For 25 years Credo has presented a chamber-music program which:

• Develops the Gift of music though an intensive and rewarding program of study and performance

• Acknowledges the Source of all gifts – through personal mentoring which provides scriptural context for appreciation of all good gifts

• Responds in Service – by taking our performances to places where they are most needed and cherished – health care settings, hospice centers, prisons, youth centers

For 2024, our National Festival will have an orchestral focus – but we’re continuing our commitment to chamber music at Oberlin Conservatory with the formation of a FREE performance and leadership training program for three pre-formed quartets this summer at Oberlin!

Who should apply

We’re seeking THREE pre-formed quartets – one each in the following demographics:

• Pre-Professional (Graduate level or beyond, age limit 30)

• Undergraduate

• Pre-college (ages 16-18)

Each member of the quartet will apply separately and pay a $30 application fee.

Individual instrumental applications will also be accepted, in case one or more members of a pre-formed group can’t make it to the Oberlin program.

The week will include:

• Two quartet coachings per day

• Dedicated rehearsal space for an additional 4+ hours per day

• One instrumental master class for each student

• Quartet master classes

• Daily opportunity for personal mentorship

• Career guidance with chamber music professionals – how to develop and sustain a string quartet career

• Numerous community engagement and performance opportunities

• Final concert

• Dedicated time in a multi-camera recording facility

Faculty

Principal instructors: Jonathan Ong (Verona Quartet First Violinist); Peter Salaff (Cleveland Quartet); Peter Slowik (Credo Artistic Director, Oberlin Conservatory).

Instrumental master class instructors: Violin – Joel Link (Dover Quartet) and Nicholas Tavani (Aeolus Quartet); Viola – Molly Carr (Juilliard Quartet); Cello – Paul Katz (Cleveland Quartet).

Audition Video Requirements

Each quartet is required to submit a video per the requirements below. Upload your recording to YouTube and include the link on your application form.

• For Pre-college and Undergraduate Quartets:

  • Two contrasting movements

  • One should be from a Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven Quartet

  • One should come from the Romantic period, 20th, or 21st Century

• For Pre-Professional Quartets:

  • Three contrasting movements (incorporating the two requirements above plus one group choice)

• For Individuals:

  • 6-10 minutes of your best playing in a variety of styles

  • (Optional and preferred) Submit supplemental material demonstrating chamber music experience

APPLICATION TIMELINE

Application fee: $30 per individual

• February 15: Application deadline

• Early March: Notification

COST

Selected quartets will receive a full scholarship covering all tuition, room, and board for the Oberlin week.

VIDEO GUIDELINES

Here are helpful guidelines. Submitting your audition video is as easy as using your phone camera or computer! Just follow the steps below.

• Announce your first and last name at the beginning of each video.

• You may send different takes of each piece performed – but each take must be unedited.

• Watch and listen to your video before submission, checking for audio levels and the video’s visual presentation overall.

Where are Credo Alumni now?

Credo alumni occupy leadership positions in major orchestras, colleges, and conservatories throughout the country, and are consistently among the major prizewinners in national and regional competitions.