String players, take note: CIM slates second year of popular Chamber Music Intensive

Call off your search. CIM has just the summer program you’ve been looking for.  

On Monday, CIM announced the 2025 edition of Chamber Music Intensive, aka CMI@CIM, its competitive program for elite high-school, college, and pre-professional string players looking to take their skills to the next level.  

As before, the 2025 program will be led by acclaimed CIM faculty violinist Todd Phillips and faculty cellist Si-Yan Darren Li, Director of Chamber Music. The dates will be June 20-29, with a final performance at CIM on June 28.  

"This will be a week of inspired music-making, emphasizing collaborative skills and exploring the deeper musical values of the great chamber music repertoire,” said Phillips, one of the nation’s most respected chamber musicians.  

Participants in the new intensive will enjoy ample opportunities to perform for and train with some of the field’s top educators, including CIM faculty member Wesley Collins, principal violist of The Cleveland Orchestra, and Catherine Cho, a violin instructor at The Juilliard School. 

All will be assigned a seat in a string quartet or quintet and receive daily coaching from faculty artists leading up to a final concert June 28 in CIM’s Mixon Hall. Regular masterclasses will also afford opportunities to play solo repertoire.  

In addition, all participants will perform in a conductor-less chamber orchestra guided by Phillips, a founding member of the Orion String Quartet and 40-year member of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Phillips also serves on the faculties of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and the Manhattan School of Music. 

CMI@CIM “has truly been an unforgettable experience and a cherished memory in my life,” wrote one 2024 participant. “I leave with renewed energy and motivation to continue my musical journey.”  

Registration for CMI@CIM is open now, and decisions will be announced by March 1. Current application fees are $75 for individuals. After Dec. 20, rates increase to $100. Priority consideration application deadline is Feb. 1, with decisions to be announced March 1. 

All applications must include an audition. To audition, individual candidates must send recorded performances of two solo works in contrasting styles.  

More information about CMI@CIM, including a fee schedule and the registration form, can be found at the program’s website, cim.edu/chambermusicintensive.  

For more information about CIM in general, visit cim.edu.