COVID PLANNING
We are currently planning to hold an in-person Festival with the hope that it will be safe to invite students and faculty to Brunswick in 2021. However, we are also planning a robust online Festival if gathering in person is not possible. No matter what format the Festival takes, we will provide students with an outstanding music education.
If the Festival is online again in 2021, here is what we are planning:
If you have any questions about Festival Admissions, please contact Grace Bell, Director of Admissions & Operations.
Phone: 207-373-1441 | Email: grace@bowdoinfestival.org | Zoom: Schedule a 15-minute Chat
Use the drop-down menus to change and compare our 5 programs:
Instrumental, Fellowship, String Quartet, Collaborative Piano, Composition
Students 13 and older are housed in Bowdoin College dorms and apartment buildings. During the enrollment process, accepted students may indicate roommate requests.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are provided by the award-winning Bowdoin College dining hall. Students describe the food as “exceptional” and “amazing.” Meals are a great time to socialize with chamber groups and friends, connect with Festival faculty and staff, and meet other students.
Dining Hall Hours
Breakfast: 7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Lunch: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Dinner: 5:00 PM – 6:45 PM
Sunday Brunch: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Activities and trips may include:
We use the facilities of Bowdoin College during the six-week Festival. A small, beautiful, and safe campus, students can walk from one side to the other in under ten minutes. Students are housed in Bowdoin College dorms and apartment building and have access to Bowdoin’s libraries (including Beckwith Music Library), museums, athletic complex, and playing fields. Performances take place in the college’s state-of-the-art Studzinski Recital Hall.
Brunswick, home to about 20,000, includes many great restaurants, coffee shops, gelato (a Festival favorite), and stores within a short walk of campus. Residence life trips take students to Freeport, a popular shopping destination, and many students enjoy trips to Portland, which was Bon Appétit’s 2018 Restaurant City of the Year.
Day at a Glance
Daily schedules at the Festival vary greatly depending on a student’s focus and interests. The Festival provides freedom for students to plan their own schedules, individual practice, and group rehearsal time.
Below is just a sample of what a weekday at the Festival might look like.
Time | Activity |
8:00 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast |
9:00 – 10:00 AM | Private Lesson |
10:00 – 11:30 AM | Individual Practice |
11:30 – 12:30 PM | Lunch |
1:30 – 3:30 PM | Community Concert Performance |
3:30 – 5:00 PM | Chamber Music Coaching or Rehearsal |
5:00 – 6:00 PM | Recreational Activities |
6:00 – 6:45 PM | Dinner |
7:30 – 9:30 PM | Faculty Concert (students get free tickets!) |
Hear directly from Artistic Directors David Ying and Phillip Ying about studying solo and chamber music in the Festival’s flexible and nurturing environment.
Start by creating a SlideRoom account. The basic information in your SlideRoom account (name, email, phone, address) will be the info we see in your application.
Then, share some additional information:
Select session and faculty preferences.
Sessions
Session 1: Arrive June 26; Depart July 17
Session 2: Arrive July 17; Depart August 7
Instrumental applicants may apply to one or both sessions. Fellowship, String Quartet, Collaborative Piano, and Composition applicant must attend both sessions. If instrumental applicants apply to and are admitted to both sessions, you may accept both, or accept one and decline the other.
Faculty
Select first and second choice faculty for each session. If you don’t have a faculty preference, you may ask the Festival to select on your behalf.
*Fellowship applicants may also indicate whether they would like to be considered for the instrumental/composition program if not selected for a Fellowship. Applicants only need to fill out one application.
To complete the financial aid application, you will need your 2019 Tax Return (if independent) or your parent/guardian’s tax return (if dependent).
Resident Assistants (RAs) act as supervisors in the residence halls and apartments and receive a scholarship to cover full room and board. Requirements and responsibilities include:
To apply, please prepare the following:
Please review program pages for specific requirements: Instrumental, Fellowship, String Quartet, Collaborative Piano, Composition.
Videos may be uploaded or linked from YouTube or Vimeo.
Please provide one reference. You will need to provide your recommender’s email address. Please tell them to expect an email from SlideRoom requesting an electronic submission of your recommendation. Please ask your recommender to submit your recommendation within seven days of your application submission.
Paying the non-refundable application fee is the last step before submitting your application.*
Instrumental & Composition: $79 by 1/15; $149 after 1/15
Fellowship, String Quartet, Collaborative Piano: $99 by 1/15; $149 after 1/15
*We are waiving application fees for 2020 enrolled students. Please email Grace Bell at grace@bowdoinfestival.org when you are ready to submit your application.
You’re done! We look forward to reviewing your application.