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

As the Credo Festival moves to an orchestral focus, our commitment to chamber music continues at Oberlin Conservatory with the 2025 Credo Oberlin String Quartet Institute (COSQI). COSQI is a full scholarship program (tuition, room & board) that provides quartets with in-depth performance and leadership training. All groups work closely with a faculty comprised of prominent chamber musicians and pedagogues, and receive numerous community engagement and performance opportunities throughout the course of the program.

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; if chosen, selected students will be assigned to a group consisting of either a) pre-formed ensembles requiring a substitute member, or b) other individual applicants.

The week will include:

• Two quartet coachings per day

• Dedicated rehearsal space for each quartet for the entire duration of the festival

• 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 recording time in a hall equipped with audio/video recording capabilities

Faculty

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

2024 Master Class Instructors included Joel Link (violin, Dover Quartet), Molly Carr (viola, Juilliard Quartet), Nicholas Tavani (violin, Aeolus Quartet), and Paul Katz (cello, Cleveland Quartet).

*2025 Master Class Instructors to be announced in December

Each quartet is required to submit an audition video per the requirements below.

• 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

VIDEO GUIDELINES

• Announce your quartet’s name at the beginning of your video.

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

• Upload your recording to YouTube and include the link on your application form.

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.

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.