No two summer music programs are alike and the 2026 Guide is proof—the programs you'll find within are suitable for ages 8 to 90, whether seeking pleasure along with your practice sessions or no-nonsense study and performance with the masters. Many of these listings offer both; all offer networking at assorted levels, from making new friends to finding your next gig.

Producing The Summer Camps Guide is always an enjoyable labor since it provides a preview of warm climes and summer music ahead. Enjoy.

COVER PHOTO: National Repertory Orchestra student Chris Petrella outside the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, CO.
CREDIT: Elaine Collins 2025

Download the Guide ⤊ or scroll down ⤋ to view information for each program

CC Summer Music Festival, now in its 42nd year, is a three-week intensive training festival for pre-professional musicians. All accepted applicants attend on full fellowship (free tuition, room and board). Orchestra, chamber groups, private lessons and mentoring, community outreach, small faculty to fellow ratio for a very personal experience.

Each year, Juilliard hosts a weeklong seminar to foster the artistic growth of pre-formed, pre-professional string quartets. Through intensive coaching and mentoring with members of the Juilliard String Quartet, as well as interaction with other participating quartets, students are able to refine their artistry in a stimulating artistic environment.

Juilliard Summer Music is a three-week conservatory program for high-school instrumentalists, composers, and vocalists. Participants study with Juilliard faculty, alumni, and guest artists, through lessons, master classes, chamber music, orchestra, and frequent performance opportunities on our renowned Lincoln Center campus in New York City.

MSM's summer program for young musicians ages 8 to 17 is designed to develop their talents, build friendships, and have fun! MSM Summer provides instruction and performance experience for students in a dynamic conservatory setting. Students will develop their musical skills and join a vibrant community of young musicians.

More than 100 musical events, including recitals, master classes, orchestra, chamber music and opera; private weekly lessons, inspiring daily training; off- and on-stage mentorship; wellness program; community outreach, and competitions with cash prizes

The High School Intensive is an unparalleled opportunity to gain technical mastery and in-depth understanding of navigating a career in music. In the spectacular coastal setting of Santa Barbara, students will learn from renowned teaching artists, collaborate with peers equally committed to musical excellence, and perform.

NYOA uniquely bridges training and performance by immersing high school singers in a fully staged opera with orchestra, celebrity master classes, and professional mentorship. Modeled after conservatory-level learning, students gain real-world stage experience, career skills, and confidence in an inspiring, collaborative environment unlike any other youth program.

From week-long day camps to multi-week residencies, our summer programs offer students of all ages the opportunity to live, work and play with our world-class faculty, along with renowned guest artists, all at the state-of-the-art CCM Village on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.

Ameropa is two weeks of studies and performance at tje International Academy of Chamber Music, fully dedicated to this noble field of music. The program takes place in Prague, Czech Republic, one of the Europe's most musical and historical capital. The p rogram includes ensemble rehearsals and public performances; participants are scheduled typically into three to four chamber groups.

Brevard Music Center offers a rigorous and immersive program of instruction and professional performance, where students and faculty co-exist, collaborate, and perform as one on stage. Private lessons are complemented by participating in orchestral, chamber, and opera performances.

A program of intensive work on the many aspects of being a conductor where conductors develop as leaders, hone their skills and learn new ones. The place to study, rehearse, and perform great repertoire in a supportive community by a beautiful lake in the Maine woods.

Immersive musical experience in historic Cremona, the birthplace of Claudio Monteverdi, where students receive individualized instruction from world-class faculty. Surrounded by the legacy of legendary luthiers Amati, Stradivari, and Guarneri, participants deepen their musical connection, combining intensive study with the inspiration of a city rooted in classical music history.

FOOSA is a full-immersion program that cultivates a sense of orchestra community. FOOSA provides musicians of all ages with two weeks of private lessons, orchestra rehearsals, sectionals, recital opportunities, a concerto competition, and concert performances in some of Southern California's most prestigious concert halls.

Talented musicians from across the country join together on the beautiful Furman campus to build not only musicianship skills but life-long friendships. Camps offered for all winds/percussion and strings, piano/organ, and voice. Options available for boarding or commuting. The program provides affordable opportunities for students to perform and learn from master teachers.

A full fellowship opportunity for passionate young musicians, the Garth Newel Emerging Artist Fellowship offers an inspiring, chamber music-focused summer of performance, mentorship, and artistic growth in the mountains of Virginia.

This intensive program of solo and chamber music study welcomes college-, graduate-, and high-school aged violinists, violists and cellists into an atmosphere of focused professionalism. All students participate in the same program, giving them the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty and festival fellows.

The Heifetz Institute uniquely combines world-class musical training with groundbreaking communication training, ensuring young artists not only master their craft but also connect powerfully with audiences. With intensive performance opportunities, community outreach, and global streaming reach, Heifetz shapes musicians into transformative performers, leaders, and ambassadors for classical music.

Hidden Valley Master Classes are immersive, week-long intensives with musician teachers from top performing & teaching institutes. Opportunities for learning, advancement, and creating relationships within the musical community that can last a lifetime. Instruments: oboe, cello, English horn, and jazz flute

We offer a broad range of programs for both children and adults through Indiana University JSoM's Jacobs Academy. Our summer intensives include camps for everything from strings, voice and piano to natural horn, jazz, Kodaly training, ensembles through our Summer Music Clinic and our new Creation and Production Academy.

