Have been noticing the thread in Viva Piano about the Chethams' Piano Summer School, and am getting rather envious. It sounds fantastic, and like it caters for adults of pretty much all abilities.

So just wondering if anyone knows of anything similar this for violin/general strings. (I know Chethams doesn't do a string one!) as my teacher doesn't teach over the school holidays and I don't know how I'll cope with 6 weeks of no lessons, as I look forward to my lessons all week, and am also far too capable of slipping into bad habits! I also have tons of holidays to take, as I haven't taken any since June last year, so a one or two week music course would be fab! Ideally something that someone has been on, or at least knows of the organisers or something, so that someone can actually provide a recommendation for it. I'd be a bit unsure about something completely unknown!

Try and get hold of Strad magazine's supplement published a month or two ago with almost-complete listings of UK and foreign summer schools. I believe there is another music magazine which does a similar thing. It is hard to give recommendations specifically unless you state your age and ability, as most courses cater for quite specific groups.

How old are you and what standard?
Musicfest at Aberystwyth might be worth looking at. Google should find it. It takes older teens and adults, from approx grade 8, and runs at the same time as the music festival which has some great concerts, which are free for the summer school participants.

Can I also request some suggestion for summer schools? I can attend anything in the London/Surrey area and play violin to approximately grade 7/8 standard.

I thought it is better to add a post here than start a new thread s it just clogs up the forums.

I'm 24 and working towards Grade 8 at the moment. (Was supposed to sit it in June, but just pulled out of Grade 5 theory because I've been far too busy (what with moving house, working late and changing departments!) to study for it, and am also developing a similar mental block with theory as I did with Physics at school! So it will have to be November now).

I would like something that will be a bit of a challenge, but don't really want something where I'll be at the very, very bottom end of the ability level! (If that specification helps at all!)

http://www.benslow.org/

Sorry I don't know how to add a link but I think the address is www.abermusicfest.org. They have two courses which might interest you the solo violin course with Pavel Fischer and a quartet course with the Carducci quartet. They say they will try and make up quartets if needed from lone applicants.

What about Benslow http://www.benslow.org/

Wouldn't it be fun if we could all meet up for a weekend!?

Hi false_harmonic

The CSSM summer school held at Sherborne School in Dorset is very good. 18-25 July 2009. Have a look on their website for details.