A program by the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association
About Us
Chamber Music at the foot of Pikes Peak since 2014
The Manitou Chamber Music Festival is a dual-faceted performance and education community that is occurs during the month of July at the CSYSA Building in Colorado Springs, CO. Faculty from around the country come together to create chamber music performances that combine beloved masterworks of the repertoire with new voices and innovative programming. Faculty artists also mentor pre-college student musicians in small groups as they delve into the world of chamber music. Students share the stage with faculty at the final concert, and student groups prepare two complete works in anticipation of the student concerts at the end of the two week festival.
Our Story
In 2014, founding director Jeri Jorgensen and her artistic partner, pianist Cullan Bryant, were inspired to create a music festival in the quaint mountain town of Manitou Springs that brought together young people and seasoned professionals for two weeks of intensive learning and performing. They began with two student string quartets and the philosophy that young people could be empowered to look beyond the notes and rhythms to create musical interpretations involving sound, color, pacing, and intention. The program came under the auspices of the CSYSA in 2016 and has expanded to 40 participants. Alumni of MCMF have gone on to such institutions as the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, the Eastman School of Music, and the Interlochen Arts Academy.
To learn more about the faculty concerts, please click below:
To learn more about the string quartet program, please click below: