Summer Youth Chamber Intensive

Let’s play chamber music together! Quad Cities students are invited to audition for summer chamber ensembles led by QCSO musicians and Private Lesson Program instructors throughout the month of July. Students will rehearse twice a week with a professional chamber coach and once as a group at the Quad City Symphony Orchestra Symphonic Center. Rehearsal will culminate in a Summer Chamber Recital on Friday, July 31 at 7:30 PM at the Geneseo High School Performing Arts Center – one of the best performance halls in the region.

Timeline:
June 1 – Audition Video Submission Due
June 5 – Results Announced
July – Rehearsals Begin (see each ensemble’s specific schedule)
July 31 – Free Summer Chamber Recital at Geneseo High School Performing Arts Center

Tuition: $250
Includes professional chamber coachings, music, region’s best performance venue & more! Financial aid is available so everyone can participate regardless of ability to pay, and you can find the application at the bottom of this webpage. Tuition is due in full by June 15.

Saxophone Quartet

Soprano | Alto | Tenor | Baritone Saxophones
Led by QCSO Private Lesson Program Instructor, Cody Corchado

Audition Requirements (select either saxophone or honor quartet etudes)

Mandatory Rehearsal Dates:
July 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, and 29
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Honor Saxophone Quartet)
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Saxophone Quartet)
QCSO Symphonic Center (327 Brady St)

Performance Recital Date:
Friday, July 31, 7:30 PM (Call Time: 6:20 PM)
Geneseo High School Performing Arts Center

Oboe Trio

Oboe | Oboe | English Horn
Led by QCSO Private Lesson Program Instructor, Chelsea Sammons

Audition Requirements (same as oboe packet for woodwind quintet)

Mandatory Rehearsal Dates:
July 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, and 29
2:00 – 2:45 PM at Geneseo First Lutheran Church (Mondays) & QCSO Symphonic Center (Wednesdays/Fridays)

Performance Recital Date:
Friday, July 31, 7:30 PM (Call Time: 6:50 PM)
Geneseo High School Performing Arts Center

Video Recording Guidelines

• Recordings can be made with basic equipment, including a smart phone, tablet, or laptop, equipped with a built-in microphone and video camera. High quality recording equipment is NOT necessary.
• While sound quality of submitted videos may vary due to differences in recording equipment, judges will listen for the overall quality of a students performance and not the quality of recording.
• Audition recordings must be completed in a single take (no editing or piecing together). Any evidence of video manipulation may disqualify the submission. You may record the audition as many times as you’d like, and you should submit the recording you believe best represents your playing.
• Your instrument and full person should be visible in the video so judges can assess technique and posture. Please minimize other visual distractions in the video (music stand not blocking view of student or instrument, family members, etc.). Headphones or headsets may not be worn during recordings.
• One submission per student will be accepted. Multiple submissions from a single student are not allowed unless auditioning on multiple instruments.
• Please review video before submitting to ensure that required components are included and video is properly linked and set to public or unlisted for multiple people to view.
• Submissions are due by June 1, 2026. If you have questions regarding the audition video submission process, please contact Chelsea Sammons, Director of Education + Community Engagement, at csammons@qcso.org.
• We highly encourage you to test out your audio/video equipment by recording a few notes with varying articulations and dynamics to ensure your equipment picks up your sound and image as clearly as possible.