How can you help the KU Summer Music Festival?
The mission of the KU Summer Music Festival (KUSMF) is to provide opportunities that go far beyond the traditional summer music camp experience, creating a stimulating environment for musical and personal growth through an international exchange of talent and ideas.
Founded in 2010 by pianist and KU faculty member Dr. Maria Asteriadou, the KUSMF features an intensive and comprehensive approach to learning the core chamber music repertoire for strings, piano, percussion and winds. Talented students around the world join forces for one week, participating in a fully immersive musical experience, working with the Festival’s internationally renowned roster of devoted musicians and pedagogues to present concerts of the highest possible quality.
The Festival is open to ambitious students of all ages. We have had students from some of the most prestigious programs in the country, including the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman School of Music, and many others. From around 15 students in the early years, the Festival has grown to accommodate more than 55 students from around the world. International recruiting has proven to be extremely effective, with a high percentage of students coming from countries such as Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Greece. Many of our Festival students have gone on to enroll at KU as full-time music majors.
Some of the most talented students we have accepted could not fully afford the tuition, and in the case of international students, there is also the cost of traveling to the US. Therefore, it is imperative that we raise enough scholarship money to offset these costs and make it possible for these gifted young musicians to attend. Since the Festival is often a gateway to the University itself, it is imperative that we continue to attract as many deserving students as we can and ensure continued growth both for KUSMF and the department of music.