Kinhaven Music School Semester Program, an Innovative Classical Music Initiative

Last year, Kinhaven Music School, located in Weston, Vermont, debuted a one-of-a-kind classical music program. Its inaugural class, consisting of nine high-school students from different schools and backgrounds, will spend a full semester immersed in music while taking academic classes at Burr and Burton Academy, a private school in Manchester, Vermont. Students live on Kinhaven’s beautiful and peaceful 31-acre campus, attending school in the morning and taking private lessons and playing chamber music in the afternoons.

Kinhaven is not new to the classical music scene. The summer music camp specializing in classical music was founded in 1952 by David and Dorothy Dushkin. It has grown from just one summer session to five, ranging from a six-week session for high school instrumentalists focusing on chamber music and symphonic repertoire to a five-day Adult Piano Workshop focusing on four-hand repertoire. Students from all over the country travel to Vermont to learn from talented and dedicated faculty, performing chamber and orchestral pieces all throughout the summer. Kinhaven emphasizes a non-competitive and holistic education of young musicians. The idyllic campus, nestled among rolling green hills, is the opposite of New York City and the bustling lives of Stuyvesant students. It is quiet, relatively remote, and surrounded by nature, creating the perfect environment for studying music; students can practice in one of the many cabins around campus. The campus also features newly renovated facilities, including a concert hall, funded by the over one million dollars raised in Kinhaven’s recent capital campaign.

The new Semester Program extends Kinhaven’s well-loved traditions from just the summer to half a year. Now in its fifth week, the Semester Program’s nine students have just completed their performance at Southern Vermont Arts Center. They perform across Vermont every week, showcasing high-level string quartets and quintets to Vermont locals. Like all Kinhaven concerts, performances are free and completely accessible to the public. In an interview with The Spectator, Chloe Zhu, a Semester Program student from Tottenville High School in New York City, said, “It’s a great opportunity to perform every week and it feels nice that we are doing something to give back to the community.” Throughout the week, students receive chamber coachings from the Semester Program’s resident string quartet, the Trillium Quartet, composed of violinists Sommer Altier and Judith Kim, violist Sydney Link, and cellist Amelia Smerz.

The Trillium Quartet boasts impressive accolades despite being relatively young. Its members have plenty of experience as principals in their collegiate orchestras and hail from impressive music schools and conservatories. The quartet is also the Graduate Quartet in Residence at Montclair State University. “The staff are very supportive, especially Trillium,” Zhu said. “They’re always pushing you for more, giving advice and answering any questions you may have.” It’s clear that the Semester Program students receive expert coachings and lessons.

Compared to its national peers, the program is unique; unlike schools like Interlochen Arts Academy and Walnut Hill School for the Arts, which host academics and arts on the same campus, Kinhaven Semester Program’s entire academic aspect is housed at Burr and Burton Academy, whereas the Kinhaven campus itself is solely dedicated to music. This clear distinction lets students more fully immerse themselves in their activities, whether scholarly or musical. The students also receive ample time to balance their academic work with their musical goals. “There are specific times during school you can finish work and also time[s] scheduled for you at Kinhaven,” Zhu said.

The Semester Program also prepares students for their musical futures. High school musicians need to begin considering whether they want to continue studying music in college. The Semester Program could help some determine if a conservatory education is right for them, or if they would prefer a dual-degree program or double major, similar to the Semester Program’s structure. The program also helps students decide which sub-category of classical music they want to specialize in. The Semester Program has helped Zhu, for example, realize that she enjoys chamber music. “I didn’t really know what chamber music was like. [The Semester Program] really made me realize that I liked it better than orchestra,” she said.  

The Kinhaven Semester Program is a rewarding and valuable experience for all lucky enough to attend. The small class size makes bonding between students easy and organic. “The best memories are any of the times I bond with the other musicians because,” Zhu remarked. “We all got very close in a short amount of time.” To her, the program is worth being away from home for four months.

The foundation of the Semester Program shares the same ethos Kinhaven has had since its inception, allowing shared music-making that is non-competitive and nurturing to both the musician and the person. The Semester Program proves that it is possible to teach classical music at a high level without compromising enjoyment and talent. It helps students reconnect with the joy of making music and discover a fundamental understanding of the relationship between a musician and their instrument.