Stetson String Academy 2024
September 12-14, 2024
We are thrilled to invite students to the Stetson String Academy this fall! The String Academy is held on the DeLand campus of Stetson University. Young string players will be provided with an opportunity to participate in a range of exciting musical experiences under the guidance of Stetson University faculty artists. It is intended primarily for high-school students; however, talented younger players will be considered. String Academy events include masterclasses with Stetson School of Music faculty, University Symphony Orchestra rehearsal, Chamber Orchestra Concert (a chance to hear the famous German organ), faculty performances and a final Academy Concert.
The Stetson String Academy is open to students in grades 9-12 who play violin, viola, cello, or bass.
The fee is $35 per student, which includes registration, music and two lunches in the Stetson Commons.
2024 Audition Excerpts:
William Boyce: Symphony No. 4 in F Major, Op.2, No. 4
Please prepare the entire symphony for the audition to the String Academy.
Stetson String Academy 2024 Tentative Schedule
Thursday, September 12
- 5:30-8:30 p.m. Registration (ends at 8:00 p.m.) and seating placement auditions
- 7-8:30 p.m. Observe Stetson Symphony Orchestra rehearsing
- 9:00 p.m. Meeting of all students
Friday, September 13
- 8:45-10:10 a.m. Academy Orchestra Rehearsal
- 10:20-11:25 a.m. Chamber Groups Coaching
- 11:30-noon Stetson Faculty Recital
- noon-1 p.m.Lunch (provided)
- 1-2:30 p.m. Academy Orchestra Rehearsal
- 3-4 p.m. Chamber Groups Coaching
- 4:15-5:30 p.m. Masterclasses with Stetson Faculty
- 5:30-7 p.m. Dinner
- 7:30 p.m. Attend Stetson University Chamber Orchestra Concert
Saturday, September 14
- 9:00-10:15 a.m. Dress Rehearsal for String Academy Orchestra
- 10:15-11:30 a.m. Dress Rehearsal for Chamber Groups
- 11:30-12:30 p.m. Lunch (provided)
- 12:30-1 p.m. Concert Warmup
- 1:00 p.m. String Academy Concert
- 2:00 p.m. Pizza Party Finale
Transportation, lodging and other meals are the responsibility of the participant.
- Information on area lodging, parking locations and the City of DeLand
Faculty Instructors
Anthony Hose
Anthony Hose is the conductor of the Stetson University Symphony and Chamber orchestras. He was a professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music in London, where he first studied piano, harpsichord, clarinet, double bass and conducting. Maestro Hose is the principal conductor of the Welsh Chamber Orchestra and artistic director of the Beaumaris Festival in Wales. He has been a guest conductor with many orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Symphony, Budapest Symphony, Icelandic Symphony, L'Opéra de Lyons and Munich Bach Collegium. He has conducted 250 performances for Welsh National Opera and has a repertoire of more than 100 operas.
Routa Kroumovitch
Routa Kroumovitch, originally from Riga, Latvia, is a professor of violin. She began her musical studies at the age of four and continued study at the Riga Conservatory, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and the Universidad de Chile. She has held positions as first violin of the Santiago Chamber Orchestra and concert mistress for both the Chilean Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras. She has performed internationally in Europe, China, Israel, Japan and Canada, and continues an active career as a soloist, chamber musician and international judge.
Jesús Alfonzo
Jesus Alfonzo is a viola, chamber music, and string pedagogy professor. He received a diploma and postgraduate diploma from the Juilliard School of Music, a Master of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University. He has appeared with orchestras and performed recitals and chamber music concerts in Europe, South America, and the United States. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Dr. Alfonzo is a founding member of the El Sistema, the Venezuelan National System of Youth Orchestras, and was the principal violist of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra for sixteen years. His students have been accepted in distinguished conservatories, schools of music, and orchestras in the United States and Europe. Dr. Alfonzo is frequently invited to national and international lectures at conferences and congresses and teach a series of viola and string pedagogy master classes at El Sistema in Venezuela and Spain.
Ignacy Gaydamovich
Ignacy Gaydamovich has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras and captivated audiences with his international solo cello recitals. His chamber music performances have also been widely acclaimed, with appearances at prestigious venues. He has been a sought-after faculty member and has taught at institutions such as Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and Texas Christian University. Dr. Gaydamovich has received several awards throughout his career, including the Grand Prix and Best Solo and Chamber Prizes at the Allegro-Vivo Festival in Horn, Austria, and the Third Prize at the K. Bacewicz International Chamber Music Competition in Łódź, Poland. Dr. Gaydamovich holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Hartt School of Music in West Hartford, CT.
Michael Hill
Michael Hill is one of the most sought-after orchestral bass players and teachers in the Southeastern U.S. As a performer, he currently holds the position of Principal Bass of the Orlando Philharmonic as well as performing with the Naples Philharmonic and the Charleston Symphony in South Carolina. As a teacher, Hill is on staff at Florida Southern College, Rollins College, Stetson University and the University of Central Florida. He is sponsored by Solano Basses and endorsed by D'Addario Strings.