Illinois State University String Project

Please share with families of 3rd and 4th graders. Fall Info Night is Tuesday, September 10th at 6:30 PM in Cook Hall room 308. Come and try out instruments while you learn about our award-winning program!

What a great camp week we had!!! The concert was amazing, and the young musicians learned so much, worked together, and had a great time!

Camp day 4! In musicianship they created body art to represent musical symbols. It was a lot of fun!!

Summer camp day 3! We’re all having fun and getting ready for our concert on Friday! musicianship today included creative orchestra excerpt drawings.

Here’s more musicianship pics from today. The students notated what they saw around campus.

Today in musicianship the students went outside with Mr. Miles to draw what they heard. Here’s the session 5 group!

Now that the rain is over we’re remaking the musical pathway for summer camp between the buildings! We hope everyone at ISU enjoys it!

Belated congrats to SP Student Alumni Aria K. who was a finalist in the 2024 American Viola Society Competition Junior Division. She traveled to Los Angels in June as one of six finalists chosen from around the country by video audition to compete at the festival. She played beautifully, and the judges were impressed with her musicality and poise. Aria is a sophomore at U-High and will be retuning this summer to be an intern in our Summer Camp and member of the Redbird Summer Philharmonic. She studies both violin and viola with Dr. Lewis. Congrats Aria-we are so proud of you!

Last call for summer camp registration! Registration will be closing at the end of the week. Please be in touch if you are planning to register but haven't yet. We also still have spaces in the High School Redbird Summer Philharmonic. All info for both camps can be found here: https://finearts.illinoisstate.edu/events-activities/string-project/summer/

Fantastic job to all of the students who performed on the Make Music Normal Festival in Uptown Normal today! The group sounded fantastic!

We're looking forward to another great performance at Make Music Normal! Alumni and current students: it's not too late to sign up to join us! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd85_C_c04-7SR5rH8zsuVGBtt88Q9Qf5XZcMujN94l7gQvvw/viewform?usp=sf_link

It’s always great to reconnect with our former students! This week Dr. Lewis ran into violist Rebecca Miller who was a SP student around 2008 at the American viola society festival in LA. She’s now a professional violist based in Chicago and studied in Boston and Toronto. We’re so proud of you Rebecca!

There's still time to sign up for camp! We've got a great week planned with some fun String Olympic activities!

Thank you to the Town of Normal Harmon Arts Grant for your support of our 2024-25 season. This grant will allow us to continue offering free community concerts for our students such as Make Music Normal (coming up at the end of the month) and Day of Play at the end of the summer. If you haven't yet signed up to play with us for Make Music Normal, you may do so here--it's FREE! : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd85_C_c04-7SR5rH8zsuVGBtt88Q9Qf5XZcMujN94l7gQvvw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Did you know that over half of the string players in the Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony are String Project alumni? Congrats to the following students for an excellent year with this group:
Violins: Molly, Melinda, Aria, Seraphina, Alyssa, Sitota, Mamush, Marlee, Ingrid, Eliana
Violas: Paul, Joseph, Easton, Joaquin
Cellos: Joy, Reece, Addison, Gabe, Acacia
Bass: Sophia

We're so proud to have been part of your musical journey and excited that music continues to be a central part of your high school life!

Another ISU String Project Spring Concert in the books!

Congratulations to our Dolce, Allegro, Vivace, and Sinfonia classes on beautiful performances, and to the entire String Project for their exciting rendition of Golden Grove!! 🎶🎶🎶

We are very proud of our graduating students and teachers, and wish you all the best next year 💐

Donations accepted through May 4th at:
https://giving.illinoisstate.edu/fund/isu-string-project/

Last teacher recital of the week!

Mr. Campos from Dolce class will perform in Kemp Recital Hall on Sunday at 7:30pm. Free admission and livestream available~

More teacher recitals this weekend!

Mr. Swalley is performing in Kemp Recital Hall on Saturday April 27th at 7:30pm. Free admission!!

The Sinfonia Class will be performing in a side-by-side with the ISU Philharmonia Orchestra tomorrow (Monday 4/22) at 7:30 PM. The event is free and open to the public!

Philharmonia Orchestra Concert Philharmonia Strings Orchestra, Dr. Glenn Block, music director, with Dr. Igor Kalnin, violin, and Dr. Jillian Kouzel, oboe, soloists in the Bach double concerto, side-by-side with the ISU String Project […]

We have another teacher recital coming up next weekend!

Mr. Hershey from Vivace class will present his Senior Recital on Sunday April 28th at 3pm in Kemp Recital Hall. Admission is free!

Another String Project teacher recital is coming up next week!

Mr. Brackmann, from Dolce class, will be performing on Wednesday April 24th at 6pm in Kemp Recital Hall~ admission is free, so we hope to see you there!

Come see our Allegro class cello teacher Mr. Givens at his recital this Sunday!

The concert will take place at 5:30pm on April 21st in Kemp Recital Hall~ admission is free!

Today is a GREAT day to register for one of our Summer Camps! More details at: https://finearts.illinoisstate.edu/events-activities/string-project/summer/

This is the last week to order a 2023-24 String Project performance t-shirt. Parents and alumni can buy one too to support our program! Shirts will be delivered in mid-April. Please check your child's shirt to make sure it still fits for the spring concert!

Performance T-Shirt 2023-24 Size Choices: Youth S/M/L Adult S/M/L/XL/XXL/ # # if you need an additional size, please email Dr. Lewis [email protected]

Congrats to teacher alumni Ms. Prado on her Suzuki Association Distinguished Young Teacher award! We're so proud of you!

Big congratulations to Cello faculty member Bianca d'Avila Do Prado as she is the recipient of the Suzuki Association of the Americas Distinguished Young Teacher Award!👏

She will also be presenting two sessions at the 2024 SAA/ASTA conference where her New Canon Project commission Valsa para Sofia for Strings will be premiered by the ASTA National Teachers’ Orchestra under Tamara Dworetz at the ASTA Welcoming Experience!

Please share with your String Playing Friends!

Summer Camp Information is now live on our website!

Summer Camp | Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts - Illinois State Join us this summer at a camp just for string students! The String Project Summer Camp is a summer community program for violin, viola, cello, and bass students entering 4th through 8th grades. Students should have at least one year of playing experience. Each day will feature lessons and coaching b...