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Summer Sessions
Introduction | Testimonials
Kinhaven has an experienced and dedicated music faculty. We choose teachers as much for their sensitivity to students as for their professional excellence. Most of our Kinhaven faculty members teach in universities and colleges or perform in professional orchestras. All are graduates of major conservatories and are active performers and teachers. At Kinhaven, when not fulfilling their professional duties, they might be on your softball team or join you on the "sitting-hill." Most students find their teachers are more than teachers; they are friends, companions and mentors, too.
The student body of Kinhaven's Senior Session is based on the size of a full symphony orchestra with double winds and brasses. We also accept six to eight pianists. Orchestra seatings and chamber music assignments change weekly. Throughout the summer, you will perform many styles of music, play with different musicians and experience various positions in the orchestra.
You may or may not have professional ambitions; what matters is that you love to play. Our program is designed to help you grow in musical appreciation, sharpen your performance skills and allow you time and space to explore your own creative potential.
Kinhaven Testimonials from Parents and Students, Fall, 2009
 Eliot Fisk, Internationally acclaimed Guitar Soloist
Kinhaven student, 1967-69
"Kinhaven was a formative event in my life. How well I remember hearing for the first time (wafting across on a tennis court!) the strains of the immortal Schubert 2 Cello Quintet or practicing next to Charlie Hamlen as he practiced the last movement of the Brahms F minor Piano Quintet. I remember evenings when I would slip down to the barn to hear Jerry Bidlack conduct the New World Symphony and of course the final Chorales of Bach Cantatas ('Christ Lag in Todesbanden' and 'Wachet auf Ruft uns die Stimme') mixed with the sobs of those of us facing the sad inevitability of the end of another Kinhaven summer. So I wish this great institution lots of continued success and the well-earned support of its many friends."
 Marc Goldberg, Bassoonist, Faculty at the Juilliard School, Mannes College, Hartt School of Music, Bard College, and Columbia University
Kinhaven student, 1976-77
Kinhaven parent, 2007, Jesse Goldberg
"Kinhaven is simply one of my favorite places anywhere. Not only is it an excellent and well-rounded musical experience, but the warmth and support of the faculty and staff in the pristine Vermont countryside creates an environment that is wonderfully human. As a musician, teacher, barefoot camper, and now parent of a camper, I believe in everything that Kinhaven has to offer."
 Misha Amory, Violist in the renowned Brentano String Quartet
Kinhaven student, 1981-83
"Kinhaven was, for me, a crucial turning point in my life. It was a place where I came to terms with music, which was central to my existence as a teenager, but whose role in my life was not clear to me; at Kinhaven I found a way to love music-making without feeling overwhelmed by it. Without this important step, it would not have been possible for me to enter into a more serious and committed stage in my musical studies, or ultimately to embark on a musical career. At the same time, I made my first enduring friends at Kinhaven, a place where so many common values exist. I felt welcomed into a community where I could be myself and yet not be an outsider, a hard thing for many teenagers to find. Being included in this way was also a rite of passage toward adulthood -- because for the first time, I was not just dependent on others for support, but they relied on me for the same thing, so that I was pulled out of the circle of my self-absorption and learned how to take care of my friends."
 Carmit Zori, Violinist, Artistic Director of the Brooklyn Chamber Music Society
Kinhaven parent, 2009, Amalia Rinehart
"The summer at Kinhaven made me think that it is exactly what I would want my child to experience in a summer music camp. Kinhaven turned out to be a life changing experience for our daughter Amalia. She had such a good time whether it was playing the piano in a chamber music group and sharing thoughts with her peers about the music or having private lessons or listening to the concerts every weekend. I think it was important for her to see that she was not an odd kid and that there are other kids like her. She loved singing everyday and enjoyed every aspect of the daily routine at Kinhaven. The faculty was fantastic. Her piano teachers were inspiring. The chorus was so much fun. Amalia returned home and made an oil painting of Hindemith after hearing his music played by the Orchestra in the summer. At Kinhaven it seems as if it was just the right combination of smart passionate and generous human beings.
What a treat!! Thank you for this place."
 Robert Botti, Oboist, New York Philharmonic, Faculty Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and SUNY- Purchase
Kinhaven parent, Anna-Sofia Botti, 2009
Our daughter, Anna-Sofia, was a camper in the Junior Session at Kinhaven this summer past. Her experience there was nothing short of wonderful. It was magical for her to be there with like-minded young musicians playing in orchestra, rehearsing chamber music, and practicing together in this idyllic setting amidst the Green Mountains of Vermont. The friendships she left with are very special to her and ones with which she continues to stay in touch. The staff and faculty were supportive and nurturing and according to Sofia funny and entertaining especially during rehearsals. Thank goodness!!! Kinhaven remains a glowing ember in the heart of our daughter. She very much looks forward to returning.
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