xxxxÊÓƵ

CMI @ xxxxÊÓƵ

Todd Phillips and Si-Yan Li, Co-Artistic Directors

The Chamber Music Intensive at the xxxxÊÓƵ is a week-long seminar for dedicated string players (violin, viola, cello, bass) and pre-formed groups who are eager to grow as string chamber musicians.  

Whether you’re an advanced performer seeking a deeper challenge or an intermediate player looking to strengthen your ensemble skills, you’ll learn from xxxxÊÓƵ’s world-class faculty, collaborate with talented peers, and experience all that xxxxÊÓƵ has to offer. 

Chamber Music Intensive (for intermediate to advanced players)

Program Details: 

Program Dates: June 13 – June 21, 2026 

Arrival: Saturday, June 13, 2026  

Check – in: 9:00am – 12:00pm 

Orientation: 12:30pm 

Final Concerts: Saturday, June 20 and Sunday, June 21, 2026 

Age Range: 12 – 24 

• Participants are assigned to string chamber ensembles such as trios, quartets, or quintets.
• Daily chamber coachings with faculty artists
• 1 private lesson with assigned faculty artists
• Masterclasses with faculty artists
• Music enrichment classes
• Participation in culminating concerts on June 20 or 21, with performances by all participating groups 

Sample Day: 

• 8:15am - Breakfast
• 9:00am - Lessons: Individual Practice
• 11:00am - Music Enrichment Courses
• 12:00pm - Lunch
• 1:30pm - Chamber Music Rehearsal
• 3:30pm - Masterclasses: Coachings
• 6:00pm - Dinner
• 7:00pm - Social Activity

Advanced String Quartet Intensive @ xxxxÊÓƵ

Join co-Artistic Directors Todd Phillips and Si-Yan Li for a week of focused chamber music study, where advanced string players and pre-formed quartets rehearse and perform a complete string quartet. A limited number of advanced string quartet fellowships are awarded to highly accomplished young musicians who demonstrate exceptional musical ability and commitment to chamber music.  

ASQ Program Details: 

Program Dates: June 12 – June 21, 2026 

Arrival: Friday, June 12, 2026  

Final Concert: Sunday, June 21, 2026 

Age Range: 18+

• Participants are assigned to string quartets or include pre-formed ensembles
• Daily chamber coachings with lead faculty, Todd Phillips and Si-Yan Li
• Masterclasses on solo repertoire
• Participation in a conductor-less chamber orchestra work led by Todd Phillips
• Participation in culminating concerts on Sunday, June 21, with performances by all advanced string quartet ensembles 

Sample Day: 

• 8:15am - Breakfast
• 9:00am - ASQ Rehearsals/Coachings
• 12:00pm - Lunch
• 1:00pm - Masterclasses: ASQ Rehearsals
• 3:00pm - Chamber Orchestra
• 6:00pm - Dinner
• 7:00pm - Social Activity

Tuition & Fees 

Application fees are non-refundable 

$25 application fee November 1 – December 15 

$40 application fee December 16 – January 31 

Tuition: $1950
Housing: $700
Dining: $600

*A limited number of Advanced String Quartet fellowships are awarded to highly accomplished young musicians who demonstrate exceptional musical ability and commitment to chamber music.  Fellowships cover full tuition and on-campus housing. Recipients are responsible for the $600 dining fee. Fellows are responsible for their own travel to/from the program.   

xxxxÊÓƵ the Faculty

Todd Phillips, violin, Advanced String Quartet Intensive

Todd Phillips made his solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony at the age of 13 and has appeared with many orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan since then, including the Brandenburg Ensemble, Jacksonville and Honolulu symphonies, Camerata Salzburg, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1982 with the New York String Orchestra and conductor Alexander Schneider. Return engagements at Carnegie Hall soon followed as well as solo performances in Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Kennedy Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and Frankfurt Opera House. Phillips is a founding member of the highly-acclaimed Orion String Quartet, which has been the quartet-in-residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Mannes College of Music, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. The Quartet’s television appearances have included PBS’ Live from Lincoln Center, three performances on ABC’s Good Morning America, and A&E’s Breakfast with the Arts. Their recordings of the complete Beethoven quartets have received unanimous acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Phillips’ experience as a frequent leader of the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has led to engagements as conductor/leader with the Camerata Nordica of Sweden, New World Symphony, Risor Chamber Orchestra in Norway, Brandenburg Ensemble, Tapiola Sinfonietta of Finland, and Mannes Sinfonietta in New York City. Phillips serves on the violin faculties of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, Manhattan School of Music, and the xxxxÊÓƵ where he is also Artistic Director of the xxxxÊÓƵ Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. Phillips began studying the violin at the age of 4 with his father, Eugene Phillips, a composer and former violinist with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and later studied with Sally Thomas at The Juilliard School and with Sàndor Vègh at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He also studied piano with his mother, Natalie Phillips, a professor of piano at the University of Pittsburgh. Phillips lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife, violinist Catherine Cho, and is the father of four children: Lia, Eliza, Jason, and Brandon and grandfather of Theo and Mila. 