Juilliard's continuing education division offers virtual Ear Training and Music Theory and Analysis classes, open to students ages 14-18. Courses range from fundamental concepts to advanced training, with additional options to help prepare students for Advanced Placement exams or provide the opportunity to earn college credit.

Founded in 1902, Kneisel Hall provides the highest level of chamber music mentorship through its week-long Program for Maine Students and core seven-week Young Artist Program. Set in the beautiful Maine woods on the coast, Kneisel Hall has been an inspiration for generations of musicians for over 100 years.

Ljubljana Masterclasses offer the best world-renowned professors, excellent working conditions, quiet place for lessons, clearly defined schedule, and access to practice rooms during the day in central Ljubljana. Students can perform at a concert within the 74th Ljubljana Festival, providing them with an opportunity to present themselves to wider audiences.

Individually tailored studies for pianists, string players, composers, and conductors who engage in a number of solo, chamber music and string orchestra performances as they co-perform alongside faculty and guest musicians at various stages and spectacular summer locations. Featuring performances in neighboring Montenegro, Croatia, and other regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

NFMC is the largest nonprofit organization in the United States promoting and supporting American music, performers and music education. As a grassroots organization working in communities throughout America, we provide musical opportunities for all ages: professional and amateur musicians, benefactors, volunteers, music lovers, music teachers, music students, and supportive parents.

The NRO is honored to reside in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado, and proud to celebrate over 60 years educating the next generation of classical musicians with our prestigious, tuition-free program. At the Summer Music Festival, 80 talented musicians are selected to perform more repertoire than any other festival of its kind.

Three full length productions complete with sets, costumes, and professional orchestra. All productions double cast so many roles available, but a minimum of three performances of all roles. Children's opera produced with studio artists; travels to 14 venues, also double-cast. Residential in the beautiful Ozark mountains.

The Peabody Preparatory, Baltimore's premier community school for the performing arts, offers summer programs in music and dance for students of all backgrounds and experience levels. Peabody's world-class faculty and century-long tradition of excellence provide exceptional opportunities for learning, creativity, and performance in an innovative and welcoming environment.

The PSO Summer camp offers a wide variety of classes in addition to full orchestra and sectionals. Students can learn instrument repair, music therapy, improvisation, composition and arranging, wellness for the musician, and many more interesting topics for young musicians.

Training for high school singers includes: lessons and coachings, participation in master classes, courses in acting, lyric diction, vocal health, college audition preparation, and stage craft, as well as performance opportunities in ensembles and recitals.

A rigorous training program for singers, pianists, dancers, and actors offering a welcoming and immersive summer arts festival experience led by Juilliard artist faculty, alumni, and guest artists, as well as industry leaders and professors from other top institutions. Run in collaboration with Nord Anglia Education.

Aspiring young musicians experience what studying and living at SFCM, in the heart of San Francisco's arts district, might be like. The 2026 offerings include Bass Clarinet Intensive, Guitar Workshop, Harp Immersive, Percussion Workshop, Technology and Applied Composition Immersive, and Vocal Academy.

A burst (or pulse) of meaningful instruction, relationship building, and growth, MPulse is a transformative experience for young artists. It launches them into the college audition process with a newfound confidence, knowledge base, and passion for the arts. Participants study with our world-renowned faculty on the U-M Ann Arbor campus.

Founded in 1968, Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts provides young musicians and composers the opportunity to both seriously study their craft and experience the joys of a traditional summer day camp amidst the wonders of a 140-acres campus.

Forty-five composers, performers, teachers, choral singers, improvisers, and electronic musicians from around the world gather together with 15 dedicated faculty and inspiring artists-in-residence in an immersive, residential, and transformational music experience. Recent visiting artists include Paula Matthusen, Amy Beth Kirsten, Oscar Bettison, International Contemporary Ensemble, David Friend, and Mivos Quartet.

Walden's Young Musicians Program provides an unparalleled summer experience for students ages 9-18. Part school, camp, and festival, Walden features inspiring classes, concerts & composer forums, plus chorus and recreation. Students hone musical and creative skills through a rigorous, innovative curriculum, all within a community of encouraging peers and mentors.

Founded by world-renowned violinist Yehudi Menuhin, YMS is a place where talented musicians can develop their artistry to the highest level within a nurturing environment. This course offers a taste of life as a pupil, bringing together young people with a passion for classical music for a fun, inspiring week.

Students will have a 100% musical experience in the facilities of the Reina Sof a School of Music, consisting of instrument technique in individual classes, rehearsals, chamber music. "Building an Artist" master classes will help them to enter the professional world of music (preparing their curriculum, auditions, exams, competitions, injury prevention).

The YPC National Studio & Lab unites music educators and choristers nationwide for an immersive choral intensive led by Francisco J. Núñez, YPC's master teachers, and renowned guest artists. Through workshops, rehearsals, and dialogue, participants develop skills, connections and inspiration to become artistic leaders within their choral communities.