Chamber Music
Program Overview
Chamber music is central to the fabric of the Carnegie Mellon community. As the pinnacle of musical collaboration, chamber music sharpens your listening skills, fosters collegiality, teaches you to be both proactive and reactive while playing, encourages resourcefulness, and forges lasting relationships, all while enhancing your sense of belonging.
Our division proudly supports over one hundred students each semester, with a strong commitment to meeting the unique needs and preferences of each individual. We strongly encourage students to form their own groups and submit coach preferences, provided the relevant request form is completed before the deadline (see below). Trios, quartets, quintets, and larger ensembles are preferred, as they offer a more challenging, and ultimately more rewarding experience. While duets are generally discouraged, exceptions may be made for particularly distinctive, or challenging repertoire.
For those who haven’t yet found a group, or have partially formed ensembles, the faculty is here to help you finalize your ensemble. Faculty members also offer guidance in selecting repertoire and assigning coaches for chamber music.
Finally, we strive to provide performance opportunities for everyone each semester, both within the School of Music - through chamber convocations, the honors convocation, Commencement, and dedicated chamber music recitals - and in the broader Pittsburgh community. For further details, please refer to the syllabus.
Information for non-music majors:
Although the program is structured around music majors, we welcome any advanced non-music major that wishes to be part of the program, subject to an audition process. After you register for the appropriate course number (see below), either:
- Send a 5’-10’ recent recording of your playing to Sarah Steranka
- Email Sarah Steranka to arrange for an in-person audition with the relevant faculty
Placement in an ensemble will be based on the faculty’s assessment of your level.
Registration Information
To participate in chamber music, you must register for the appropriate course number by the following deadlines:
- Returning students: last day of classes in the prior semester
- New students: July 1
57670 section Z: undergraduate and graduate for any brass ensemble
57671 section Z: undergraduate and graduate for any string ensembles (duos, trios, quartets, quintets etc.), or any string(s) / piano ensembles
57672 section Z: undergraduate and graduate for any woodwind ensembles, mixed ensembles (strings / woodwinds, woodwinds / piano) or any piano ensembles (4 hands / 2 pianos)
**Note: Your registration may change to a different course number and/or section letter after your assignment to an ensemble has been finalized.
The course may be taken repeatedly for credit; an ensemble may continue together for two or more semesters, or an individual student may participate in different groups in subsequent terms. Some programs require a certain number of semesters for chamber music; consult the curriculum for your particular major.
Requests
To request a particular group, coach, or piece, you must register and submit the request form below before the following deadlines:
- Returning students: last day of classes in the prior semester
- New students: July 1
CHAMBER MUSIC REQUEST FORM (The form will be activated sometime after the mid-semester break and deactivated after the deadline above.)
Requests submitted after the deadline may, or may not be honored. Requests from students for whom chamber music is a requirement will be prioritized; however, all the coordinators will do their best to honor as many requests as possible. Incomplete group requests will also be accepted. Furthermore, if you would like to play in a certain instrumentation but cannot secure all members, submit a request with the confirmed members and the coordinators will do their best to complete your group and honor the request. Finally, you may also submit a group request form as an individual to request a certain instrumentation, coach, style, etc.
Course requirements
- Each group must receive a total of 600 minutes of coaching each semester
- Each group should rehearse for at least two hours each week.
- Each group is required to perform at least once during the semester (see “Performance Opportunities” in the Syllabus). You may choose to perform one or multiple movements from the work you have been studying, or, if time permits, the entire piece.
Honors Quartet:
The Honors Quartet, shaped annually through a rigorous audition process, showcases some of our most talented string players. Members receive an award and enjoy performance opportunities, including a spot on the Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series, where they occasionally have the chance to collaborate with other faculty members, or Pittsburgh Symphony musicians.
See the syllabus for more details.
Chamber Series:
To inspire the student body and the broader Pittsburgh community, the school proudly hosts a professional concert series, the Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series. The series is dedicated to showcasing the highest level of music-making by bringing together outstanding guest artists, CMU faculty, and musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
With a mission to make exceptional music accessible to everyone, the Series requires ticket reservations for each concert, but these are provided free of charge to the general public. To ensure accessibility for the School of Music community, a number of tickets are reserved specifically for its members.
The annual concert dates and programming can be seen here: music.cmu.edu/ChamberSeries