OU’s Dr. Brent Runnels leads a trio.

The Atlanta Chamber Music Festival is a three-day seminar for middle and high school musicians—and this year, Oglethorpe is hosting the event!

This intensive workshop allows budding musicians musicians to hone their craft with the help and coaching of renowned professional musicians from the Atlanta area, including OU artist-in-residence Dr. Brent Runnels. Students have the opportunity to play together in chamber and orchestral ensembles and to perform with more advanced musicians. The faculty also perform in a chamber recital open to all students. And, the the grand finale is a student recital on Saturday evening, followed by a reception for all.

Founders Katie Holland, Jonathan Wright, and Jessica Sherer founded the program after they noticed a lack of education for young musicians interested in chamber music selections, especially outside of the classroom. The music festival strives to encourage and educate students who have a passion for chamber music or simply want to diversify their skill set.

Young violinists at work

Eager to share their love and knowledge of music, students get a glimpse into the daily life of a working musician. Participants are taught pieces of music, given little time to rehearse, and then showcase their hard work in front of a live audience.  These pressures and time constraints provide a real-life experience for the students as well as a “testing of the waters” of their possible future profession.

Only in its second year of existence, the festival is making major strides in the lives of young and promising musicians. We are excited to support and to be a part of the festival’s promising beginnings!