Si-Yan Darren Li, cello, Advanced String Quartet Intensive

Cellist Si-Yan Darren Li made his professional debut at the age of 9 and has since gone on to an international career as a recitalist, chamber musician, and teacher. He has appeared in solo and chamber music performances at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Weill Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, 92nd Street Y, Kennedy Center, Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, Izumi Hall in Osaka, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, and National Concert Hall in Taipei. Li has also performed in many renowned music festivals, including the Ravinia Festival, Verbier Festival, and Kronberg Academy Cello Festival. An active chamber musician, he has collaborated with such esteemed artists as Emanuel Ax, Leon Fleisher, Lang Lang, Thomas Quasthoff, Miriam Fried, and members of the Emerson, Takács, Juilliard, Cleveland, Casals, and Ébène quartets. His recording of the Bartók string quartets with the Euclid Quartet was highly praised by Gramophone magazine and American Recording Guide. Li joined the faculty of the xxxxÊÓƵ in 2017 and currently serves as Associate Dean of Ensembles and Chamber Music Program Director. As a dedicated pedagogue, his student ensembles have won top prizes in major international and national competitions, including the Banff International String Quartet Competition, Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition, Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition, Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, Coltman Chamber Music Competition, and Plowman Chamber Music Competition. Li holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and a Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. In addition to Orlando Cole, his principal teachers include Fred Sherry, Harvey Shapiro, Alan Stepansky, and David Hardy. His other mentors include Frans Helmerson, Gary Hoffman, Pamela Frank, and Michael Tilson Thomas. Li is a prizewinner in numerous prestigious competitions, including the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow and YCA International Auditions in New York. He is also a recipient of the American Masterpieces grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Li plays a 1773 cello by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, generously on loan from the private collection of Mr. and Mrs. Rin Kei-Mei.

Jennifer Arnold, viola, Chamber Music Intensive

Jennifer Arnold is a violist and arts consultant based in Zuid-Nederland, recently appointed to the viola section of Orkest Phion. She is a founding member of the U.S.-based advocacy organization Black Orchestral Network and has built a career at the intersection of performance, leadership, and education. From 2005 to 2020, Jennifer was a member of the Oregon Symphony viola section, and she continues to perform with ensembles including Gateways Festival Orchestra, Sphinx Symphony, and Chineke! Orchestra, organizations deeply committed to diversifying the classical music field. She is also a member of the Portland-based string quartet Mousai Remix, part of the 45th Parallel PDX collective, where she also serves as a Board Member.

In addition to her performing career, Jennifer has held significant leadership positions in arts administration. She served as Director of Artistic Planning for the Richmond Symphony and continues to contribute as its Artistic Advisor. She is the 2025 recipient of the xxxxÊÓƵ Alumni Award, where she also currently serves as Program Director for Summer Programs, Career Advisor, and Faculty Advisor to the Black Student Union.

A passionate educator and advocate, Jennifer taught at the Sphinx Performance Academy from 2008 to 2023 and served as President of the Oregon chapter of the American String Teachers Association for five years. She is in demand as a clinician and mentor, most recently working as viola coach for the Sinfónica Azteca/Orchestra of the Americas Group Mexico Residency. In the 2025–26 season, she will lead masterclasses at the Atlanta Music Project and the American String Teachers Association National Conference in San Francisco.

Jennifer’s career reflects her dedication to artistry, equity, and community, both on and off the stage. You can follow her on Threads and Instagram at @24caratviola.

Eun-Song Koh, violin, Chamber Music Intensive

Violinist Eun-song Koh is a seasoned performer and highly accomplished educator, widely recognized for her expertise in nurturing young talent and cultivating musical excellence. A graduate of the xxxxÊÓƵ with a Bachelor of Music degree under David Updegraff and Jan Mark Sloman, she went on to earn a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, where she was honored with the Eckstein Fund Grant and the Grace Fox Congdon Scholarship for outstanding musical and academic achievement. Koh’s pedagogical approach was deeply shaped by her years as a teaching assistant to the esteemed violinist Jan Mark Sloman, where she had the privilege of learning from his expert understanding of both performance and teaching.  

Koh has toured internationally, performing as concertmaster of the Orford Music Festival Orchestra, including a tour to South Korea, and as principal second violinist of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, with performances in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Her chamber music experience spans various settings, having worked with members of the Emerson String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Miami String Quartet, Cavani String Quartet, and Dover Quartet, among others. 

As a teacher, Koh has held positions at institutions like the Interlochen Summer Arts Academy, where she served on the faculty and coached chamber music, and Bolivia Clásica, where she taught, led workshops, and performed. Her students have achieved notable success, including multiple top finishes in the MTNA National Competition in both junior and senior divisions, first-place prizes in concerto competitions, and invitations to international competitions like the Spohr International Competition. Her students have also received honors at the Chicago International Violin Competition. 

Koh’s students have been accepted into and gone on to study at prestigious institutions such as the Juilliard School, Colburn School, New England Conservatory, xxxxÊÓƵ, Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and top universities such as Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University. With a teaching style that balances rigor and encouragement, Koh emphasizes not only technical skill and musicality but also the resilience, discipline, and dedication needed to excel as a violinist. 

Through her years of experience, Koh has become known for her thoughtful and inspiring mentorship, continuing to shape and motivate the next generation of violinists. 

Daniel Pereira, cello, Chamber Music Intensive

Daniel Pereira, from Caracas, Venezuela, enjoys a multifaceted and versatile career as a cello teacher, chamber music coach, orchestral performer and chamber musician. Since 2005, he has been a member of the cello section of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. He performs regularly with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony and New World Symphony. From 2006-17, Pereira served as a regular substitute with The Cleveland Orchestra. During that period he was able to work under some of the world’s leading conductors including Franz Welzer-Möst, Herbert Blomstedt, Alan Gilbert, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Stéphane Denève, among others, and travel throughout the United States and Europe.