Classical Guitar Summit
JULY 19 – AUGUST 2, 2025
Open to classical guitarists ages 14+EMF’s Classical Guitar Summit provides a profound summer study experience within an exceptional musical environment. Participants have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow instrumentalists, embarking on a journey that explores the realms of chamber music, pedagogy, technique, and performance, to expand their musical horizons.
Join Jason Vieaux, Kami Rowan, and Bokyung Byun for an experience you will never forget!
Audition Requirements
Music
3-7 minutes of music that represents your current playing level and ability. The audition selection(s) can be a complete piece, a segment of a larger work, or two shorter works.
Two Major Scale Forms of your choice performed twice – once with rest stroke and once with free stroke. Please play these as quickly as you can play them cleanly, and provide a close-up angle where both hands can be seen at once.
Documents
- Write a short biography (250 words or less) about yourself. This is not a resumé.
- Repertoire List
What To Expect
Private Study & Master Classes
The program’s cornerstone is personalized guidance from the guitar faculty, enhancing skills and exploring new repertoire. Weekly studio master classes, led by faculty, foster growth and collaboration with young artists performing for public engagement and learning opportunities.
Classes, Seminars & More
The Classical Guitar Summit offers a wide range of classes and seminars covering vital topics for classical guitarists, such as performance development, fingerboard theory, technique improvement, guitar literature, and more. It also includes project-based workshops using software like Ableton and Logic Pro X, as well as discussions on career advancement and well-being for professional artists.
Chamber Music & Guitar Orchestra
Every participant has the opportunity to actively engage in rehearsals and performances with the prestigious Festival Guitar Orchestra. Moreover, guitarists collaborate in chamber ensembles and work alongside fellow instrumentalists, where they have the chance to explore the beauty of guitar duos, trios and quartets, further enhancing their musical experience.
Community Performances
Guitar young artists have the privilege of attending a multitude of guitar concerts and recitals, showcasing the talents of both the esteemed guitar faculty and their fellow program participants. Additionally, they enjoy exclusive access to the festival’s renowned orchestra and chamber music performances, which provide a well-rounded educational and artistic experience.
How To Apply
The deadline for receipt of completed applications and the audition recording is February 19, 2025 .
Review the following steps before starting your online application.
All applicants must submit a completed Application for Admission and pay the non-refundable application fee through Acceptd (link is under Step 4). The fee for submitting your application and audition via Acceptd will be $40 prior to January 1, 2025, and $80 thereafter. Requests for financial assistance will be considered after you have fully completed the application process. EMF Alumni receive an application fee waiver.
Know your video audition requirements.
Applicants interested in attending Eastern Music Festival must apply and submit a video audition, following the instructions, before a decision on acceptance and requests for financial assistance can be made. Audio recordings without video are not accepted.
Prepare and submit your files.
Please read these instructions carefully before submitting your audition recording.
Select your music according to the repertoire requirements.
Record your video audition, using quality equipment. Recordings that have been edited or enhanced will not be accepted. Upload your application materials and videos through Acceptd.
Acceptable Media File Types Include:
- Video – MP4, MPEG, MPG, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, FLV, WEBM, M2V
- Documents – PDF, PS, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPS, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, OPT, SXW, ODP, SXI, ODS, SXC, RTF, TXT
- Images – JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF
Prepare to pay the Application Fee.
The fee for submitting your application and audition via Acceptd will be:
- $40 prior to January 1, 2025
- $80 thereafter
Begin your online application on Acceptd.
Tuition
2025 Tuition, Room & Board, and Fees
Eastern Music FestivalTwo-Week Program
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Tuition - $1,198
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Room & Board - $1,232
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Fees (Health, Activity, Cleaning, ID Card, Key, & Security) - $160
Attendance is required for the full two-week program.
- Euphonium Tuba Institute (June 28 – July 12, 2025)
- Classical Guitar Summit (July 19 – August 2, 2025)
Decisions regarding admission and financial assistance will be made starting in March, and each applicant will be notified of acceptance by email.
Within ten days of acceptance, all students are required to pay a non-refundable $750 reservation deposit (applicable to tuition), plus complete all other information requested in the acceptance and reservation packet. Scholarship awards are forfeited if appropriate forms and reservation fees are not returned within ten days of acceptance.
All payments may be made by personal check, money order, MasterCard, VISA, Discover or American Express.
Participants may be billed for documented damage/loss of Eastern Music Festival or Guilford College property. This includes lost music, ID cards, keys or destruction of property.
Tuition includes private lessons.
The balance of all tuition and fees is due and payable by May 12, 2025.
There are no refunds after this date (except in the case of medical necessity), and any refunds prior to it are calculated minus the nonrefundable application fee and reservation deposit.
No deductions or refunds will be made for late arrival, early departure, or disciplinary separation from the Festival.
Campus Life
Guilford College
Guilford College, with its six-decade history as the EMF summer home, boasts a serene tree-lined historic campus in Greensboro, North Carolina. The location, strategically positioned between Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Washington, DC, makes it an ideal setting for EMF, offering access to various attractions.
Performance Venues
Guilford College’s Dana Auditorium, with renowned acoustics, serves as EMF’s main concert venue. Student Chamber Recitals and many master classes are held in Hege Library’s Carnegie Room. EMF also presents concerts in various venues across North Carolina’s Triad region and beyond.
Housing & Activities
EMF attendees stay in Guilford College residence halls, grouped by gender and age. Faculty and guest artists reside in nearby campus apartments. All facilities are air-conditioned with meals located in the state-of-the-art college dining hall. Summer staff includes a nurse, dean of students, and counselors, with festival office on campus. Nearby, find restaurants, stores, pharmacies, and banks within a quarter mile.
College facilities include a weight room and courts for racquetball, tennis, basketball, and volleyball. A variety of recreational and social events are scheduled regularly, both on and off campus. On-site, students can enjoy activities like Ultimate Frisbee, tennis, video games, foosball, pool, or talent shows.
“The Festival’s gorgeous surroundings and overall environment provide the perfect setting for young artists to develop and learn.”
Contact Admissions
Melissa M. Edwards, DMA
Director of Education
Phone: 336-333-7450, x227
Fax: 336-333-7454
The content regarding course offerings, faculty, visiting artists, fees, and other details may change without prior notice. Eastern Music Festival is dedicated to promoting diversity within its student community and does not engage in discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, or physical ability in the administration of its educational policies and programs.