High school musicians spend two weeks on campus

KALAMAZOO--Seminar 2012, Western Michigan University's summer music camp for high school students, will celebrate its 61st anniversary in July, when students from eight states and Central America convene on campus for the two-week program.

WMU's Seminar summer camp focuses on chamber music, providing unique opportunities for students to perform in small ensembles and participate daily in band, orchestra or choir. One hundred students from Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Florida, New York and Central America have been selected by audition to participate in the program, which begins Sunday, July 8, and ends Saturday, July 21.

Each participant is enrolled in one of six seminars: string, woodwind, brass, percussion, piano or voice. During their stay at WMU, the high school students study music theory and music literature, take private lessons, maintain a rigorous rehearsal schedule, and perform in both large and small ensemble concerts. All performances are open to the public free of charge and will feature music learned and prepared by students during the Seminar program.

Public performance schedule

• Sunday, July 15, 9:45 a.m.--Continuing a 44-year tradition, the Seminar brass and concert choirs will provide music for a local morning worship service. The location this year is the First Baptist Church on the north side of Bronson Park, 315 W. Michigan Ave., in Kalamazoo.
• Sunday, July 15, 4 p.m.--The woodwind choir and string chamber music ensembles will perform in WMU's Dalton Center Recital Hall.
• Thursday, July 19, 7 p.m.--Seminar pianists will present a public recital in the Dalton Center Recital Hall.
• Friday, July 20, 7:30 p.m.--The Seminar Large Ensemble Concert will feature the wind ensemble, concert choir and string orchestra performing in WMU's Miller Auditorium.
• Saturday, July 21, 10:30 a.m.--Seminar 2012 will conclude with a concert featuring five simultaneous chamber music ensembles in WMU's Dalton Center Recital Hall. Performing groups include string, woodwind, brass and percussion, vocal and choral, and piano.

WMU music faculty members will conduct most of the Seminar rehearsals and classes. In addition to serving as teachers and conductors, Seminar faculty will also perform in a daily Performance Class held at 10 a.m. in the Dalton Center Recital Hall.

Seminar 2012 operates under the auspices of the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts at WMU. Kevin West is the administrative director, and Meredith Bradford serves as the registrar.

For more information, contact Meredith Bradford at meredith.bradford@wmich.edu or (269) 387-4678.