Oxford Chamber Course – six-day summer music course for children

Welcome to the website for the Oxford Chamber Course.

The Oxford Chamber Course 2019 will take place from Sunday 4th – Friday 9th August.
You’ll find more information below, and you can also download our 2019 brochure here:
Download PDF brochure
Or get in touch with us if you’d like us to send you a printed brochure.

A six-day chamber music course for young string players held in Oxford every summer

Are you looking for a summer music course which combines intensive study under experienced coaches with the fun and enjoyment of making music together? Each summer the Oxford Chamber Course offers young string players aged 9–18 the opportunity to sample the special delights and challenges of playing chamber music – and a lot more besides.

The Introductory Course (10am–2.45pm each day) is for players of Grade 3 standard and above who have not yet taken Grade 6.

The Advanced Course (12 noon–5.30pm each day) is for players from Grade 6 standard up to Grade 8 and above.

The course will take place at Headington School from Sunday 4th – Thursday 8th August. On Friday 9th August there will be rehearsals all day at St Andrew’s Church, Linton Road, North Oxford, leading up to the final course concert that evening.

For full details of the course, including details of fees, discounts, and other important information, please download the 2019 PDF brochure above.

Chamber groups
All members of the course play in two different chamber groups, and every chamber group performs in the concert at the end of the week.
OCC Chamber Orchestra and Advanced String Ensemble
The concert also features two orchestral groups, one made up of everyone on the course, the other consisting of all the Advanced Course players.
Workshops and masterclass
Every day features a different workshop, each exploring a different aspect of string playing, and all the Advanced Course chamber groups also take part in a masterclass with a world-class chamber musician.
Fun and games
Lunch-breaks include social activities for members of both courses, such as the annual Jenga Tournament.

Our coaches

Our coaching staff consists of six experienced professional chamber musicians with busy performing and teaching careers.
You can read a little about them below.

Janet Froomes

violin

Janet studied at the Victorian College of the Arts and Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, playing with Australian Opera and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for several years before moving to the UK to continue her studies in Oxford. With Miranda and Judith she was a founder member of the Courtenay Quartet.

Miranda Walton

violin

Miranda is a graduate of York University and of the Birmingham Conservatoire. She studied violin with Rimma Sushanskaya and baroque violin with Micaela Comberti. She has played with many groups such as Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (at Glyndebourne), for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and on BBC Radio broadcasts.

Vanessa Murby

viola

Vanessa studied viola with Margaret Major as an undergraduate at the Royal College of Music, then, as a postgraduate, gained diplomas in orchestral, solo and chamber performance. She has recorded for film, television and radio, and has performed at private functions both for the Prince of Wales and for the Queen!

Jacqueline Johnson

cello

Jacqueline graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts, then played in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, worked with Australian Opera and Ballet, and broadcast for the ABC, before moving to the UK in 1990. Teachers include Colin Carr, Christopher Bunting, Anner Bylsma (baroque cello) and Pedro de Alcantara.

Judith Dallosso

cello

Judith was an Instrumental Award Holder at Jesus College, Cambridge. She then had two years of postgraduate study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying cello with Stefan Popov and baroque cello with Anthony Pleeth. With Miranda and Janet she was a founder member of the Courtenay Quartet.

Spike Wilson

cello

Spike was a Choral Exhibitioner at The Queen’s College, Oxford. He studied with William Pleeth, Christopher Bunting and Alexander Baillie. He was Oxford Brookes University’s Performance Co-ordinator and Director of Hampshire County Youth String Orchestra. He is a founder member of OXUS and of the Holywell Ensemble.

Testimonials

How to apply

1 Download the 2019 application form here:
Download form
2 Open it and fill it in on your computer.
(Hint: use Tab or arrow keys, not Return, to move between items.)
3 Save it and e-mail it to oxfordchambercourse@gmail.com.
4 Pay the deposit online (payment details are on the form).
Or, if you have a printed brochure, you can fill in the form in the brochure and post it to us with a cheque.
Places are limited so early application is advised!