of music making.
Cost
The workshop is entirely run by volunteers. Therefore, the fees to participants go directly toward paying for room, board, campus use, our coaches, and various items required to run the workshop. Fees for the 2025 workshop are as follows:
Tuition: $475
Room and Board for on-campus participants: $800
Campus Use Fee for off-campus participants: $250 (includes all lunches and dinners with workshop participants)
If you are accepted, we will send you more information and instructions on how to pay your fees. Fees are non-refundable after July 1st.
